18 October 2023
International Naval Contest Dec 9 16.00 to Dec 10 15.55. Rules & regs

13 October 2023
JOTA this weekend
RFAs Lyme Bay and Argus deployed to Eastern Mediterranean for potential humanitarian aid or evacuation operations
RFA Proteus the RN's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ship formally named today
Quarterly Amateur Radio themed Newsletter
Daily Amateur Radio News

6 October 2023
Possible accident aboard Chinese nuclear submarine
Team from Oz and US visit Faslane for fact-finding about nuclear sub maintenance
Annual sub awards shindig in Glasgow
Proteus - developing an uncrewed helicopter for RN
Capita-led consortium assumes responsibility for sub escape training in Faslane

30 September 2023
This week's 60 second update from the RN
A succession of different helicopters land on HMS PoW
Sailors based at HMS Raleigh have exercised the right to march through Torpoint
HMS Iron Duke welcomes Their Majesties on board while berthed at Bordeaux
Test of airborne drone launching a torpedo
Refining the Fleet Solid Support ship design
Irish Special Forces storm Panamanian ship suspected of drug running
Plans to bring former HMS Ambuscade back from Pakistan to the Clyde as a museum ship
USS Pinckney first of her class to be fitted with new Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program
Here's what the new equipment is capable of

22 September 2023
Russian Black Sea Fleet HQ hit by Ukrainian missile
Toxic leadership at sea podcast
RN nuclear deterrent subs conducting increasingly long patrols
Three South African submariners have died after seven of the casing party were swept overboard while conducting VERTERP on SAS Manthatisi
24 UK jets will embark on HMS PoW for Asia-Pacific deployment
Cargo ship hit by mine in Black Sea
PHOLOS loitering munition with potential for naval use
RFA Proteus puts to sea for first time since conversion
Keel laid for 2nd Type 31 frigate - HMS Active
Russian submarine hit by Ukrainian missile in Sevastopol is likely write-off
RFA Argus first naval ship to get OneWeb LEO connectivity
Britain is accelerating its laser weapon development programme
MoD tight-lipped on Bulwark's return to service
British Blimp Boost
Flat-packed cardboard drones held together with elastic bands that can take out Russian jets in Ukraine

15 September 2023
There's a new version of the RTL-SDR dongle available - V4 with built-in HF
This week's 60 second RN update
F-35 fighters return to HMS QE
HMS PoW commemorates tragic WW2 battle
Senior Officers and armed forces personnel send a special message to Team UK in the Invictus Games
A pilotless aircraft has landed and taken off from an RN aircraft carrier for the first time
Commandos to get new assault rifle type
Multi-role Support Ships - the future of the RN's amphibious capability
The NAAFI is back - new cafes in Whiteley, Winchester and Gib

1 September 2023
Obituary for Lt Cdr Harry Brazier
RN 60 second news update
HMS PoW sets sail for USA with al the latest gizmos on board for testing
World's first specialized explosive naval drone unit formed in Ukraine
Japan's new combat support multipurpose USV(uncreed surface vessel)
CDS Adm. Tony Radakin visits Ukraine
RN takes delivery of 2nd experimental vessel
New book published on The History of the British Midget Submarine by Keith Hall
RN's new Peregrine shipboard drones pass factory acceptance trials
Navy Lookout questions why none of the RN's attack submarines are at sea
RSGB announces new range of awards for Foundation licence holders

25 August 2023
RN's undersea capabilities
Mini submarine for up to 4 commandoes
The answer to - Why are submarines black?
HMS Raleigh offer for former matelots trained there
Report on loss of F-35B and the lessons to be learned
Cost of repair & upgrades to Russian nuclear-powered cruiser likely to exceed 200 billion roubles (C£1.68Bn)
BRNC Dartmouth rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted
Uncrewed vessels and the digital ocean
Ukraine's new underwater drone

18 August 2023
Commentary on whose responsibility it is to stop migrant boats
How to measure nuclear submarines with units of double-decker buses or olympic size swimming pools
RN orders 3 more frigate torpedo defence kits for Type 31s
China to build 21 nuclear subs by 2030

11 August 2023
Royal Marines & Army Commandos have been training Ukrainian marines
ex-HMS Swiftsure prepares to be dismantled
The King and Princess of Wales take on new Naval appointments
New promotional video about the National Radio Centre
Worked All Europe DX CW contest this weekend.  Good opportunity to get some practice on the key!

