When Visibility Is a Matter of Operational Security
On a naval vessel, the consequences of impaired bridge visibility extend beyond navigation safety. A warship scanning the horizon to identify unknown vessels, a coastguard cutter intercepting a contact, a naval auxiliary replenishing a strike group at sea — in each of these situations, what the bridge crew can see, and how quickly and accurately they can see it, has direct operational implications that go beyond those of commercial shipping.
Glare on a naval bridge is not simply uncomfortable. It delays target identification. It impairs sensor operator performance. It affects the speed and confidence of command decisions. In a high-stakes operational environment, even a moment of impaired visibility caused by solar glare can be operationally significant.
This is why naval procurement teams across the world — from the Royal Navy to the US Navy, from the Royal New Zealand Navy to the Royal Malaysian Navy — specify SOLASOLV® Type Approved anti-glare screens for navigation bridge and control room windows. The product addresses the glare, heat and UV problems that affect every vessel operating in daylight, and it does so without compromising the one thing a naval bridge can never sacrifice: a completely clear, undistorted outward view.
Solar Solve has supplied SOLASOLV® screens to naval vessels from more than 15 nations. This article covers the naval sector in full — the specific operational requirements of defence vessels, the named naval fleets and vessels that rely on SOLASOLV® screens, and why Type Approval from all four major classification societies makes Solar Solve the specification of choice for defence procurement worldwide.
What Naval Bridge Environments Demand from a Solar Screen
Naval vessels operate in conditions that place specific and demanding requirements on any equipment fitted at bridge windows. A solar screen for a naval navigation bridge must meet standards that go beyond those of a commercial marine installation.
Operational flexibility across all conditions. A naval vessel may operate from Arctic waters to tropical seas within a single deployment. The solar screen must perform reliably across the full range of solar intensities encountered on operational deployments — from the high reflectivity of Arctic ice and snow to the sustained high-intensity sunlight of equatorial and tropical operations. SOLASOLV® screens are effective in both environments, reducing glare from ice, snow and low winter sun as well as from tropical direct sunlight.
Retractability without compromise. Unlike a tinted window or permanently applied film, SOLASOLV® screens are retractable. On a naval vessel, conditions change rapidly. A screen that can be deployed instantly in high-glare conditions and retracted immediately when conditions change — at night, in low-light operations, during adverse weather — gives the bridge crew the operational flexibility that a permanent treatment cannot provide. The crew is always in control of their own visibility conditions.
No distortion of what is seen through the glass. True colour rendition is a navigation requirement on any vessel. On a naval vessel, it is an operational one. Navigation markers, contact vessels, shorelines and horizon targets must appear in their correct colours through the bridge windows. SOLASOLV® screens maintain true colour rendition at all times. What the crew sees through a screened window is an accurate representation of what is there.
UV and heat protection for sustained operations. Naval crews on extended deployments operate on bridge watches throughout long passages in high-sun conditions. At least 98% UV filtration and up to 87% heat rejection reduce the physiological burden on crew during these watches, supporting sustained alertness and decision-making quality across the operational period.
Type Approval from recognised classification societies. Naval vessels operated by allied nations are typically built to classification society standards or operated in environments where classification society approvals are the recognised benchmark for product suitability. SOLASOLV® screens hold Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS and RINA, providing the documentation basis that naval procurement teams and defence contractors require when specifying bridge window equipment.
Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales and the Surface Fleet
The Royal Navy operates some of the most capable surface combatants and support vessels in the world. SOLASOLV® screens have been supplied to a number of Royal Navy vessels across the surface fleet.
Named Royal Navy vessels supplied with SOLASOLV® products include HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales — the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers that form the centrepiece of the Royal Navy’s carrier strike capability. These are the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, each displacing approximately 65,000 tonnes and operating an air wing of F-35B Lightning II aircraft alongside a complement of helicopters.
Additional Royal Navy surface vessels supplied include HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless, the Type 45 Air Defence Destroyers — among the most capable anti-air warfare ships in NATO. HMS Scott, the Royal Navy’s ocean survey vessel, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels including RFA Cardigan Bay, RFA Diligence, RFA Fort Austin, RFA Fort Rosalie and RFA Fort Victoria complete the confirmed Royal Navy and RFA supply record.
