First Navy ship gets Windows 10

The Royal Australian Navy’s large Bay-class landing ship, HMAS Choules, has become the first ship in the fleet to be upgraded to Windows 10.

The upgrade is a part of a trial, prior to the operating system being rolled out across the fleet over the next two years under Project Jackstay.

“I am impressed with Fleet Information Systems Support Organisation, Chief Information Officer Group and the Commanding Officer and crew of Choules in transferring over to the new system we have developed,” Commander Defence Strategic Communications Brigadier Murray Thompson told Navy News.

“This was an enormously complex task and indeed is a first, not just for the Navy, but the entire Department of Defence, in fielding a Windows 10 environment for our deployed elements,” Brigadier Thompson said.

Choules’s commanding officer, Commander Dave Graham, said the trial has resulted in improved coordination between the ship’s departments.

“Our Communication and Information Systems sailors are ‘doers’; they proactively want to learn more to use the systems better and help other crew members come up to speed,” he told Navy News.

“My chief Communications and Information Systems sailor has told me of the fixes and patches his team has developed themselves as part of the initial testing phase.”

Meanwhile, media reports surfaced again last week that Windows XP has been spotted being used aboard the UK Royal Navy’s newest warship, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was launched last week.

It’s not unusual for military systems to sometimes use earlier-generation software systems, but usually they are kept well up to date. It’s entirely possible the XP screen seen aboard Queen Elizabeth is part of a test system, as the UK Ministry of Defence has previously stated that XP will not form part of operational systems once the vessel is commissioned next year.

Image courtesy Defence.

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