No. 333 February 2023

February 2023

Front cover

Duke Class (Type 23) frigate HMS Montrose returns home to Devonport after more than four years forward deployed in the Arabian Gulf. See P12/13.

Photo by Steve Jagger

Contents

NEWS

RUSSIAN WARSHIP CONSTRUCTION TO BE EXPANDED AND ACCELERATED – P2

NAVIES-IN-BRIEF – P3, P6/7
British and American SSBNs meet up.
• French frigate shadows spy ship.
• Former ‘pingers’ sent to Ukraine.
• Finland’s largest ever naval exercise.
• Sino-Russian combat training.
• Gulf of Guinea cocaine bust.
• Thai warship lost in heavy seas.
• New British SSBN milestone.
• Containerised missile system for Indian Navy.
• Taiwan frigate class to be upgraded.

GERMAN NAVY NEWS – P8/10

RN’S 10,000 HOURS IN NATO OPS – P18

USN & JMSDF SADDLE UP FOR ASW – P19

WARSAW BOOSTS ITS NAVY – P20

SECOND SEA BASE SHIP FOR PERU – P21

TURKISH NAVY NEWS – P22

NAVIES NEWS IN FOCUS – P32/33

PROTECTOR TO THE RESCUE – P40

RECORD-BREAKING HMS SCOTT – P41

TROOPS STORM ASHORE – P42

USS NAUTILUS STILL IN HARNESS – P46

 

COMMENTARY

ODIN’S EYE – P5
Quadruple Threat Challenges the Free World.

 

FEATURES

ADVENT OF CETUS AND GHOST SHARK – P11
The UK and Australia unveil robot submarines.

TWO IN, ONE OUT – P12/13
A busy Devonport as Albion and Montrose come home and the last of the Trafalgar Class SSN leaves refit.

US NAVY ASSISTS NASA MISSION – P14/15
The American fleet recovers a space capsule.

AUKUS SUMMIT IN THE USA – P16/17
The way ahead for the defence alliance is charted.

SPECTACULAR PORTRAITS – P24/26
Naval vessels off the UK’s Jurassic Coast.

THE UK’S SURFACE FLEET SHAPES UP – P27/31
A survey of various new warship programmes.

LIFE AT SEA IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC – P34/37
Part three of our voyage into the High North.

DRESS REHEARSAL FOR ANTARCTIC MISSION – P38/39
How the Argentine Navy’s icebreaker prepared for the vessel’s latest ‘campaign’.

TIDE TURNS FOR A SPECIAL KING’S SHIP – P44/45
A big effort to raise and restore a RN veteran.

BOOK REVIEWS – P47/48