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Why This Pod, Why Now
I didn’t set out to build a propulsion pod. I set out to challenge legacy thinking. For years, a familiar group of firms has consistently secured Ministry of Defence contracts often with the assurance that, regardless of cost or timeline, funding will follow. It’s a dynamic that, while rooted in trust and legacy, can sometimes slow progress. Projects extend over long cycles. Accountability becomes diffuse. And those who depend on these systems—operators, engineers, frontline
Marc Reffell
Oct 21, 20252 min read
The history of MPVXX
A few days after leaving the Royal Navy, I found myself in unfamiliar waters. The transition to civilian life was disorienting - no watch rotations, no real mission, just long nights and a browser full of tabs. I’d stay up late, falling into YouTube black holes, watching documentaries on vessels, engineering marvels, and tactical design breakthroughs. One night, I stumbled across a video that changed everything: Juliet Marine’s GHOST. A SWATH vessel with reversed props, gas
Marc Reffell
Oct 20, 20252 min read


Marc Reffell — Naval Technologist & Founder of Hydrastorm
Marc Reffell or "Ref" as he was known to his shipmates, served in the Royal Navy from 1999 to 2025, rising to Chief Petty Officer across three distinct trades: Communications, Intelligence, and Engineering. His career spanned deployments in the Gulf, Mediterranean, Falklands, Afghanistan, and Libya, with operational roles aboard HMS Bulldog, Cornwall, Roebuck, Ocean, Bulwark, Northumberland, and St Albans. Camp Leatherneck 2010 A graduate of the All-Arms Commando Course, Marc
Marc Reffell
Oct 19, 20252 min read
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