Royal Navy: Fleet needs more ships alongside upgraded vessels to defend UK from "global threats", report says

A report published by the Council on Geostrategy says the British Armed Forces need to “increase their readiness, mass and firepower”. ”The Royal Navy in particular will likely be expected to do far more in the coming decades to defend British territories and secure the UK’s interests further afield, which necessitates the building of more warships,” author Emma Salisbury said in the report.

The report, titled Empowering Britain’s Warship Production, said Britain has a “historically strong and innovative shipbuilding industry”, but the production of new vessels has not met the demands which the Royal Navy is facing - despite production increasing again in recent years. “There has been a decline in the size and strength of the naval shipbuilding industrial base,” they added. “Now that warship production is ramping up once more, and may well need to increase even further, there is much that His Majesty’s (HM) Government can and should do to ensure that the nation’s shipbuilding industry can meet the moment.”

Challenges facing the shipbuilding industry have been outlined in the document. This includes “budgetary constraints”, “evolving technological demands”, “competition in the global defence market”, and “the difficulty of maintaining a capable workforce”. Despite these problems, the report said the UK’s naval shipbuilding industry “continues to demonstrate resilience and innovation through key projects, such as the construction of advanced frigates, aircraft carriers, and submarines for the Royal Navy”. They recommended boosting the power of current ships at the fleet’s disposal.

Defence budgets have been constrained due to economic factors and government priorities, as well as the costs of modern warships soaring, the council said. “The evolving nature of global threats underscores an urgent need to not only increase ship numbers but also enhance the combat power and defences of the Royal Navy’s existing warships,” they added. “As potential adversaries advance their military capabilities, particularly in missile technology and naval warfare, it is crucial for the Royal Navy to adopt a multi-faceted approach to modernise its fleet.

“The emergence of new threats, including cyber warfare, drones, and hypersonic missiles, means warships must be equipped with advanced sensors and electronic warfare systems capable of being connected with an array of other sensors and platforms within a ‘system of systems’, and the ability to counter increasingly complex attacks. British warship builders must remain at the forefront of these technological innovations, working closely with the government to ensure that the Royal Navy can operate in an increasingly contested maritime environment.”

The situation with the current size and capabilities of the fleet have been criticised in the past. Former Royal Fleet Auxiliary Captain, previously said the UK could not hope to mount a Falklands War level operation for at least a decade. New Type 26 and 31 warships are being built to replace the fleets aging Type 23 variants. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard MP promised the five Type 31 Inspiration-class vessels will be built in Rosyth without a hitch. The Type 26 City-class shipbuilding programme is also progressing, with the second of the eight vessels - HMS Cardiff - being tested on the water for the first time earlier this month.

The first, HMS Glasgow, is expected to be commissioned into the fleet in 2028. Engineers are currently installing the outfit of her combat and mission systems at the Scotstoun shipbuilding yard in Scotland. Upgrades are also planned for certain ships. Royal Navy frigates are due to go through sonar upgrades, with Ancilia missile launcher systems due to be fitted to Type 26, 31 and 45 warships.

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “We are carefully managing a surface fleet transition plan to ensure the highest priority outputs are maintained through the 2020s and into the next decade. We are replacing our ageing Type 23s with eight of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare ships, the Type 26 frigates, expected to enter service from 2030. They will be bolstered by five general purpose Type 31 frigates, providing opportunity for forward presence and ability to project power and influence on the global stage and will prepare to enter service from the late 2020s. We continue to invest in the capabilities we need to meet current and future operational requirements and currently have 16 surface ships in build or on order.”