Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • DE&S delivers RFA Stirling Castle to Royal Navy

Defence Security

DE&S delivers RFA Stirling Castle to Royal Navy

A former specialist offshore support vessel purchased to carry advanced autonomous minehunting systems has been delivered by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) to the Royal Navy.

Above: RFA Stirling Castle leaving Devonport for trials.
Credit RFA Nostalgia

The 6,000-tonne RFA Stirling Castle, will deploy the systems to locate, identify and neutralise mines and underwater explosive devices, particularly in UK waters, as well as gathering further critical data for analysis.

Advertisement
Teledyne

Technology onboard will include the joint French-UK Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) system, the Combined Influence Sweep (SWEEP) system and Medium Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (MAUVs).

RFA Stirling Castle has undergone military conversion and will be operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, with trained Royal Navy personnel operating the state-of-the-art systems onboard.

The vessel was procured by DE&S’ Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, which employed innovative strategies and ways of working to deliver at pace.

The ship’s official delivery comes just four weeks after RFA Proteus, which will carry specialist autonomous systems to safeguard vital seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines that are a target for hostile states.

Team leader Gareth Morris, said: “The delivery of RFA Stirling Castle is another proud milestone for a team that has worked with great diligence to deliver two highly capable vessels that will ensure our Royal Navy has the competitive edge.”

Rear Admiral Paul Carroll, Director Innovation and Future Capability at DE&S, said: “RFA Stirling Castle’s entry into service marks another milestone in the Royal Navy’s drive to field uncrewed and autonomous systems across a range of operations. It isn’t just about the ship and the systems but about how we bring together diverse teams with the right tools to learn at pace and stay ahead of adversaries.”

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

 

 

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
MoD campaign highlights impact of public interruption to military training

Defence

MoD campaign highlights impact of public interruption to military training

18 July 2025

Soldiers sprinting through a salon, abseiling into gyms and crawling through offices feature in a striking new campaign by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), turning the tables on the issue of public interruptions to military training exercises.

UAS launched munitions set to combat air and ground targets

Defence

UAS launched munitions set to combat air and ground targets

18 July 2025

For the first time, BAE Systems has launched a precision munition from a multi-rotor Uncrewed Air System (UAS) and successfully destroyed both air and ground targets during trials in the US.

UK

Defence

UK's combat air flying demonstrator revealed

17 July 2025

Industry partners, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK, together with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), have revealed the design of the UK’s flagship Combat Air Flying Demonstrator, as the aircraft reaches a major milestone, with two thirds of its structural weight now in manufacturing.

Scottish defence dividend investment launched

Defence

Scottish defence dividend investment launched

16 July 2025

Scottish Secretary and Minister for Defence Procurement & Industry have visited HMNB Clyde to launch the multidecade, multibillion-pound Clyde 2070 programme.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025
Captec to showcase next-gen computing at DSEI

Defence Events

Captec to showcase next-gen computing at DSEI

16 July 2025

As the defence landscape continues to evolve at pace, with technological advances reshaping mission requirements and placing increasing demands on deployed computing systems, computing specialist Captec will be showcasing next-generation computing platforms at DSEI 2025 (9th–12th September 2025, Excel London).

SkyShark takes flight

Defence Security

SkyShark takes flight

16 July 2025

MGI Engineering, a company forged in the fast-paced world of Formula 1, has officially unveiled SkyShark, a next-generation military drone platform designed to transform battlefield operations with speed, precision and UK-built sovereignty.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025