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Minister of defence procurement, Maria Eagle, has given the expected retirement terms of HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth and other naval vessels the UK has at its disposal. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty asked for the details in a parliamentary written question submitted earlier this month.
Ms Eagle, Labour MP for Liverpool Galston, responded: “The Royal Navy constantly reviews out of service dates to achieve maximum availability of its platforms for operational tasking. For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out of service dates of individual platforms.”
Even though details have not been released for each individual platform, dates for when each class of ship is due to leave the fleet have been given. These cover the following:
- Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers
- Daring-class Type 45 destroyers
- Duke-class Type 23 frigates
- Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels
- Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels
- Albion-class landing platform docks
- Wave-class tankers
- Tide-class tankers
- Bay-class landing ships
- Fort-class replenishment ships
- Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessels
- Sandown-class minehunters
Replacement vessels are being built to offset some of these gaps. These include the Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates - with HMS Venturer being unveiled to the public yesterday (May 27) - and the Type 26 City-class frigates. Plans are in place to push ahead with the Multi Role Strike Ship and Fleet Solid Support Ship programmes.
Upgrades are also due to be made to existing capabilities to keep them modernised and prepare to face emerging threats. The DragonFire laser weapon - aimed at targeting drones and missiles - is due to be fitted to Type 45 destroyers. A Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) is set to be fitted to the aircraft carriers, destroyers, and new frigates.
HMS Prince of Wales is currently leading the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. Her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is docked at Portsmouth Naval Base.
1. Queen Elizabeth-class carriers
HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales have an out of service date of 2069. | Sarah Standing (060224-6529)
2. Daring-class destroyers
Type 45 Daring-class destroyers have an out of service date of 2038. This includes HMS Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan. | Sarah Standing (220425-5077)
3. Duke-class frigates
Type 23 Duke-class frigates have an out of service date of 2035. This includes HMS Lancaster, Kent, Iron Duke, Richmond, Somerset, Sutherland, Portland and St Albans. Some of these ships, including HMS Westminster, Monmouth, Montrose and Argyll, have been decommissioned. | Royal Navy
4. Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels
Batch 1 of the River-class offshore patrols vessels have an out of service date of 2028. This includes HMS Tyne, Severn and Mersey. | Royal Navy