Hm Naval Base News

The U.K. Royal Navy’s new hydrographic survey vessel encountered a bout of rough weather during sea trials in the Irish Sea.Launched less than a month ago, HMS Magpie is the newest addition to the Navy's hydrographic squadron, replacing veteran survey launch Gleaner decommissioned earlier this year after 35 years’ under the White Ensign.The new 18-meter catamaran is being delivered by Atlas Elektronik UK through a subcontract with Cork shipbuilder Safehaven, based on the firm’s…

The U.K. Royal Navy’s fourth Astute class submarine, Audacious, has completed its first ever dive, marking a milestone on the path toward full sea trials later in 2018. The trim and basin dive took place over two days in early January in Devonshire Dock, at builder BAE Systems's site in Barrow-in-Furness. The operation, which saw Audacious submerge fully underwater for the first time, allowed a team from Royal Navy, Ministry of Defense and BAE Systems to test many of the sub’s onboard systems, and proved the safety and stability of the 7,400-metric-ton, 97-meter-long attack submarine.

The Royal Navy's latest submarine, HMS Artful, will be officially commissioned at a ceremony today. It will take place at Faslane naval base on the Clyde, with representatives of the Royal Navy and the companies that built the vessel present. Guest of honor at the ceremony will be the submarine's sponsor Lady Amanda Zambellas, who named the vessel during its launch in 2014. Artful, the third of the Royal Navy’s new Astute-class attack submarines, has been busy conducting her final Contractor Sea Trials ahead of her maiden deployment. The sophisticated submarine sailed from Barrow-in-Furness in August last year for her new home at HM Naval Base Clyde and since then has been proving her systems and equipment at sea.

BAE Systems has been awarded a £5.5 million contract to install a new Vessel Traffic Management System to assist in the controlling and monitoring of all ship movements within Portsmouth Harbor and the Eastern Solent. The contract is the latest development in the partnering agreement between BAE Systems, the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defense to modernize HM Naval Base Portsmouth and prepare for the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of the four acre, 65,000 metric ton aircraft carriers to be based in Portsmouth.

Construction of HMS Prince of Wales, the second of two new aircraft carriers for the U.K. Royal Navy, has moved forward with the docking of two of the ship’s largest hull sections – Lower Block 02 and Lower Block 03. The movement of the blocks into the dock at Rosyth marks the beginning of the ship’s assembly phase and comes only days after Prime Minister David Cameron announced that HMS Prince of Wales will enter into service, ensuring that the U.K. will always have one aircraft carrier available.

A huge section of hull for HMS Prince of Wales, the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, has today begun its delivery voyage from HM Naval Base Portsmouth – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class. Mick Ord, Managing Director at BAE Systems Naval Ships, said, “This is a significant milestone for the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier program and a particularly proud one for the team in Portsmouth whose contribution to delivering the nation’s flagships has been outstanding.

HM Naval Base Portsmouth was lit up red, white and green this morning as BAE Systems handed over the third of three new warships to the Royal Navy of Oman. AL RASIKH is a 99 meter corvette designed, built and delivered as part of Project Khareef. The Interim Acceptance ceremony was attended by dignitaries from both Oman and the U.K. who witnessed the ship’s crew board the vessel to raise the National Flag of Oman for the first time. Mick Ord, Managing Director of BAE Systems Naval Ships, said, “This is a proud day for the Royal Navy of Oman as it takes ownership of the third Khareef Class corvette, which has been completed to the highest standard. Portsmouth’s iconic Spinnaker Tower also joined the colorful celebrations by lighting up in Oman’s national colors.

The 3 new ships will be built by BAE Systems at their shipyards on the Clyde in a deal that will sustain jobs in the UK’s warship-building industry, and will play a key role in counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations, according to a UK MOD announcement. The agreement with BAE Systems provides work for the company between the completion of the Queen Elizabeth-Class aircraft carriers and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, securing the vital skills needed to build the UK’s future warships.

