RFA's new underwater surveillance vessel snapped as she ties up alongside HMS Belfast

RFA Proteus, the first of a new generation of survey and surveillance ships, has arrived in London ahead of the First Sea Lord's Sea Power Conference.

Photographer Amy Savage managed to take some striking images of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel on the River Thames.

RFA Proteus, who was formally dedicated last year, started life as an oil rig support vessel and now serves as a testbed for technology to be used beneath the waves.

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RFA Proteus, named after the god of rivers and water in Greek mythology, is also used as a launchpad for remotely operated vehicles as well as some specialist capabilities similar to those of the oil and gas industry.

She carries a crew of 26 officers and sailors from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as well as 60 Royal Navy personnel responsible for the undersea surveillance and survey and warfare systems.

The RFA vessel also comes with a flight deck, a 1,000 square metre cargo deck and a heavy-duty crane for lifting and lowering operations.

This year's First Sea Lord's Sea Power Conference is being organised and hosted by the Council on Geostrategy at Lancaster House.

It said: "This year's conference will focus on a particularly important and long-term topic – the future of the Royal Navy, specifically its vision for 2040.

"The conference will aim not only to articulate, but also to deliver this vision by fostering a dialogue between the private and public sectors and by bringing together officers, officials, parliamentarians, industry, media and academia."