The breadth of this list — from the largest capital ships in the fleet to survey vessels and fleet auxiliaries — reflects the universal nature of the solar glare problem on navigation bridges. Every vessel type with bridge windows benefits from the same SOLASOLV® solution, and the Royal Navy’s sustained specification of SOLASOLV® products across multiple vessel classes confirms the product’s suitability for the most demanding naval applications.
Royal New Zealand Navy: HMNZS Te Mana, Te Kaha, Manawanui and Taupo
The Royal New Zealand Navy is a named priority case study in Solar Solve’s Trust Plan, and its vessels represent a significant and strategically important naval supply relationship. New Zealand Navy vessels confirmed as supplied with SOLASOLV® screens include:
HMNZS Te Mana and HMNZS Te Kaha — the two ANZAC class frigates that form the combat core of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s surface fleet. Both vessels operate in the South Pacific and on international deployments, working across a wide range of solar environments from tropical Pacific waters to Southern Ocean conditions.
HMNZS Manawanui — the Royal New Zealand Navy’s dive and hydrographic support vessel, which replaced the previous HMNZS Manawanui and operates in New Zealand coastal waters and throughout the Pacific region on survey and support missions.
HMNZS Taupo — the inshore patrol vessel operating in New Zealand territorial waters on patrol and training missions.
The New Zealand Navy supply relationship demonstrates Solar Solve’s reach into Pacific naval procurement and confirms SOLASOLV® screens as the specification choice for a naval force that operates across some of the most isolated and demanding maritime environments in the world.
US Navy and Military Sealift Command: An Extensive Supply Record
Solar Solve’s supply record with the United States Navy and Military Sealift Command is one of the most extensive of any naval relationship in the company’s history. US Naval vessels supplied with SOLASOLV® screens include the following confirmed vessels across multiple hull classes:
Lewis and Clark class logistics ships: USNS Alan Shepard, USNS Amelia Earhart, USNS Charles Drew, USNS Carl Brashear, USNS Joshua Humphreys, USNS Wally Schirra, USNS Washington Chambers and USNS Medgar Evers.
Henry J. Kaiser class underway replenishment oilers: USNS Kanawha, USNS Laramie, USNS Sioux, USNS Guadalupe, USNS Cesar Chavez, USNS Leroy Grumman and USNS Rappahannock. The Rappahannock order is notable: Solar Solve first supplied screens to the vessel in October 2001. The replacement order, confirmed years later, came because the original SOLASAFE® screens had outlasted their five-year guarantee by a considerable margin — a direct demonstration of product durability in active naval service.
Supply class fast combat support ships: USNS Supply and USNS Bridge — the fast combat support ships that transfer fuel, ammunition and stores to fighting ships at sea in underway replenishment operations.
Aircraft carriers: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) — the tenth and final ship of the Nimitz class and the most powerful conventional warship class in the world. The USS George H.W. Bush order was followed by a further communication from ship personnel requesting additional SOLAROLA® screens, confirming satisfaction with the initial installation.
Submarine tender: USS Emory Land (AS-39), providing support, repair and supply services to submarine operations.
Across this fleet, SOLASOLV® screens are installed at navigation bridge windows, pilot houses, control rooms and observation spaces, reducing glare, heat and UV exposure for the civilian mariners and naval personnel who operate these vessels in support of US Navy operations worldwide.
Royal Malaysian Navy: KD LEKIR Service Life Extension Programme
The Royal Malaysian Navy selected SOLASOLV® marine screens for the navigation bridge windows of KD LEKIR, a Kasturi class frigate undergoing a Service Life Extension Programme designed to extend the vessel’s operational life by approximately ten years. The SOLASOLV® screens were specified as Navigation Safety Aids, ensuring clear visibility of both external conditions and internal electronic displays under the intense tropical sunlight encountered in Malaysian and Southeast Asian waters.
The KD LEKIR project reflects the growing confidence in Solar Solve’s UK-manufactured marine safety products within the Southeast Asian naval market, and positions Solar Solve for further naval and commercial projects across the region.
Naval Vessels from More Than 15 Nations
Beyond the named fleets detailed above, Solar Solve has supplied SOLASOLV® screens to naval vessels from more than 15 nations across six continents. The product’s four Type Approvals — from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS and RINA — provide the certification basis that defence procurement teams in any of these nations require when specifying bridge window equipment. The absence of a single-society approval restriction means that Solar Solve can supply naval procurement across all major allied navies without creating a compliance gap for any classification regime.
