Jonathan retweeted
Seen yesterday, Iron Duke being brought alongside Richmond @navylookout @WarshipsIFR @seawaves_mag @UKDefJournal @UKForcesTracker
Jonathan retweeted
The Royal Navy will acquire three Offshore Support Vessels—with options for three more—to operate uncrewed mine countermeasure systems and support NATO’s northern flank as part of the wider UK-Norway Type 26 partnership 🇬🇧 🇳🇴
navalnews.com/naval-news/202…
Jonathan retweeted
Why Canada likes Destroyers for its Navy? via @YouTube youtu.be/0G41DRgqM00?si=QCAP…
Jonathan retweeted
🇬🇧🇩🇰🇳🇴🇸🇪🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇮🇸🇳🇱 NEW: TEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO EXPAND NAVAL COOPERATION AGAINST RUSSIA
The ten members of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) are preparing to sign a new agreement aimed at strengthening maritime security and deterring Russian submarines.
According to the Financial Times, the agreement will be signed aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in Oslo on November 10.
KEY DETAILS:
• COUNTRIES: The UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands.
• OPERATIONS: Moving beyond intelligence sharing and political coordination towards closer integration of naval, air and land forces.
• GEOGRAPHY: Focused on the North Atlantic, the Arctic and the Baltic Sea.
• SUBMARINES: Strengthening the ability to detect, monitor and deter Russian submarines that could threaten shipping during a conflict.
• INFRASTRUCTURE: Improving protection of strategically important maritime routes and critical undersea infrastructure, including communications cables.
• INTEGRATION: Expanding joint training, operational planning, logistics and the ability of participating navies to operate together.
The agreement builds on the JEF’s existing Northern Navies Initiative, endorsed by all ten countries in July 2026.
Jonathan retweeted
#NEWS: We’ve been selected to build America’s new Medium Landing Ship.
As our first @USNavy shipbuilding contract, this marks an important milestone in our commitment to invest in @PhillyShipyard and expand its naval production capacity.
More detail: ow.ly/yi635102s59
Jonathan retweeted
Hanwha Philly Shipyard Wins $269 Million U.S. Navy Landing Ship Contract gcaptain.com/hanwha-philly-s…
Jonathan retweeted
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund
alzresearch.org/giving/
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources
alzfdn.org/donate/
Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia
Jonathan retweeted
🚨Wes Streeting only talked about how the UK needs to prepare for food shortages and cyber attacks, because I asked him when the government was going to start its national conversation on defence during a question and answer session at the opening of a gun hall.
If the defence secretary hadn’t given such a meaningful reply (thank you @wesstreeting), then no government minister would have spoken out publicly about this topic on the day that the Cabinet Office finally published its new advice on being ready for emergencies.
This long-awaited “Be Ready” moment was meant to be a really important signal - launching a three year campaign to shift the whole of our society to a footing that is more resilient to any kind of shock.
Instead, no government minister had been scheduled to speak publicly today specifically to launch this vital piece of work.
It was just going to be a website update and a written statement to Parliament.
This does not send the signal that getting the UK ready for any potential disaster - up to and including war - is a top priority for our new prime minister…
skynews-defence.noosphere.ap…
Jonathan retweeted
.@Navantia_UK says it has won a second new vessel export contract (no details given) for its Methil yard and is recruiting 60 skilled workers to support the next phase of work at the facility in Fife.
Jonathan retweeted
Merlin helicopters from 820 and 845 Naval Air Squadron embarking aboard HMS Prince of Wales, October 18th.
The carrier is now deployed on the second phase of Operation Firecrest, leading the UK Carrier Strike Group across Northern Europe.
(Src: @HMSPWLS)
Jonathan retweeted
Every ship has a story. And what a story ours has been. ⚓️
Our Ship’s Company has said its final goodbye, the lights are out and the ensign has been lowered.
As we move on, HMS DUNCAN heads into refit, ready to return stronger than ever.