Al Rahmani, the second of three Khareef Class corvettes designed and built by BAE Systems, will be handed over to the Royal Navy of Oman in a ceremony at HM Naval Base Portsmouth Wednesday, October 30, 2013. Her Interim Acceptance, in which the ship’s title is transferred before sailing to Oman, marks an important milestone for the project. The Khareef Class corvettes are equipped to defend against both surface and air threats with stealth features to operate undetected, an innovative hull design and electric propulsion to provide exceptional maneuverability. The ship is capable of undertaking a range of operations including coastal patrols, disaster relief, search and rescue, and deterrence operations. baesystems.com

The sixth and final Type 45 destroyer, Duncan, has been delivered to HM Naval Base Portsmouth by BAE Systems and will be handed over to the U.K. Ministry of Defense at a ceremony. Duncan arrived into her new home of Portsmouth for the first time this morning with a combined BAE Systems and Royal Navy crew. The official handover ceremony will take place on the ship’s flightdeck with the crew raising the White Ensign on the ship for the first time to signify her acceptance by the Ministry of Defense.

The latest addition to the Brazilian Navy’s fleet departed the UK in the snow for her new home in Rio de Janeiro where she will strengthen Brazil’s maritime security. Apa is the second of three Amazonas Class Ocean Patrol Vessels being delivered to the Brazilian Navy by BAE Systems. Her sister ship, Amazonas, completed the crossing last year, while the final ship, Araguari, will be handed over in June. BAE Systems employees and the Brazilian Navy support team, who are working in partnership to deliver the class of ships, gathered on the dockside at HM Naval Base Portsmouth where she departed.

The Royal Navy's latest, most advanced attack submarine commissioned into the Royal Navy at HM Naval Base Clyde. Ambush was commissioned into the Royal Navy during a ceremony overseen by the submarine’s crew, naval base workers and around 500 invited guests. Among the dignitaries attending the event was the First Sea Lord , Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, and the vessel’s sponsor, Lady Anne Soar, who were joined by representatives from the City of Derby , to which the submarine is affiliated. Also in attendance were proud family members and loved ones of the crew.

'Ambush', second of the Royal Navy's, new Astute Class attack submarines, sails into Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde today to begin sea trials. The 7,400-tonne submarine sailed from the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, where she was built, to HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland. The seven Astute-class boats planned for the Royal Navy are the most advanced and powerful attack submarines Britain has ever sent to sea. They feature the latest nuclear-powered technology, which means they never need to be refuelled and can circumnavigate the world submerged…

The vessel, one of the UK's four Vanguard Class nuclear submarines, has been officially handed back to the Navy for operational use. Known as a Long Overhaul Period (Refuel), the work package was an enormous engineering task, with the submarine emerging as effectively a new boat inside. Around 2.2 million man-hours were involved in the overhaul under a £350m contract with Babcock Marine at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth. The work that was carried out included the installation of improved strategic weapons equipment and the integration of the tactical weapons command systems.

The two ships will join the UK task force based in the Gulf. Sandown Class HMS Shoreham left her home port of HM Naval Base Clyde, while Hunt Class HMS Atherstone left her home of Portsmouth. En route the two ships will operate together in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, giving support to a multinational task force providing security in the troubled waters. Sailing HMS Shoreham is the Faslane-based First Mine Countermeasures Squadron's Crew 4; 38 sailors who will see the vessel safely to her destination during the two-month voyage.

The BBC reported that a passenger ferry on the River Clyde was caught up in an international war exercise. Operation Neptune Warrior, a training exercise for Nato warships, is taking place off the west coast of Scotland. A threat by the U.S. Navy to fire on unidentified ships was transmitted to the Kilcreggan to Gourock ferry as it crossed a ship's path. A spokesman for HM Naval Base Clyde said the ferry was in no danger and an investigation is under way. The MV Kenilworth was making its regular 10-minute crossing at about 0940 BST on Monday when the incident happened. The ship was leaving Faslane naval base for the two-week exercise. It is understood it mistakenly broadcast a warning on VHF Channel 16, the international calling and distress frequency, instead of on an exercise frequency.