Richard Scott

England

Editor at Naval News

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Articles

UK sets out plans for Offshore Support Vessels under MHC Block 2

1 week ago | navalnews.com | Richard Scott

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is moving forward with plans to buy three Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs) as part of the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Block 2 programme. Speaking at the Navy Leaders CNE 2025 event on 20 May, Bill Biggs, MHC System of Systems architect in the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, said the MoD had shaped a requirement for a non-complex commercial derivative design to be delivered from the early 2030s.
Update: UK explores offshore support vessel options for MHC

3 weeks ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

RFA Stirling Castle (ex-MV Island Crown ) was purchased from commercial interests in early 2023 to meet a requirement for an OSV to operate MHC Block 1 systems in home waters. (Crown Copyright/UK MoD) The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Royal Navy (RN) are moving forward with analyses to consider mother ship options for the next phase of the RN's Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, officials have told Janes .
Serco awarded MoD maritime services contracts to support RN

3 weeks ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

The Damen-built tug SD Tempest joined the Serco maritime services fleet in 2017. Tempest was purchased specifically to support the movement of the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in and out of Portsmouth. (Richard Scott/Navypix)Support services group Serco has been awarded a triumvirate of UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracts to provide maritime services for the Royal Navy (RN).
NAVSEA widens aperture on non-developmental LSM designs

1 month ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

A computer-generated image of the Damen LST-100 design, which is being considered for development of the new class of US medium landing ships. (Damen) The US Navy (USN) is exploring a multitrack acquisition approach for its new class of medium landing ship (LSM), including options to let shipbuilding contracts for two different non-developmental designs, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) confirmed to Janes .
MMCM neutraliser completes first live firing from ROV

1 month ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

MMCM neutraliser completes first live firing from a remotely operated vehicle. (Saab)The Saab Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisation System (MuMNS) being supplied to the navies of France and the UK as part of the Maritime Mine Countermeasures (MMCM) minehunting suite has completed a first successful firing in an operationally representative environment.
US approves Tomahawk sale to Netherlands

1 month ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

HNLMS De Ruyter performed the Tomahawk proof-of-concept firing off the US east coast on 11 March 2025. (Dutch MoD)The US government has approved the sale of Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles to the Netherlands in a deal potentially worth over USD2 billion. In a 25 April notification to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed that the US Department of State had sanctioned the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case.
UK explores offshore support vessel options for MHC

1 month ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

RFA Stirling Castle (ex-MV Island Crown ) was purchased from commercial interests in early 2023 to meet a requirement for an OSV to operate MHC Block 1 systems in home waters. (Crown Copyright/UK MoD) The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Royal Navy (RN) are moving forward with analyses to consider mother ship options for the next phase of the RN's Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, officials have told Janes .
UK spells out Corvus UAS requirement to replace Watchkeeper

1 month ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

Project Corvus is intended to provide the British Army with a new Land Tactical Deep Find capability to replace what was previously provided by the Watchkeeper UAS. (UK MoD/Crown Copyright)The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed details of its requirement for a new Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to succeed the British Army's legacy Watchkeeper system across the Divisional and Corps Deep battlespace.
Royal Navy to use heavy lift drones to support CSG25 ship-to-ship resupply

1 month ago | navalnews.com | Richard Scott

The Royal Navy will trial the use of uncrewed aviation for intra-theatre resupply as part of its forthcoming Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. Nine Malloy Aeronautics T-150 heavy lift octo-copters will be operated by personnel from 700X Naval Air Squadron (NAS) to transfer low-weight stores, supplies and components between ships in the CSG25 group. HMS Prince of Wales, the flagship of the group, is planned to sail from Portsmouth on 22 April.
Special Report: MBDA ups production volumes as European countries pursue rearmament

2 months ago | janes.com | Richard Scott

An Aster 30 missile launches from a SAMP/T battery. Increased orders for air-defence weapon systems have helped drive MBDA's sales. (MBDA)As European leaders discuss plans to increase defence spending amid uncertainties over the Trump administration's commitment to NATO, the CEO of pan-European missile manufacturer MBDA, Ă‰ric BĂ©ranger, has called on national governments to deepen cross-border co-operation in complex weapons design, development, and manufacturing.