Making way for Medway
The UK Royal Navy (RN) carried out the naming ceremony of its latest River-class OPV at BAE Systems Scotstoun shipyard in Glasgow on 20 October.
HMS Medway is the second of the River Batch 2 OPVs to be named. The first of class, HMS Forth, was officially named in March 2017 and is currently conducting sea trials.
According to the MoD the new OPV programme is maintaining jobs and vital skills needed to build new ships ‘for a Royal Navy growing for the first time since the Second World War’.
Despite this sentiment many builds have been reduced from
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats]()
How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats
Designed in 2019, Canada's new River-class destroyers are planned to be handed over by the 2050s. The long procurement timeline has cast doubt on whether the platforms will be obsolete for tomorrow’s warfare.
-
![Could the USCG icebreaker requirement open the door for more inland shipbuilding?]()
Could the USCG icebreaker requirement open the door for more inland shipbuilding?
The formation of a Great Lakes shipbuilding alliance could prompt a shift in how the US approaches naval and coast guard construction. But can distributed inland shipyards ease the country’s shipbuilding capacity?
-
![US Navy bets on radio frequency to increase vessel protection against aerial threats]()
US Navy bets on radio frequency to increase vessel protection against aerial threats
A Northrop Grumman RF-based defensive capability will equip USN destroyers and aircraft carriers to enhance their survivability against missile and drone attacks.
-
![Naval Group’s Barracuda bid could deepen Franco-Greek naval alignment]()
Naval Group’s Barracuda bid could deepen Franco-Greek naval alignment
As the Hellenic Navy looks to replace its ageing submarines with a next-generation fleet, other likely contenders for the programme include TKMS, Saab, Fincantieri, Navantia and Hanwha Ocean.
