In part two of the discussion, Steve relates details of his time as Fleet Robotics Officer in the Royal Navy and then provides insider insights into the challenges of making the ‘hybrid navy’ a reality.

Iain asks if the ‘hybrid navy’ option is being pushed so hard due to the UK Government’s desire not to spend more on Defence. Steve explains how it is complicated topic and not a case of politicians and bean counters against the Royal Navy.

While welcoming the development, and concurring with the inevitability of such a hybrid path, Steve stressed that there must be some serious thinking up front about how it will operate - and be sustained on operations - in an innately hostile maritime environment.

He poses some key questions and suggests some answers, providing key perspectives that government, defence industry and senior naval decision-makers should take on board.

It is a compelling break down of various aspects of the big autonomous systems gamble being taken by a nation and its navy.

• The September 2026 edition of Warships IFR is published on 21.8.26 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag

Follow the mag on X @WarshipsIFR
Facebook @WarshipsIFR
There’s also Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

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•Steve Prest is a former Commodore in the Royal Navy who had a varied career that included a tour in Afghanistan, an exchange with the French Navy and being Weapon Engineer Officer in HMS Westminster during that warship’s operations off Libya. Steve was also Commander Weapon Engineer in the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, bringing the ship out of build in 2017. His other jobs in the navy included being Programme Director of the Type 31 frigate programme and the RN’s first Fleet Robotics Officer. Leaving the RN in 2023, Steve, who is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, now has a portfolio career in the Defence sector and beyond. This includes working as an independent consultant, advisor and lecturer, all of it aiming to fulfil his stated mission of helping ‘brilliant people to do amazing things.’

For more from Steve Prest check out his occasional blog https://fightingsailor.wordpress.com/ and follow him on X @fightingsailor

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus the award-winning ‘Killing the Bismarck (Pen & Sword) and the novel ‘Martin’s Eyes’ (Chiselbury). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers.

Visit Iain’s web site www.iainballantyne.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn at https://bsky.app/profile/iainballantyne.bsky.social and/or Insta https://www.instagram.com/iballantyn/

Our guest for a fascinating two-part discussion is Steve Prest, a former Commodore in the Royal Navy who had a varied career that included a tour in Afghanistan, an exchange with the French Navy and being Weapon Engineer Officer in HMS Westminster during that warship’s operations off Libya.

In part one of his chat with podcast host Iain Ballantyne, Steve provides insights into his naval career.

Steve was also Commander Weapon Engineer in the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, bringing the ship out of build in 2017. His other jobs in the navy included being Programme Director of the Type 31 frigate programme and the RN’s first Fleet Robotics Officer.

Leaving the RN in 2023, Steve, who is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, now has a portfolio career in the Defence sector and beyond. This includes working as an independent consultant, advisor and lecturer, all of it aiming to fulfil his stated mission of helping ‘brilliant people to do amazing things.’

• The September 2026 edition of Warships IFR is published on 21.8.26 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag

Follow the mag on:
X @WarshipsIFR
Facebook @WarshipsIFR

There’s also Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

To subscribe visit https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/

•For more from Steve Prest check out his occasional blog https://fightingsailor.wordpress.com/ and follow him on X @fightingsailor

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus the award-winning ‘Killing the Bismarck (Pen & Sword) and the novel ‘Martin’s Eyes’ (Chiselbury). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers.

Visit Iain’s web site www.iainballantyne.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn at https://bsky.app/profile/iainballantyne.bsky.social and/or Insta https://www.instagram.com/iballantyn/

Returning guest David Murrin begins by considering US President Donald Trump’s gambits in the Middle East as he seeks to prevail over Iran. In a discussion with host Iain Ballantyne - recorded before Iran and the USA reverted to a state of war (in July) - David reflected on the Trump pattern of seeking peace deals followed by more bombing.

These are the US President’s ‘peace bombs,’ as David describes them, with the Iran War and struggle for the Strait of Hormuz turning out like ‘Suez on steroids.’

The consequences of President Trump’s approach to allies, his treatment of foes and overall strategy are also covered, before turning to Europe’s laziness in defence and the military spending laggard that is the United Kingdom.

David also explains what he learned about modern warfare during a recent visit to Ukraine and how Kyiv’s forces have chosen a lateral response to the Russian aggressors rather than linear.

According to David a future threat for Europeans to be concerned about will be China’s navy in the High North and he cautions that - whatever the threat is in the great waters of the Atlantic and Arctic - drones are not the entire solution.

In the meantime, so David contends, Britain and other NATO nations are already at war with Russia but only now are they waking up to that fact.

Turning to Royal Navy, David weighs up the push for the ‘hybrid navy’ and ‘evolution’ versus ‘revolution’ at a difficult time in which the UK appears to have lost touch with its naval identity. He considers the British fleet has been destroyed by politicians since the late 1990s, and that they have let down both the nation and NATO.

During this lively episode David also gives his perspective on what China has learned from the Iran War and more.

• The August 2026 edition of Warships IFR is published on 17.7.26 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site
http://bit.ly/wifrmag

Follow the mag on X @WarshipsIFR
Facebook @WarshipsIFR
There’s also Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

To subscribe visit https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/

• David Murrin is a Global Forecaster, investor, polymath and author of ‘Breaking the Code of History’ (2011). He has a talent for spotting and analysing deep-seated patterns in history and using them to try and understand the present and also where we might be going in today’s turbulent geopolitical scene. His other books are ‘Lions Led by Lions’ (2018), ‘Now or Never’ (2021) and ‘Red Lightning’ (2021). The latter is a work of faction that depicts China winning a world war. David Murrin’s web site is https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/about Find him on X @GlobalForecastr

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundatio