Sailors in the United States Navy are now allowed to place their hands in their pockets after the service implemented sweeping changes to its uniform policy.

The policy update, which was sent out to all US Navy personnel, rescinds the decades-old restrictions barring sailors from putting their hands in their pockets, which the Navy previously claimed was “inappropriate and detracts from a professional military appearance”.

Sailors are now “authorised to have hands in their pockets when doing so does not compromise safety nor prohibit the proper rendering of honours and courtesies”, the latest guidance said.

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While the US Navy has relaxed its rules, current US Army policy still states that “while in uniform, personnel will not place their hands in their pockets, except momentarily to place or retrieve objects.”

No such regulation exists for UK military personnel. However, having hands in pockets is widely considered a sign of poor discipline and it has been known for ‘repeat offenders’ to have to sew up their pockets as a punishment.

Since the policy update was released, female sailors are now able to wear t-shirts designed for women, if the garment conforms with the navy’s current colour, fabric, and neck configuration standards.

“The intent of this policy update is to address expressed dissatisfaction regarding the required wear of male or unisex t-shirts that are not designed to fit female bodies,” the latest regulation said.

Sailors may also wear false eyelashes or eyelash extensions in uniform – provided they are no more than “14 millimetres in length as measured from the eyelid to the tip of the eyelash.”

The false eyelash colour must match the colour of the natural eyelash, however, and “eyelash extensions cannot hinder wear of protective eyewear”.

Elsewhere, the Royal Air Force has scrapped its strict no-hand tattoo policy for all serving personnel and potential recruits.

The removal of the RAF’s previous zero-tolerance stance on hand tattoos brings the service in line with British Army and Royal Navy guidance.

The RFA’s first Scottish-named mine-hunting ‘mother ship’ RFA Stirling Castle, which can launch autonomous drones to seek out threats in the water, has arrived at her new home in Clyde.

The former oil rig support ship will be captained by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Richard Reville who has spoken with pride about his new vessel.

“Being on the first Scottish-named ship is an absolute pleasure. I’m very proud to be the commanding officer of such a wonderful platform with the capability that it has,” he said.

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He said: “I have a soft spot obviously because, for myself, I’m not very far from Stirling Castle.

“There’s been equipment fits on board that had to be done in order for the vessel to move into its military service.

“So, it’s been a long process, it’s been challenging but it’s been rewarding. It’s been very different for us.”

Mr Reville recently rejoined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) after a career that included captaining super yachts.

The new minehunter RFA Stirling Castle, which was purchased by the Ministry of Defence in 2023, will replace the aging fleet of Sandown-class mine-hunting ships and is now part of the Royal Navy’s “paradigm shift”.

The shift will change how the Royal Navy deals with the threat of sea mines around the world and the vessel could be ready for operations later this year.

Currently, her crew is going through an intense period of trials to prepare the 6,000-tonne ship for “initial operational capability”. Overall, the crew will number 54, but only 27 will be deployed at any one time.

Mr Reville said the crewing arrangements gave a good “work and home life balance” and would help with recruitment.

It is hoped the ship will be ready this year and a dedication ceremony could take place as early as April.

Lieutenant Chris Stone, of the MTXG’s Zulu Squadron, said: “It’s a paradigm shift for the Royal Navy, from the legacy (mine counter-measure vessels) that Scottish people will definitely have seen about on the Clyde.

“We’re bringing in a brand new remote and autonomous capability.

“You only have to threaten to lay a mine in an area and that raises insurance premiums for shipping.

“We need a credible capability to deal with that in the future and that’s what we’re working towards now.”

As a former commercial ship, the comfort of the accommodation on RFA Stirling Castle is higher than on Royal Navy warships. Previously a Norwegian vessel, it has an onboard sauna and two gyms.

A team of British defence divers have recovered an iconic symbol of one of the most notable US Navy shipwrecks – the bell of USS Jacob Jones – the first destroyer in US history to be lost to enemy action. 

Defence Equipment & Support’s Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) team retrieved the bell from the depths of the ocean 40 miles south of the Scilly Isles, 107 years after the shipwreck which cost the lives of 64 men. 

This operation highlights the longstanding and enduring naval ties between the UK and US and provided an excellent training opportunity for the expert SALMO team. 

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What happened to the USS Jacob Jones? 

In the final 18 months of the First World War, the US Navy maintained a substantial presence in UK waters and the Western Approaches to help cope with the U-boat menace and keep the maritime lifeline open across the Atlantic. 

USS Jacob Jones was one of half a dozen destroyers escorting a troop and supply convoy from southern Ireland to Brittany in December 1917. 

Rear Admiral (Retired) Sam J Cox, Director of the US Navy’s Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC), said: “The ship played an important role safeguarding convoys carrying the troops and supplies from the US to the United Kingdom and France that were critical to Allied victory.” 

When USS Jacob Jones was undertaking this tasking, she was torpedoed by German U-boat commander and ace Hans Rose in U-53. 

The warship went down in just eight minutes, enough time for about one-third of the crew to escape on life rafts or jump into the Atlantic to save themselves. 

