Navy Lookout

@25_mcdc @OunkaOnX Photo: Navy Lookout. Ex Joint Warrior 2019

Pentagon requests $200 billion for Iran War, Hegseth confirms "It takes money to kill bad guys." Funny how the "bad guys" never invade other countries. And the "good guys" haven't skipped a year of bombing someone since 2000.

😬 Location of 🇫🇷French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle given away by sailor using @Strava running app while jogging on the flight deck.

Latest news article: HMS Mersey tracks successive Russian warship transits through the Channel navylookout.com/hms-mersey-tra…

@IntercityFC Total non-starter

This is where Kharg Island is. An operation to take it would involve transit of Straits of Hormuz & then a journey the length of the Persian Gulf. All whilst in range of Iranian missile batteries, Shaheeds, USV’s etc. Does US know if approaches to Kharg have been mined?

.@RFATideforce off Gibraltar this morning. Via @PeterFerrary

Latest news article: New TV documentary captures Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group during last year’s deployment navylookout.com/new-tv-documen… Via @truenorthtv @channel5_tv @Mark_Tatts

Aircraft carrier, Passenger Transfer Boats, Sea Harrier and Sea Fury seen at Victoria Quay, Gosport Via @AWenham1 See also navylookout.com/passenger-tran…

.@LukePollard has confirmed @HMSBangor is undergoing further repair in Rosyth following damage sustained when struck by HMS Chiddingfold in Bahrain in January 2024. Repairs due to be completed in April. She was patched up in Bahrain and returned to UK on a heavy lift vessel in December. Bangor, last of the RN Sandown-class in service, is being retained and will be based at Faslane, partly to provide minehunting assurance in the Firth of Clyde and its approaches. Photo @Brian_D2016 navylookout.com/royal-navy-min…

@chodpollard Was hoping for "Eric Cantona" - surely the greatest living Frenchman - was sadly disappointed😉

@NavyLookout I think a wonderful choice

Latest news article: 🇫🇷France names new aircraft carrier "France Libre" - set for service in 2038 navylookout.com/france-names-n…

.@hms_tamar arrived in Papette, 🇵🇫French Polynesia this week. Via @anapASPAC

@gibraltarfx apples and oranges

@NavyLookout None of that frigate building and moving them around on barges seems anything like as efficient as how Meyer Werft build cruise ships. Seems more like a cottage industry.

.@BMT_Global Digital Innovation & Simulation Centre (DISC) in Fareham was formally opened by MP @pauljholmes on 13th March. At first glance, it looks like a high-end bridge simulator but in fact has much greater potential to test and trial novel maritime concepts. The DISC is vast digital environment with a large-scale visualisation wall and powerful back-end computing, where ships, ports, autonomy systems and entire operational concepts can be tested, stressed and refined before they ever go to sea. DISC can also use voyage data recordings or AIS data from maritime incidents to simulate in precise detail what happened for use as an investigation and learning tool. For the RN, the facility would allow new ships and USVs to be put through thousands of simulated scenarios, from congested shipping lanes to extreme North Atlantic sea states, compressing years of real-world testing into days. It also allows experimentation with the integration of people and autonomous systems. How does a human operator interact with multiple USVs? What happens when something fails? How do you recover, repair or adapt in a hostile environment? DISC offers a way to develop tactics and the concept of operations for the hybrid navy, especially as the RN is considering buying large USVs up to 90m, which need to be ocean-going but operate safely in congested waters. More here: navylookout.com/bmt-opens-adva…

2nd Type 31 frigate, HMS Active, has been floated off the barge in the basin at Rosyth following her roll out on 24th Feb. (The basin has been dredged to make it deep enough) Photo shows ship awaiting to re-enter the basin after dredging operations were completed. Via @Brian_D2016 @dcullen_photo

.@820NAS Merlin Mk2 Crowsnest helicopter conducts night flying from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus yesterday

@ArgyllSeaGlass HMS St Albans👍

Warship on the Clyde heading to Faslane on the Gare Loch in Scotland this morning Think it’s HMS Kent (F78) but not 100% sure 🤷‍♂️ Hope everyone is having a sunny Wednesday 😎

MoD to "move away" from the crippling annual budget cycle to 10-year plans. If this is followed through (and funded) properly, it should mark a major improvement in the management of UK defence.

Anchors removed from @HMSDuncan yesterday as she enters maintenance period. Duncan likely to deploy in support of @HMSPWLS on operation FIRECREST (in Euro Atlantic region) which starts next month. Via @AWenham1

.@HMSLedbury outbound from Portsmouth this morning. Via @AWenham1