#LastandBest . Will return…
Jonathan retweeted
British F-35 jets will fly from HMS Prince of Wales in the Arctic and North Atlantic when the carrier sails from Portsmouth on Sunday, returning fifth-generation airpower to the skies of the High North. Click image for more.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=7…
Jonathan retweeted
RN Wildcat helicopters have demonstrated their ability to defend warships against uncrewed threats during Exercise Wildfire with the 🇫🇷French Navy.
A Wildcat HMA2 from @815NAS joined the French Carrier Strike Group off Toulon for five days of demanding air-defence training, detecting, tracking and engaging uncrewed aerial and surface targets.
The Wildcat fired Martlet missiles during live engagements to defend the task group, demonstrating a weapon combination increasingly relevant for drone threats
The French force included six ships, among them air-defence destroyers, a La Fayette-class frigate, a Chevallier-class replenishment ship and an LHD. Rafale Marine fighters, maritime patrol aircraft and French helicopters also took part.
Exercise Wildfire also included the first testing of France’s Rampart defence system from the LHD, using a laser-guided rocket to destroy a target. Interceptor drones intended to defeat hostile drones and surface craft were also trialled.
Jonathan retweeted
The ride of the Valkyrie ⚔️
With the successful first flight of the Airbus U740 Valkyrie in Europe, we are one step closer to introducing an operational uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to the German and other European Armed Forces.
The flight achieved all objectives, including a rocket-assisted take-off, manoeuvers at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, and in-flight mission adjustments. These learnings will pave the way for subsequent flight tests with our MARS mission system.
Based on the Kratos-built airframe, we’re equipping the Valkyrie with our own mission system that will serve as the uncrewed CCA’s “European brain”. Ensuring full control over software as well as mission applications, data and system hardware, MARS enables German and European Armed Forces to operate the Valkyrie with full operational sovereignty.
The Valkyrie will also play a critical role in enhancing crewed combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter with extended range, firepower, and survivability. The aircraft design enables operational resilience through its rail launch capability, while offering conventional, runway based, take-off and landing as an option.
Learn more: airbus.com/en/newsroom/press…
Jonathan retweeted
Royal Navy major combatants update.
Both carriers active. One operational T45 for rest of year, Daring maybe starting extremely long reactivation trials soon.
One T23 on TAPS, one working up, one doing various tasks & trials.
One op Astute next month, one on lengthy trials.
Jonathan retweeted
🛳️Shipping Broadcast🛳️
Actually more of a 🚀Missile Broadcast 🚀 in keeping with the theme of the week...
This is my attempt to dissect the Conservative's plan for better Integrated Air and Missile Defence for the UK. They have rightly identified that frankly, it couldn't be much worse.
In sum, the idea is sound. Largely basing it on existing programms-of-record allows them to drive down the price. I've done some fag packet maths in here (and my article, to follow) and it adds up.
Much of the initial criticism, including by Labour, was based on not understanding the proposal and immediately jumping to the dome image powered by mega-systems like Patriot which we’d have to buy and integrate from scratch. This is entirely inaccurate.
As to the 'Sense, Decide, Effect’ part that make it work, much is already in place, is Navy 101 and just needs cohering better. It won't be easy, but it is doable.
The threat is real and getting closer - having proper layered defence makes it less likely to happen and increases our abity to respond if it does.
Is it a priority for defence? There are many others but I'm assuming we can do more than one thing at a time. And the cost is low.
In sum, this is a good idea and has got the converstation started. In my view it could work and could come in at the asking price. The current government should collaborate to take the good bits and develop them, rather than mocking it based on a lack of understanding.
youtu.be/bC7aa6UkZZ4
Jonathan retweeted
RN has appointed a ship's sponsor (the Countess of Antrim) to Type 26 frigate (ship 3), HMS Belfast, which suggests the vessel had not been earmarked to be handed to 🇳🇴Norway as their first ship.
Possibly ship 4, HMS Birmingham will become the first Norwegian Type 26? which they (optimistically) want to be in service by 2029.