4 August 2023
Ukraine has developed its own naval drones with a range of 500 miles and a payload of 300 Kg explosives
Ukrainian drones carry out attack on Russian ships
HMS PoW has returned to Portsmouth primed for front-line duties
RN Wildcat helo becomes first UK aircraft to land on world's largest warship
RSGB DX News w/e 6 August

31 July 2023
Click HERE if you want to hear the RSGB weekly news in CW at your choice of speed
Commodore Jo Adey has taken over as Commander Maritime Reserves
Ukrainian naval drone in this CNN story
Airfix release new Westland Sea King kit
HMS PoW full power sea trials following repair to prop shaft
The Dreadnought Alliance website
Trials of Mk4 Merlin on HMS Albion show it can now carry up to additional 12 troops
Implications of the 2023 Defence Review for the RN
Video of HMS PoW leaving Rosyth Dockyard

21 July 2023
C-130 Hercules landing (and taking off) from an aircraft carrier
RSGB video explaining Ofcom's consultation about the Amateur Radio Licence
RSGB has provided 4 more mock exam papers covering all levels of the licence
RSGB will be providing coding activities and resources during the month of September
Babcock says first Type 31's construction is on track and will be delivered structurally complete by December
Crew of HMS Tamar restore memorial to 57 prisoners executed by Japanese in WW2 on island of Ballalae
Defence Command Paper published
Understanding the timeframe for the AUKUS submarine programme
HMS PoW is expected to leave dry dock in Rosyth this week and return to Portsmouth
Commons' Defence Committee report says 'Defence Procurement is broke'

14 July 2023
RAF is considering operating F-35Bs from dispersed locations
Gov't announce UK Armed Forces personnel are to get annual pay rise of 5% plus £1,000 (corrected H/T Ian)
Babcock awarded initial contract for refit of HMS Victorious
First members of ship's company join HMS Venturer
Refining the requirements for the Type 26 frigate mission bay

7 July 2023
Portsmouth Historic Doclyard offer HMS Bronington a site - if enthusiasts can save her
RFA Stirling Castle - first of the RN's new motherships
Captain Steve Taylor - obituary

30 June 2023
'Receiving Antennas Are Different' RSGB tonight @ 8 on RSGB You Tube channel & special BATC channel Monday 3 July 20.00
UK & Netherlands explore opportunities around new ships for amphibious operations
Scientists find WW1 submarine in Dartmouth park
Unique maps of Armada victory go on show in Portsmouth - for just 45 days
Countering the threat from autonomous underwater vehicles
HMS Defender returns to Portsmouth for refit after 10 years service
RN confirms HMS Defender will receive Sea Ceptor missiles during refit in Portsmouth
Indications that Russia soon to conduct tests of nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed autonomous torpedo
Head of Army expected to stand down early

28 June 2023
Cycle 25 may peak sooner than expected

26 June 2023
Ofcom proposes changes to amateur radio licence incl. 1Kw for full licensees
Full consultation document HERE

25 June 2023
HMS Richmond is in Falmouth this weekend for Armed Forces Day
RN experimentation ship XV Patrick Blackett is testing new radars and software
RN celebrates female engineers
Falklands placenames honour for the fallen of 1982
Fore section of HMS Cardiff rolled out of construction shed

HMS QE dressed overall for Armed Forces Day
Type 45 destroyers are UK's only defence against Russian-style multiple missile attacks
RN recruitment figs to 1 April show resignations down but recruitment numbers down sharply
1SL admits recruitment for submarine service is 'proving difficult'
USN detected likely 'catastrophic implosion' of Titan sub soon after it went missing
HMS PoW preparing to sail from Rosyth after repairs
BRNC Dartmouth Open Day 15 July 23. Tickets HERE
RN's Sea Venom light anti-ship missile full capability delayed until 2026
New RM advert
How AI and Machine Learning could be applied to RN training and wellbeing
Overview of Ukraine's maritime drones
Haythornwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation published

16 June 2023
Divers capture RN WWI wrecks in detail
HMS Prince of Wales granted Freedom of the City of Bristol
RN running out of sailors
Greek diver finds the wreck of HMS Triumph lost in January 1942
HMS Richmond will open to the public on 24/25 June at County Wharf, Falmouth
Thinpinstripedline blog thinks the RN is no longer a 'Blue Water Navy'

9 June 2023
Russia adds unusual defences to secretive navy base
Options for the RN's Future Air Dominance System & Type 83 destroyer
MOD has awarded £3M contract for repairs to 3 Basin in Devonport where decommissioned nuclear subs await disposal

