Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • White Ensign raised as HMS Spey joins Royal Navy

Defence

White Ensign raised as HMS Spey joins Royal Navy

The final of five new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) has formally joined the Royal Navy in a short ceremony to raise the White Ensign for the first time on HMS Spey.

Image courtesy Royal Navy

She was delivered to Portsmouth Naval Base in October from BAE Systems’ shipyards on the Clyde for the final stages of construction before Spey’s crew took custody of her last week (8th January).

Spey’s first Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Ben Evans, said: “It is such a privilege to lead Spey’s complement through the coming trials and training programme and bring her to operational status.

Advertisement
Advanced Navigation RT

“In spite of the considerable disruption caused by the pandemic, the Royal Navy has received the fifth and final offshore patrol vessel and our job now is to prepare ourselves and Spey for whatever operations we are assigned.”

No guests were invited for the ceremony to change the Blue Ensign – denoting a ship in government service – for White, and only essential personnel were on board with Spey, which is expected to depart Portsmouth next month for the first time.

Spey will need to complete a series of safety and readiness checks, successfully complete about a month of Operational Sea Training later this year and then she can be formally commissioned into the Fleet like her sisters HMS Tamar and Trent did during 2020.

They are both on operations in UK waters, Trent having returned from her second deployment to the Mediterranean. The first two Batch 2 River Class, HMS Forth and Medway are deployed to the South and North Atlantic respectively.

The second-generation River-class programme has delivered five warships inside six years, joining the original Rivers (HMS Mersey, Severn and Tyne), with the two most recently constructed benefitting from urea filters which reduce their nitrogen oxide exhaust emissions by 90 per cent.

Advertisement
Advanced Navigation RT

With Spey’s handover the Batch 2 programme comes to an end, £44m under its original approved cost of £690m and on time thanks to effective collaboration between the MOD and industry.

At its peak, it has sustained about 1,400 jobs within BAE Systems, including more than 200 apprentices, and delivered a supply chain spend of almost £240m to more than 150 suppliers across the UK and Europe.

 

Advertisement
Advanced Navigation LB 1
Survitec secures contract with Babcock for Type-31 Frigate survival technology

Defence

Survitec secures contract with Babcock for Type-31 Frigate survival technology

27 March 2024

Survitec has been awarded a significant contract to supply its Survival Technology to five Type 31 Frigates being built by Babcock for the Royal Navy.

Leonardo secures presence at Bahrain International Airshow

Aerospace Defence Events

Leonardo secures presence at Bahrain International Airshow

26 March 2024

Italian aerospace, defence and security firm, Leonardo has secured its presence at the Bahrain International Airshow for the seventh year.

C3IA Solutions strengthens commitment to British Armed Forces

Defence Security

C3IA Solutions strengthens commitment to British Armed Forces

26 March 2024

Dorset cyber security company C3IA Solutions has re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in a ceremony at Blandford Camp.

Teledyne FLIR Awarded by Northrop Grumman for Supplier Excellence

Defence

Teledyne FLIR Awarded by Northrop Grumman for Supplier Excellence

25 March 2024

Northrop Grumman Corporation has recognised Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, during the company’s Supplier Excellence Awards.

Advertisement
Farsound RT Brain
RTX

Defence

RTX's Raytheon LTAMDS detects and engages complex target

25 March 2024

The Raytheon Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) has continued to advance through its US Army test programme with another successful live-fire event.

MBDA

Defence

MBDA's EPIC proposed for EC funding

25 March 2024

As MBDA continues to ramp-up its production, the production ramp-up for ENFORCER missiles – ENFORCER Production Increase Campaign (EPIC) – has been proposed for funding within the European Commission’s ASAP programme.

Advertisement
Advanced Navigation RT