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HMS Sutherland – last Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to undergo life extension refit goes back to sea

HMS Sutherland – last Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to undergo life extension refit goes back to sea

Following LIFEX and engine upgrade refit period lasting 49 months, HMS Sutherland sailed from Devonport this afternoon.

More than 4 years after being handed over to Babcock, ‘the fighting Clan’, HMS Sutherland left the wall to begin sea trials. Her refit was the second most time-consuming of the class, only HMS St Alban’s pandemic-hit refit took longer.

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Each frigate undergoing life extension (LIFEX) refit has a hull survey and repairs, the Sea Wolf missile system was replaced with Sea Ceptor and a wide range of other upgrades and refurbishments. Other important additions are the foundations and cabling needed to take the Naval Strike Missile system (canisters to be embarked at a later date) and the news S2150 bow-mounted sonar.

While delivering an important capability boost, the work has mostly taken longer than expected, each vessel is has effectively been a unique project. As each ship was stripped down and surveyed, different levels of hull corrosion, structural problems and equipment deterioration were revealed. Work on the ship that was launched in 1996 included more than 800 steel hull inserts and 11,500 weld repairs – a total of 5km of welding.

The Power Generation Machinery Upgrade (PGMU) propulsion improvement project involves fitting new equipment within the existing structural and compartment constraints and integrate with the ship’s legacy services and systems. Around 8 km of new cable and 600m of new pipework has to be installed. The new diesel-generator sets have to be placed into the Forward Auxiliary Machinery Room (FAMR) below decks. The Upper Auxiliary Machinery Room (UAMR) is on the main deck level and is more easily accessible via deckhead soft patches but was also completely stripped and much equipment re-sited.

Between 2017-202, HMS Sutherland was the hardest working of the RN’s surface escorts and was the last ship in the fleet to carry the Sea Wolf missile system. Newly refurbished, Sutherland can expect to work just as hard in an even more threadbare fleet and serve well into the 2030s until replaced by by a Type 26 frigate.

With the LIFEX programme now completed, Babcock is now tasked with keeping the surviving Type 23s frigates going into the 2030s. HMS Kent is currently in the Frigate Support Centre undergoing an extensive post-LIFEX upkeep period.

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

Defence industry celebrates first Arafura accepted by Defence

The first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, conducting Sea Trials in August 2024 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard. Photo: Luerssen Australia.

Defence companies have celebrated the successful acceptance of first Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel by Defence.

Defence company Nova Systems supports the NUSHIP Arafura ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy.

Nova Systems’ maritime team has been involved in the SEA 1180 project for more than seven years supporting Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group.

The OPVs make up part of a wider Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet providing essential capabilities for the Australian Navy and replacing the Armidale Class and Cape Class Patrol Boats.

Nova Systems has played a pivotal role throughout the construction of the new contemporary fleet of OPVs, offering extensive expertise in naval architecture, Test and Evaluation, engineering management, logistics, seaworthiness and acceptance activities.

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

Royal Navy pips New Zealand in Bay of Islands regatta

03 February, 2025

The Tri-Nations Sailing Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom navy teams involves crews of 10 battle for bragging rights among their peers, while chasing regatta prizes.

This year, the Royal Australian Navy was unable to field a crew, leaving the Britons and New Zealanders to duel it out in last month’s event.

In a best-of-three event, Royal Navy enjoyed an emphatic win in the first race, and only just managed to pip the Kiwis to the line in the closing moments of races two and three.

The teams used the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Chico-40 yachts, maintained by the Navy’s Experiential Learning Squadron (ELS) for training purposes. The competition has previously run in New Zealand in 2008 and 2016, with the Royal Navy now three from three.

Aboard yacht Manga II, the New Zealand crew with skipper Hamish Ivey looked ready to seal the deal with home advantage, experience and familiarity with their own vessels.

But Commander Stephen Walton RN, skipper and tactician on Mako II, emphatically kept the Kiwis out of reach after the first race over 35 nautical miles, crossing the line 0.9nm miles ahead of New Zealand.

In the second race, the Kiwis were first across the start line and maintained a lead until the Brits, taking a gamble with a large spinnaker in marginal conditions, overtook with 200 metres to go.

The Tri-Nations Sailing Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom navy teams involves crews of 10 battle for bragging rights.

“That’s yachting for you,” says Chief Petty Officer Malcolm Badham, Tri-Nations event coordinator and ELS coxswain. “These guys have so much experience.”

He says they wanted the Royal Navy team to have a great time in New Zealand, including being welcomed onto the Navy marae. They were taken out sailing on the Hauraki Gulf to get them used to handling the Chico-40 yachts.

Commander Walton says he brought a very strong team to New Zealand for the event.

“There were about 25 applicants to come to this. We take it really seriously, and I couldn’t go back to the UK and hold my head up high if the Kiwis put one over us. It’s a huge distance to come and compete at that level.”

He says they had to work very hard to get around the Kiwi boat in races 2 and 3.

“These Chico 40s are really good boats. They challenge people, and they’re hard work. Racing on them, everything is about leadership, team work, resilience and taking minor tactical opportunities. We got two really lucky breaks.”

That included making the “margin call” of hoisting a large spinnaker in 16-18 knots winds.

“You’ve got to make these calls, and I was confident we could hold it.”

The Royal Navy team also took trophies in the overall Bay of Islands Regatta competition, coming second in their division in both line honours and on handicap. Their helm, Lieutenant Emma Barry, was named best female helm in the Island Division.

