Royal Navy must have a fleet with 'more punch' to tackle Russia First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key warns

THE Royal Navy must face up to the challenge of a resurgent Russia, Britain’s top sailor has warned as he revealed his plans to build a fleet with ‘more punch’.
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First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key has set out his vision for the Senior Service up to 2035 during a trip to Scotland today.

Delivering a speech to defence industry leaders at the Rosyth shipyard, the top officer insisted he would seek to overhaul the fleet, introducing new warships and unmanned systems.

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The head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key, today saw progress made on the fleet's two new class of frigates.The head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key, today saw progress made on the fleet's two new class of frigates.
The head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key, today saw progress made on the fleet's two new class of frigates.
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Admiral Key insisted the navy would remain Europe’s most potent fleet as he warned Russia was ‘increasingly assertive’ with the build-up of troops around Ukraine showing there was ‘tension in the air’.

He said: ‘Having spent the last five years in the operational space and seen what Russia is doing – I say to my Russian counterparts we are watching you and we will match you.’

During his trip to Scotland, the admiral visited the Babcock yard in Rosyth and BAE's facility in Govan to see HMS Venturer and HMS Glasgow.

Speaking to industry leaders, Admiral Key also said China was expanding its armed forces at an ‘astonishing rate’, including the construction of new aircraft carriers and cruisers.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said the navy needed to be able to 'pack more punch'.First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said the navy needed to be able to 'pack more punch'.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said the navy needed to be able to 'pack more punch'.
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He said the Royal Navy would not seek to meet its adversaries ‘hull for hull’ but would instead work with allies and develop the latest technology.

His comments came as a former First Sea Lord raised his concern about how long it was taking to build the Type 26 frigates.

Currently three of the eight planned vessels are under construction, with the first expected to enter service by 2027 – several years later than originally planned.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key visits the Govan yard of BAE Systems in Glasgow.
Photo: John Linton PhotographyFirst Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key visits the Govan yard of BAE Systems in Glasgow.
Photo: John Linton Photography
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key visits the Govan yard of BAE Systems in Glasgow. Photo: John Linton Photography

However, Admiral Lord Alan West said it could take almost two decades for all eight of the £1.2bn warships to enter service.

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Speaking to The News, Labour peer Lord West said: ‘The Type 26 build rate is far too slow. The first of them will take over 10 years from when they started cutting steel to when the first is operation.

‘The government keeps talking big about the programme. But only three have been ordered so far. The contract for the final five hasn’t been signed.

‘It is possible that the last frigate could be completed as late as 2041 at this rate. That is a long, long way away. We need to start compressing these time scales and build quicker.’

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key pictured touring the Govan yard  in Glasgow.First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key pictured touring the Govan yard  in Glasgow.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key pictured touring the Govan yard in Glasgow.

During his speech, Admiral Key insisted the Royal Navy would challenge itself to become a ‘global leader in hypersonic weapons’ and operate drones alongside F-35 stealth jets on its two aircraft carriers.

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He said: ‘Our prime minister has charged us with becoming the foremost naval power in Europe.

‘Now, that is a good challenge and one I accept. But it’s not something we measure in terms of the number of people who are serving in uniform, or the tonnage of the fleet, albeit it’s great to see that growing, or the number of miles steamed. I think it’s more fundamental.

‘It’s about changing the way we think, of utilising the maritime as an instrument of national power.

‘It’s about packing more punch, more lethality, as the chief of defence staff talked about recently, into our ships, submarines and aircraft.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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