Chinese warship came within 150yds of hitting US Destroyer

2 June 2023
HMS Defender tests Sea Viper missile (video)
Sailors and marines receive honours for services at HMQ's funeral
HMS Dauntless deploys to the Caribbean
Battle of the Atlantic commemorations conclude in Liverpool
RN's ambitious plans for its future Maritime Aviation Force
RN plans new high-speed low signature commando insertion craft
HMS Westminster refit suspended and return to service in doubt
Maritime Modularity Concept
Hero of Dunkirk - Medway Queen, open to visitors at Gillingham Pier 1200 - 1600 3 June
Wrens Museum in Liverpool officially opened by HRH Princess Royal
Illegal Chinese salvage operation is pillaging WW2 war graves, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
The Sun claims the experimental vessel Patrick Blackett has an 'invisibility cloak'
..but the vessel does have a quantum navigation system that does away with the need for GPS

26 May 2023
QRP day is coming up on 17 June
New memorial unveiled to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic
RN divers help clear Baltic Sea of unexploded ordnance
RN team and Imperial College work on cutting edge navigation system
More on the quantum navigation sensor
Life of HMS Scott extended until 2033
Should the RN rebuild its minelaying capability?
RN to trial laser energy weapon at sea
Russian intelligence gathering ship of the Black Sea Fleet attacked by drones
The role of amphibious raiding in UK defence strategy

20 May 2023
HMS Defender leads weekend of Atlantic victory commemorations
RN investigating possibility of larger drones operating from aircraft carriers
New missile system for RN Destroyers?

RN struggling to keep RFA Fort Victoria operational
HMS Duncan has been formally rededicated at a ceremony in Portsmouth
Type 31 frigates to be fitted with Mk41 vertical launch system
Video tour of USS Indiana
Officer of the Watch on Norwegian frigate that sank found guilty of negligence
HMS Middleton marks 40 years of service
The future RN needs more than technology
Army 22 - RN 39
HMS Vanguard sails from Devonport after 7-year refit
First Sea Lord's keynote speech at Sea Power Conference

12 May 2023
Alleged sabotage on board HMS Glasgow
The RN needs more than technology
HMS Vanguard sails from Devonport after refit lasting more than 7 years
Four-man tactical diving platform for Special Forces launched
RN Marching squadron at Coronation switches from 12 wide to 6 in very slick move

5 May 2023
Tributes paid to former Chaplain of the Fleet, Venerable Martyn Gough who died suddenly
The RN's 50 cal heavy machine gun in service
Unusual concentration of 5 Russian warships and 2 auxiliaries in North Sea
HMS Lancaster is alongside in Port Sudan to provide logistic and evacuation support

28 April 2023
UK radio amateurs may use the “R” prefix in their callsigns during May and June 2023 – just apply for the Notice of Variation via the RSGB website
RRS Discovery celebrates 100th anniversary & goes to Rosyth for refit
HMS Lancaster has arrived at Port Sudan in support of evacuation operations
Bow sections for 3 Fleet Solid Support Ships will be fabricated in Appledore prior to being transported to Harland & Wolf in Belfast
Ro Ro vessel MV Anvil Point off Jeddah perhaps in support of evacuation operations
Repairs to HMS PoW will not prevent return to operations  this summer
Final days of preparation for Coronation
King Charles presents RN with new Colours

22 April 2023
Russian AGIs are back fishing
Obituary: Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks
Type 31 frigate benefits from an international shipbuilding programme
MoD asked to provide temporary Corran Ferry service
Irish Navy can only get enough sailors for one ship to go to sea

15 April 2023
Tuesday 18 April is World Amateur Radio Day
HMS Dauntless is the first of the Type 45s to return to service after engine upgrade
A new look at the Defence Command Paper
Latest generation of young officers commissioned at ceremony in BRNC
Has the Russian submarine threat been diminished by the Ukraine war?
New multi-role ocean support ship renamed RFA Proteus
9 reasons why the F-35 needs a new engine
Poland to build part of the RN's new frigate
USN is building a seabed warfare variant of the Virginia class submarine
Obituary - Commander Allan Tarver GM RN
Finland joins NATO as 31st Ally
First steel cut for 4th Type 26 frigate, HMS Birmingham

31 March 2023
New King Charles cap badges published

MOD Caledonia to recommission as HMS Caledonia
New MCM mothership will be renamed RFA Stirling Castle
HMS Mersey will be open to the public at Liverpool Cruise Terminal on April 15th
Rear Admiral Ray Rawbone obituary
HMS Echo & HMS Enterprise general arrangement
NATO MARCOM Conference & lessons from Ukraine
USN opens land-based propulsion test site

24 March 2023
Ofcom approved R as the optional Coronation regional secondary locator prefix for all radio amateurs to use during May and June 2023. You will need to apply for a Notice of Variation—or NoV—and the form is now available on our website
AUKUS deal delivers new class of subs for RN & RAN
What might the new class of sub look like?
RAN is recruiting
What does it mean to be a submariner?
Qinetiq to deliver simulator in HMS Sultan to train RN personnel on Type 45 propulsion systems
Why has the RN decommissioned 6 ships in a year?
Ukraine conducts drone attack on ships in Sevastopol harbour
RN appoints 2nd female admiral
Wanna buy an ex-RN Patrol Boat? Just £135K on EBay
Article suggests RN will be responsible for repairs to HMS PofW
BBC are repeating series about life on HMS QE

