Royal Navy
British fleet's new radar system can detect a supersonic tennis ball 25 km away
If you've ever worried about the threat from supersonic tennis balls, then BAE Systems’ Artisan medium-range Type 997 3D surveillance radar should put you at ease – it can detect one traveling at Mach 3 (1,980 mph, 3,186 km/h) at a distance of 25 kilometers (15.5 mi). The new radar, developed for the Royal Navy’s Type 23 Duke-class frigates, is designed to simultaneously detect 900 targets smaller than a bird, against background noise equivalent to 10,000 mobile phone signals at ranges from 200 meters (656 ft) to 200 kilometers (124 mi). Read More
Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that it is continuing funding for a new diesel outboard engine for the Royal Navy’s rigid inflatable craft. Currently under development by Cox Powertrain, the prototype marine engine concept uses opposed pistons. It is part of a policy adopted by NATO countries for converting to heavy oil wherever possible, to simplify logistics and reduce the use of petrol at sea. Read More
Royal Navy installs photo-realistic bridge simulator
On-the-job training is not something you want to do with the bridge team of a frigate costing over a billion pounds, so the Royal Navy uses simulators to bring officers up to speed. The latest is a Photo-realistic warship bridge simulator installed at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, England. This simulator uses computers to generate images so realistic that students often sway as the “ship” rolls, even though it’s sitting still. Read More