They have made the most of their time in New Zealand, with both crews visiting Great Barrier Island on their return to Auckland. Some members have met the Great Britain Sail CP team, others have gone white-water rafting, and there was a possibility of a visit to Hobbiton.

While Commander Walton would come to New Zealand any time for a competition, he would like to see the invitation returned and the Royal Navy hosting a Royal New Zealand Navy team in the United Kingdom.

“I can’t tell you enough how well looked after we have been. The Kiwis have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and put us in the right place to perform well. After the final race of the series, they played ‘Rule Britannia’ on their speakers when they came alongside – that itself was almost worth the journey.”

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

UK’s seventh Astute-class submarine to be named HMS Achilles – January 27, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

UK’s seventh Astute-class submarine to be named HMS Achilles – January 27, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

In May 2018, it was announced that the Ministry of Defense had signed a £1.5 billion contract with BAE Systems for the construction of the seventh Astute-class hunter-killer submarine at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Initially set to be named HMS Agincourt, the submarine has now been designated HMS Achilles following approval by the King of the UK, Charles III. According to the navy, this new name honors a rich history, as HMS Achilles will be the sixth vessel in the navy’s history to carry the name, which is closely linked to significant battles such as the River Plate and Okinawa.

This change in name comes at a time of particular historical resonance, “with the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day this year”, the navy noted.

In October last year, the sixth vessel in this class, HMS Agamemnon, was formally launched at BAE Systems’ facility in Barrow.

Related Article

At 97 meters long and weighing 7,400 tonnes, the Astute-class submarines are said to be the first nuclear-powered submarines to be designed entirely in a three-dimensional, computer-aided environment.

They can manufacture their own oxygen and fresh water from the ocean and are said to be able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing. The submarines carry both Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles (TLAM) and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.

Five Astute-class submarines, Anson, Astute, Ambush, Artful, and Audacious, are already in service, while work is also well underway in Barrow on the seventh unit.

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

Peruvian Navy launches two new patrol ships

January 27, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The newly launched patrol vessels are part of a broader initiative to strengthen the country’s naval capabilities. They are the seventh and eighth ship in a series of ten new units Peru’s state-owned SIMA Peru is building for the Peruvian Navy.

The Peruvian Navy also recently held a keel-laying ceremony for four new naval ships. The vessels will be built by South Korean shipbuilding heavyweight HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in collaboration with SIMA Peru.

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The ships in question are a 3,400-ton frigate, a 2,200-ton oceangoing patrol vessel, and two 1,500-ton landing vessels. They are scheduled to be delivered successively to the Peruvian Navy starting in 2026.

The multi-role frigate will be a multipurpose unit capable of operating in different areas of naval warfare, while the offshore patrol ship will be able to protect national interests and provide disaster relief. The logistics transport ships will support naval operations by transporting essential supplies like fuel, food, and medical aid to ships deployed in the open ocean.

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Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

Royal Navy submarine ordered to surface near Russian spy ship, Healey reveals

22nd January 2025 at 2:42pm

The submarine John Healey used to send the message to the Russians is thought to have been an Astute-class boat (Picture: MOD)

A Royal Navy submarine was ordered to surface to warn off one of the Russian navy’s spy ships operating around UK waters, the Defence Secretary has revealed.

John Healey gave details about the activities of the Yantar, which he said the Russians had been using for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.

Mr Healey warned Russian president Vladimir Putin: “We see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”

He told MPs the Yantar was in the North Sea having passed through British waters in recent days, where it had been shadowed by Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne.

This was the second time the Yantar had entered UK waters in recent months.

“In November, the ship was also closely watched and detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps,” he told the Commons.

“I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move.

“The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”

The submarine is understood to have been one of the Navy’s Astute-class nuclear-powered boats.

Rules of engagement

When the Yantar returned to the waters around the UK on Monday, Mr Healey changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement to allowing shadowing vessels to get closer.

The Defence Secretary said: “The foreign ship Yantar is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters.

“Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.

“Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday.

“For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters.

“I changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar.

“So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation.”

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge approved of the change to the Navy’s rules of engagement.

“[It] sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond,” he said.

The RAF's P-8A Poseidon is the ideal aircraft to monitor Russian naval vessels
The RAF’s P-8A Poseidon is the ideal aircraft to monitor Russian naval vessels (Picture: RAF)

The UK is playing a leading role in countering the growing Russian threat to offshore infrastructure in European seas.

As part of the UK’s ongoing work, the Royal Air Force will provide aircraft to a new Nato deployment designed to strengthen protection of offshore infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

This was announced following damage to the Estlink2 undersea cable between Estonia and Finland.

In response to that incident, the Prime Minister held talks with his Estonian and Finnish counterparts as the UK activated Nordic Warden.

This is an advanced new AI system that helps monitor the Russian shadow fleet and safeguards undersea infrastructure.

Russia’s shadow fleet of ships is used to attempt to bypass international sanctions – and help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine – by moving Russian oil and gas to potential buyers.

The Yantar was shadowed by RFA Proteus last November, but has now returned to UK waters (Picture: MOD)
The Yantar was shadowed by RFA Proteus in the incident last November (Picture: MOD)

As part of the initiative launched by the PM at the European Political Community last year, the UK has sanctioned 93 oil tankers.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which supports Royal Navy operations, is a key element of the UK’s strategy to safeguard offshore infrastructure, with its multi-role ocean surveillance ship, RFA Proteus, capable of deploying submersible drones to assess undersea cables and pipelines.

RFA Proteus was also involved in the shadowing of Yantar last November.