Although U-boat crews were vilified by Allied propaganda at the time, Hans Rose not only rescued a couple of American sailors when his boat surfaced after the attack, but he also radioed the US base at Queenstown, Ireland, (now called Cobh) to inform them there were men in the water in need of rescuing. 

The wreck was discovered resting on the seabed more than 375ft deep by the Darkstar technical dive team in August 2022. 

Despite the remoteness and depth of the destroyer, US authorities were concerned trophy hunters might try to recover USS Jacob Jones’ bell – an important icon of any warship. 

Last December, the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) asked the British Government for two favours – to preserve the sanctity of the wreck and recover the bell. 

The NHHC are guardians of nearly 3,000 shipwrecks and more than 17,000 aircraft lost at sea. 

RAdm (Retired) Cox said the remains of USS Jacob Jones were “a hallowed war grave” and that it is US Navy policy to “leave such wrecks undisturbed”. 

He added: “However, due to risk of unauthorised and illegal salvaging of the ship’s bell, the Navy History and Heritage Command requested Ministry of Defence assistance.”  

The bell was found camouflaged by growth on the seabed near the wreck in an upright position. 

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) – being used at sea for the first time – was manoeuvred to allow its manipulator to carefully collect the bell and place it into the ROV basket, to allow recovery to the surface. 

The SALMO team also placed a wreath and the Stars and Stripes flag on the wreck in tribute to the 64 men who didn’t manage to escape the sinking destroyer 107 years ago. 

RAdm (Retired) Cox added: “This most recent chapter in the story of Jacob Jones is one of collaboration and mutual respect for the site. 

“The US Navy is grateful to the Salvage and Marine Operations Team for recovering the bell, which will serve as a memorial to sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of both the United States and the United Kingdom.” 

SALMO head Andy Liddell said: “I am proud of what the team have achieved. 

“To assist our Allies in the recovery of the bell from such a historic wreck on the first deployment of the new ROV is a massive achievement.” 

After a ceremonial handover to the US authorities, the bell will eventually be given to the expert conservators of the NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch in Washington DC before going on display as a permanent reminder of the sacrifices by the men who died. 

SALMO’s role includes responding to any Royal Navy incidents at sea involving ships, submarines and aircraft and providing underwater engineering support to maintain Royal Navy vessels. 

In a historic first for Nato’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), an all-female aircrew completed a mission sortie, marking a significant milestone in its operational history.

Conducted as part of Nato’s enhanced Vigilance Activities (eVA), the mission involved 22 servicewomen from eight Nato allies – Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and the US.

The mission, consisting of an all-female command and control crew took place on Friday.

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Based in Geilenkirchen, Germany, AWACS supports Nato’s Assurance Measures, initiated in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, demonstrating Natos’s readiness and deterrence against aggression.

Nato emphasises the crucial role women play in fortifying its strength, drawing upon the diverse skills and talents of its population.

The percentage of women in Nato’s armed forces has doubled since 1998, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and recognising the invaluable contributions of women in defence.

The AWACS jets are known by the alliance as Nato’s ‘eyes in the sky’ and have distinctive radar domes mounted on their fuselage for air surveillance. 

Nato’s air base in Geilenkirchen is home to a fleet of 14 Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft.

AWACS surveillance aircraft contribute to counter-terrorism efforts, including Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean, showcasing Nato’s commitment to tackling security threats.

AWACS has also been integral to previous Nato operations, including missions in the United States following 9/11, in Libya, and in Afghanistan.

The aircraft also offer air surveillance assistance to safeguard the skies during Nato summits and other significant international gatherings held within the alliance.

AWACS conducts a wide range of missions from peacetime air policing, support to counter-terrorism, evacuation operations, embargo, initial entry and crisis response to the full spectrum of wartime missions.

Under normal circumstances, the aircraft operates for about eight-and-a-half hours, at 30,000ft (9,150m) and covers a surveillance area of more than 120,000 square miles (310,798 square km). The aircraft is capable of flying longer operations due to its air-to-air refuelling capability.

Defence contractor Babcock says the next generation of British frigates could be crewed by as few as 50 sailors.

John Howie, the company’s corporate affairs chief, said recent technological advances mean fewer crew members are needed.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said while the Type 31 frigates currently being built for the Royal Navy require a core crew of about 105 sailors, the company believes the next generation vessels – widely known as the Type 32 – should only require half that number. 

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Mr Howie told the newspaper: “People talk about a Type 32 frigate – we like to refer to it as Type 31 batch two. We’re doing a crew of about 105 on Type 31, so realistically we should be aiming to half that number for batch two.”

The corporate affairs chief added that even bigger crew reductions could be possible, taking numbers below 50, although decisions about maintaining safe crew levels would need to be made.

Plans for the Type 32 were announced four years ago but a report last year by the National Audit Office, entitled The Equipment Plan 2023 to 2033, found a deficit of £16.9bn – the largest since 2012 – which it described as a budget “black hole”.

The report said some costs for new projects had been included in the plan – but were not fully funded. This included the Type 32 frigates and other projects, which were seen as unaffordable by £5.9bn against currently allocated budgets.