17 March 2023
National Hamfest cancelled
Integrated Review Refresh 2023

10 March 2023
New Arctic operations base for UK Commandos
Commemoration of 80th Anniversary of Battle of the Atlantic to take place in Liverpool in May
The Online Radio Club has a virtual radio club night every Thursday at 19.30 on Zoom which is suitable for all levels. Click for details
700NAS has purchased 7 remotely piloted drones
Current state of the RN's escort fleet
The cruise missile threat to the UK

4 March 2023
A small number of RAN officers are training in HMS Sultan on Astute class submarines
HMS Lancaster seizes anti-tank missiles after high speed chase in Gulf of Oman
HMS Anson, the RN's latest nuclear-powered attack submarine sails for the first time
RN £6.4M drugs bust
50th Anniversary of UK-Netherlands Amphibious Force
Dunker training for aircrew
A history of the RN's Falklands Islands patrol vessels
Video history of HMS Bristol
HMS Mersey conducting navigation training off Western Isles(video)

24 February 2023
RN's latest trials and experimental ship starts sea trials
Ukraine proves ships still matter
Review of Russia's Navy from the start of the war in Ukraine
World's large autonomous underwater vehicles
Museum ship HMS Unicorn re-opens in Dundee after preservation work
Plans for a Cold War Museum in Devonport centred around HMS Courageous are shelved
Turning civilians into sailors in HMS Raleigh
3 new bridge simulators to be installed in Collingwood
Report from onboard HMS Lancaster of a major drugs bust by The Mirror

17 February 2023
HMS Kent's crew learn from legendary Williams F1 team
Radio amateurs wordlwide have been asked to leave 3.777MHz and 7.092MHz clear for emergency traffic relating to the Turkey/Syria earthquake
The RN's Astute class submarine - Part 2, platform design
Jets of RAF 207 squadron are now embarked on HMS QE

10 February 2023
Anglo-French row erupts over breakdown of HMS PoW
Peregrine rotary wing drone to enter service with RN
RAF Poseidon has trialled dropping ocean survival kits
The RN's acoustic ranges up close
Why giving RAF Typhoons to Ukraine is not a great idea
Second Sea Lord orders closure of Collingwood accommodation block
Tabloid goes to town on Collingwood problems
Questions about Collingwood and Sultan accommodation raised in Parliament
OFCOM expands list of contests that qualify for contest callsigns
This week's RSGB news

6 February 2023
According to Sky News the Treasury has signalled that there is no new money for UK Armed Forces

3 February 2023
Battle of Jutland veteran HMS Caroline to open to the public after 3 years
Mine hunting mother ship arrives in Plymouth
DX News
Harland & Wolff to get around 50% of Fleet Solid Support ship contract value
Dodgy bolt repairs found during maintenance of HMS Vanguard

28 January 2023
Work has begun on HMS Active - RN's 2nd Type 31 frigate
Another possible door opens to save HMS Bronington
Rare look inside the nuclear reactor onboard Russian submarine
FOST (Fleet Operational Sea Training) renamed as FOST(Fleet Operational Standards & Training)
Short video taken inside Russian Zircon-missile based destroyer - RFS Admiral Gorshkov
Is the Type 32 frigate programme over before it began?
UAVs(Drones) present a step-change in maritime aviation
The poor state of married quarters in the news again

20 January 2023
RN takes delivery of 1st of 2 underwater infrastructure protection ships
Developing the Type 31 Frigate
RN's new attack subs likely to be fitted with vertical launch tubes
Team Resolute formally handed contract to build Fleet Solid Support Ships
Museum ship HMAS Vampire passes through Sydney Harbour for conservation work
Criminal trial of OOW on capsized Norwegian frigate begins

13 January 2023
Development and delivery of Astute class submarines
HMS Protector helps scientists study tsunami threat on edge of Antarctica
BBC documentary covering carrier strike group deployment starts 21.00 22 January 2023 on BBC Two
RN to order new heavy lift drones to carry weights up to 700Kg
Video tour of RFA Argus, the UK Armed Forces hospital ship
The Ship Anson pub in Portsmouth damaged by fire

6 January 2023
January is straight key month
27 Naval personnel named in New Year's Honours List
Second joint Russian, Chinese and South African Naval exercises to be held off the Cape in February 2023
The world's top 10 navies by aggregate displacement
RN builds drone in first for expert squadron

1 January 2023
An in-depth look at the Type 26 frigate design(video)