Jon Rosamond

About Jon Rosamond

Jon Rosamond is a London-based freelance defense journalist specializing in the naval and maritime security arenas, having previously edited Jane's Navy International and served as defense correspondent on The News in Portsmouth, England, home of the Royal Navy.


Recent Posts By the Author


Arrowhead Wins Cost Battle in U.K. Type-31 Frigate Competition

Arrowhead Wins Cost Battle in U.K. Type-31 Frigate Competition

Type-31 frigate design concept. Babcock Image

The following post has been updated to correct the cost of the Type-31 program. The U.K. plans to pay $1.6 billion for all five hulls, not $1.6 billion for each hull.

LONDON — The victory of the Babcock/Thales Arrowhead 140 design in Britain’s bargain-basement Type 31 frigate competition will give the Royal Navy a heavyweight fighter in the maritime security arena. Read More

DSEI: Sea Hunter's Autonomous Controls Could Support Unmanned Beach Landings

DSEI: Sea Hunter’s Autonomous Controls Could Support Unmanned Beach Landings

Marines with Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, secure the beach during an amphibious raid by Combat Rubber Raiding Craft in conjunction with the insert of a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System by landing craft, utility, from the dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) at Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan on Aug. 16, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo

LONDON — Autonomous control systems developed for the Pentagon’s Sea Hunter unmanned ship could also help keep Marine Corps logisticians out of harm’s way during future amphibious landings, according to the company behind the technology. Read More

DSEI: U.K. Crafting New Command and Control Regime as Royal Navy Grows

DSEI: U.K. Crafting New Command and Control Regime as Royal Navy Grows

HMS Queen Elizabeth conducting a Replenishment At Sea with RFA Tideforce on Sept. 8, 2019. Royal Navy Photo

LONDON — The Royal Navy’s metamorphosis from a provider of lone warships to the world’s maritime hotspots into a service deploying carrier strike and amphibious task groups will be accompanied by an equally significant transformation in command and control (C2), according to the U.K.’s surface fleet commander. Read More

DSEI: New Carriers Sparking Royal Navy Renaissance

DSEI: New Carriers Sparking Royal Navy Renaissance

HMS Queen Elizabeth sailing from her home in Portsmouth on Feb. 2, 2019. U.K. MoD Photo

LONDON — The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters are spearheading a revival of British sea power unparalleled since the end of the Second World War, the country’s top admiral said on Tuesday. Read More

Iran Tanker Seizures Pushing U.K. Royal Navy to its Limits as New PM Takes Charge

Iran Tanker Seizures Pushing U.K. Royal Navy to its Limits as New PM Takes Charge

Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace MP (center), seen here with the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (right), anboard a Vanguard class SSBN
UK Prime Minister The Rt Hon Boris Johnson visits HMNB Clyde. July 29, 2019. UK MoD Photo

LONDON — Britain’s new prime minister, Boris Johnson, is facing a maritime security standoff with Iran that could, if handled indelicately, spark conflict in the Persian Gulf region. Read More

U.K. Developing its Own Extra Large UUV for Royal Navy

U.K. Developing its Own Extra Large UUV for Royal Navy

Artist’s conception of the Boeing Orca XLUUV. Boeing Image

LONDON — Britain’s Ministry of Defence is exploring options for the development of an Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) to conduct covert missions at distances of up to ranges 3,000 nautical miles for three months at a time for the Royal Navy. Read More