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 personnel—are left waiting.

This isn’t just a matter of inefficiency. It risks delaying capability, dampening innovation, and reinforcing a closed loop where established players recycle familiar ideas, confident in longstanding relationships. The result? Technology that struggles to keep pace, missed opportunities, and a defence sector that finds it harder to adapt.

That’s why I’ve stepped forward now—not to disrupt, but to contribute. To offer modular speed, and a fresh approach rooted in buildability and accountability. I believe there’s room for new energy alongside established expertise, and I’m here to help unlock it.

For decades, marine propulsion has been locked in convention, sealed units, rigid formats, systems that resist adaptation. Hydrastorm’s modular pod flips that script. It’s not just a build—it’s a statement.

So why now?

Because the market is shifting. Climate pressure, modular fleets, unmanned systems, and stealth demands are converging. The old guard is slow to adapt. The start ups are fast but few have the operational depth to go beyond renderings. I do. Twenty five years in the Royal Navy taught me what works, what breaks, and what gets ignored. This pod is built from that experience. I wanted something that evolves as my company does, a propulsion system that can be upgraded in minutes not months.

The Risk:

I’m not backed by a legacy brand. I’m not riding VC hype. I’m building this with grit, grant funding, and a belief that modularity matters. Every removable sleeve, every skin layer, every subsystem is a risk—because it breaks from convention. But that’s the point. If you don’t challenge the format, you don’t change the outcome.

The Challenge Ahead:

Hydrastorm has to prove itself in a market that’s sceptical of modularity and resistant to change. I’m not just building a pod, I’m building a public presence, a brand, and a technical standard.

The challenge ahead is steep. But the alternative is stagnation. Hydrastorm is my answer to that and this pod is just the beginning.

If I stay honest, show the build, the iterations, the engineering, and invite scrutiny whilst still standing tall, then I’ve done what I set out to do. I’m not chasing perfection. I’m chasing progress. And if that progress sparks something in the next generation, if it shows that engineering can be bold, principled, and inventive then I will be glad I tried.

Because, this isn’t just about propulsion. It’s about proving that innovation doesn’t have to hide behind closed doors. It can be built, tested, and shared, by seemingly ordinary people like me.

"That’s what Hydrastorm is".