No longer business as usual: Donald Trump's visit to Brussels Two years ago I wrote an article for Save The Royal Navy highlighting the possibilities of a Trump presidency and the repercussions on NATO. Back in July 2016, the idea that Donald Trump would take the presidency still seemed unlikely. If Michael Wolff's Fire and... Continue Reading →
China’s first domestically constructed aircraft carrier completed five days of sea trials on the 18th May. The ship sailed from Dalian, where it has been in construction from around 2013. The aircraft carrier’s temporary name is Type 001A and is estimated to be around 50,000 tonnes. The Chinese government has been reluctant to share significant... Continue Reading →
The Argus currently in dry-dock in Falmouth RFA Argus at 37 years old is still an impressive sight. At 28,000 tonnes she's not as heavy as the new Tide-class tanker acquisitions but she's still an imposing sight. It wasn't always like this. The Argus began its life as a container ship MV Contender Bezant in... Continue Reading →
RFA Tidesurge has recently joined her sister Tiderace in Falmouth. As a resident of Cornwall I'm luck enough to catch this sight in passing. It's great to see the two ships practically back to back. These ship's represent the future of the UK's Carrier regeneration capability. The two 39,000 tonne ships are currently undergoing an... Continue Reading →
Over a year has now passed since the disgraced former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon issued the infamous statement, "2017 is the start of a new era of maritime power, projecting Britain’s influence globally". So much has changed in the space of a year. Sir Michael Fallon, the politician that earned his knighthood for being... Continue Reading →
Plymouth is a city that is synonymous with the Royal Navy due to its rich history as a naval port. As far back as 1690, Plymouth has hosted a naval dockyard. The port started to grow into its modern incarnation from the early to mid 19th century onward through various expansions. As an act of... Continue Reading →
Check out my article for UK Defence Journal this week about France's role in the Pacific. The recent deployment of the FS Mistral to the Pacific region on exercises with the Japanese, US and UK was a reminder of the French presence in the region. France's territories in the Pacific give the nation the sovereign... Continue Reading →
INTRODUCTION The very word ‘Destroyer’ conveys destructive power, force, and strength. It is no surprise, therefore, when in naval terms, a destroyer is an extremely powerful warship which is meant to project power, perform complex missions and bring the enemy to their knees with its firepower. However, the destroyer didn’t start out as such. It... Continue Reading →
In 1917, the completed HMS Furious (below) started life as a Courageous-class battlecruiser. The only difference with the Furious compared with her sisters was a hanger that was added to the forecastle instead of a gun turret. Ten aircraft were able to be housed in the hangar. Incidentally, I can't help noticing how the forecastle... Continue Reading →
HMS Protector is the Royal Navy's sole ice patrol ship. She provides a sovereign presence in the British Antarctic territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. These are remote regions, the home of many a penguin colony and the occasional stamp issue. The area is represented under the banner of an appropriately themed flag:... Continue Reading →
Naval focus 