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 supported frontline fire missions with 29 Commando Royal Artillery and later served as a Communications Specialist with 1 MEF (USMC) in Afghanistan. His technical evolution began under the Faraday Programme, earning a Foundation Degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Portsmouth and leading communications systems overhauls during refits and deployments.

HMS St Albans 2024

Marc's final posting saw him head the Communications Department aboard HMS St Albans, coordinating installations, training, and readiness across the whole WE Department. His career reflects a rare blend of tactical insight, engineering precision, and operational leadership.

Last day in uniform June 2025

Service leavers event 2025

Now retired from service, Marc channels his experience into Hydrastorm—a modular

propulsion venture focused on tuneable flow control, stealth layering, and real-time observation. The MPVXX pod is his first public-facing build.

Marc Reffell is the named inventor on a UK patent for modular propulsion control, filed in support of Hydrastorm’s MPVXX pod architecture. The patent covers a novel system of flow cartridges, enabling real-time tuning of acoustic, thermal, and wake signatures—an adaptive approach to stealth and performance that challenges conventional marine propulsion design.

In 2025, Hydrastorm was awarded a competitive grant through the UK Innovate “New Innovators in Marine and Maritime, Great South West” programme. The grant supports early-stage development of the MPVXX pod, including CFD modelling, diagnostic builds, and public-facing branding. The award recognises Hydrastorm’s potential to disrupt legacy propulsion systems with modular, testable engineering.