Dreadnought 2050: Engineers imagine Navy warship of the future

Engineers have offered a glimpse into the future of Royal Naval surface ships by designing a vessel worthy of 2050, which can be operated by a significantly reduced crew.

Futuristic images of the ship - dubbed Dreadnought 2050 - have been released by a group of leading British naval electronic systems companies working with experts Startpoint.

The design includes a new-style operations room allowing commanders improved focus on specific areas up to thousands of miles away.

Engineers also believe the warship could be manned by a crew of around 50 - down from 200 on modern vessels.

Commander Steve Prest, the Royal Navy's fleet robotics officer, said: "In 2013 the Royal Navy challenged the defence industry to innovate, and to generate new opportunities to give it an operational edge.

"We therefore welcome a project that allows some of Britain's best and brightest young engineers to come up with ideas on what a warship might look like or be equipped with in 2050.

"We want to attract the best new talent to sea to operate, maintain and develop systems with this level of ambition."

The original HMS Dreadnought was a Royal Naval battleship which, when she entered into service in 1906, represented such an advance that all other major warships were rendered obsolete.

Muir Macdonald, from Startpoint, said: "While some of these technologies push today's boundaries in science and engineering, there is no reason why elements could not be incorporated into future designs.

"The Royal Navy needs visionary, innovative thinking and these concepts point the way to cutting-edge technology which can be acquired at less cost and operated with less manpower than anything at sea today in the world's leading navies."