The product’s performance in service is documented across the full breadth of this naval supply record. Replacement orders — such as the Rappahannock and USS George H.W. Bush follow-on orders — are the most reliable indicator of performance in service. Customers who reorder are customers whose original specification decision has been confirmed by operational experience.
Why Defence Procurement Specifies SOLASOLV®
Naval and defence procurement teams apply a higher standard of scrutiny to bridge window equipment than most commercial procurement processes. The reasons that SOLASOLV® consistently passes that scrutiny are consistent across naval forces worldwide.
Independent Type Approval from four classification societies. Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS and RINA confirms that the product has been independently evaluated against the performance and construction standards applicable to navigation bridge window equipment. For defence procurement, this independent verification is the starting point of specification confidence, not a supplementary nice-to-have.
Verified performance data. Up to 93% glare reduction, up to 87% heat rejection and at least 98% UV filtration are independently verified figures, not manufacturer claims. They are the basis on which Type Approval is granted and maintained.
Custom manufacture to exact vessel specifications. Every SOLASOLV® screen is manufactured to the exact dimensions and window profile of the vessel. Naval bridges vary significantly in window configuration, size and shape across hull classes and vessel types. Custom manufacture to measure ensures that every installation fits precisely and performs consistently.
UK manufacture with rapid dispatch. All SOLASOLV® screens are manufactured at Solar Solve’s facility in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Standard manufacture and dispatch is within three to five working days. For urgent operational requirements, same-day dispatch is available. For defence procurement managers managing fleet refit schedules and operational windows, this manufacturing responsiveness is a practical specification advantage.
A 50-year track record in naval supply. Solar Solve has manufactured and supplied marine solar screens since 1975. The naval supply record spans more than 15 nations and multiple generations of vessel types. The institutional knowledge that comes with 50 years of naval supply is reflected in the product, the manufacturing process and the support available to defence procurement teams specifying SOLASOLV® screens.
For full product specifications and to discuss requirements for naval vessel bridge windows, visit the SOLASAFE or the marine for the complete range of Solar Solve naval vessel solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Solar Solve supply anti-glare screens to Royal Navy vessels?
A: Yes. SOLASOLV® screens have been supplied to Royal Navy vessels including HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Daring, HMS Dauntless, HMS Scott and multiple Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels including RFA Cardigan Bay, RFA Diligence, RFA Fort Austin, RFA Fort Rosalie and RFA Fort Victoria.
Q: Are SOLASOLV® screens Type Approved for use on naval vessels?
A: Yes. SOLASAFE® and SOLAROLA® hold Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS and RINA. These are the four leading marine classification societies whose approvals are recognised by defence procurement teams and flag state authorities worldwide.
Q: Which New Zealand Navy vessels use SOLASOLV® screens?
A: Confirmed Royal New Zealand Navy vessels include HMNZS Te Mana and HMNZS Te Kaha (ANZAC class frigates), HMNZS Manawanui (dive and hydrographic support) and HMNZS Taupo (inshore patrol). These vessels operate across the South Pacific and on international deployments.
Q: Can SOLASOLV® screens be retracted for night-time or low-light naval operations?
A: Yes. SOLASOLV® screens are fully retractable. On a naval vessel, the ability to deploy screens instantly in high-glare conditions and retract them immediately when conditions change is an important operational advantage over permanent treatments such as tinted glass or adhesive film.
Q: How long do SOLASOLV® screens last in active naval service?
A: SOLASAFE® screens carry a seven-year guarantee. Operational experience in naval service confirms durability well beyond the guaranteed period. The USNS Rappahannock replacement order was placed because the original screens supplied in 2001 had outlasted their five-year guarantee by a significant margin.
Q: Does Solar Solve supply screens for naval vessel control rooms and observation spaces as well as bridge windows?
A: Yes. SOLASOLV® screens are installed at navigation bridge windows, pilot houses, control rooms, observation spaces and any position where personnel need to maintain a clear outward view while working in direct sunlight. The product is equally effective at any window type in any vessel location.
Q: Can SOLASOLV® screens be specified for arctic and cold-weather naval operations?
A: Yes. SOLASOLV® screens are effective in arctic and cold-weather environments, where they reduce glare from ice, snow and low-angle winter sun as well as rejecting cold outside air through the glass. The product has been specified on vessels operating in both arctic and tropical environments within the same deployment.
