The Royal Navy at the crossroads

Decline or resurrection?

In the last two decades the Royal Navy has suffered a decline unprecedented in its history. The loss of amphibious capabilities, embarked aviation, maritime patrol aircraft or a good number of escorts has had catastrophic effects on the proud British institution. Now, with the announcement of multi-million dollar investments and the entry into service of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, the new F-35B embarked stealth fighters, the construction of the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates and the commitment to autonomous ships aim to regain their place and once again project its power throughout the globe.

In Spain, for historical and cultural reasons, the perfidious Albion has always been considered the enemy to defeat, something that is especially true when we talk about the Royal Navy. The events that occurred throughout the 1973th century brought London closer to Europe, in a different way than the military conquest or subjugation of European nations or British desires and interests, through a series of supranational associations and culminating in its entry in the European Economic Community in XNUMX. They joined the European project, as it could not be otherwise, in a very British way, without ever rejecting their own currency or its particularities and always maintaining a certain distance.

This British exceptionalism crystallized in the result of the referendum of June 23, 2016 and the subsequent Brexit process, still unfinished, but with important consequences for the security of both the EU-27 partners and the British themselves. It is thus understood that in recent days the government headed by Boris Johnson has announced an unprecedented investment in defense, which especially affects the Royal Navy. We therefore take advantage of this key fact to analyze, along the following lines, the future of this institution, its projects, its successes and the foreseeable difficulties that it will have to go through.

We will do so based on data and reason, moving away from many diagnoses that are too affected by the desire for revenge or that are too superficial. After all, although London no longer has a fleet with several aircraft carriers in operation at the same time, nor a continuous global presence, nor an extensive network of colonies around the globe, its situation is far from dramatic. In general, the United Kingdom has a fleet compensated for naval operations and enjoys a powerful logistics system, which allows it to operate in practically any scenario that London decides. This matter should not be ignored, nor should the special political-military relationship with Washington, which grants them access to both US logistics facilities, as well as their Intelligence services and arsenals.

F-35B on board the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth - Airway
The arrival of the first F-35B and the tests aboard the Queen Elizabeth have been a shock for the Royal Navy, which experienced the loss of the class aircraft carriers as a real trauma. Invincible. Source – Royal Navy

The Royal Navy's battle fleet

Let's break down the different units that make up the Royal Navy by sections, including their most important programs in each of the sections that make it up, as well as the weapons and systems they have to fulfill their mission.

Strategic Submarines

The United Kingdom is one of the few nations that possess strategic nuclear weapons. As such, it must maintain an important infrastructure around its strategic weapons, without which it would be impossible to guarantee nuclear deterrence capacity. Unlike France, its missiles and strategic nuclear warheads come from the United States. What's more, they have a veto power over the use of said missiles. Strategic programs represent costs that weigh heavily on the general budgets of the entire nation and have an important effect on conventional forces, although obviously the advantages in terms of both deterrence and political weight far exceed the costs.

2019 marked 50 years since the Royal Navy took on this responsibility. Currently there is always an SSBN (Submarine Ship Ballistic Nuclear) on strategic patrol, a mission is entrusted to the SSBN class Vanguard, which replaced the SSBNs Resolution and which were ordered between 1986 and 1992. With a length of 149 meters and a submerged displacement of 16.000 tons, they carry 16 SLBMs Trident II D-5 with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle) capability[1]. The strategic fleet is made up of 4 units (Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant y Vengeance) based in Faslane.

This fleet, by the way, has suffered several incidents. In 2009 and to demonstrate that the risks in submarine operations still exist, the SSBN Vanguard would collide in immersion with the French SSBN The Triumphant, requiring 5 months of repairs.

The British SSBNs have received a major modernization between 2002 and 2015. The nuclear warheads are of the A90 type, of British design despite being carried by an American missile and have a power of 150 kilotons. Initially the SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) to be purchased would have been the Trident I C-4, but when the US canceled the project, the Royal Navy opted in the early 80s to equip itself with the same vector as the US class Ohio. The contract was for 58 missiles, of which they still have 50 units. Thanks to the fact that they benefit from the same modernizations that the US Navy implements in its Trident II, They are expected to be operational until 2042.

Ensuring the future of this deterrent force is one of the priorities in Whitehall and that is why a new program has been underway for years with this objective, having already defined the successor class of the Vanguard. The project, known as Successor, has served to define a new class of SSBN known as class Dreadnought, which is the most expensive defense project ever carried out by the Ministry of Defense from United Kingdom. In fact, it is such a complex and controversial program that, as a novelty, the head of defense is obliged to report on progress annually before the British Parliament, something unheard of until now.

We are talking about a total amount, estimated at 41.000 billion pounds sterling (approximately 45.500 billion euros) and which is currently already consuming resources worth 1.200 billion pounds per year. BAE Systems and Rolls Royce are the parent companies in this program and have defined a submarine with a submerged displacement of around 17.200 tons, 153 meters in length and 12 launch silos for ballistic missiles.

We must mention that the Royal Navy has decided to unequivocally innovate with respect to the rest of the nations that operate SSBNs, and it is expected that only 8 of the 12 silos will carry SLBMs, leaving the remaining 4 for a combination of various cruise missiles or of diverse use, possibly including hypersonic missiles in the future. This detail serves to bet for the first time on a use that is not only strategic for an SSBN platform. It is true that the US Navy has converted some old SSBN into SSGN (Submersible Ship (Guided Missile)Nuclear), but what it does not do with its units is consider dual use.

The latter recently represented a true anathema for NATO nations, generally dependent on North American doctrine, which orders SSBNs to remain hidden at all times and places, regardless of the tactical or operational situation, in their patrol area. The Royal Navy, probably due to the chronic shortage of naval platforms, has decided to begin to amortize its investments, even if it is by giving a secondary and supporting role to future SSBNs. In any case, the former empire thus demonstrates a good capacity for innovation after decades of isolated and silent patrols, something that must be valued.

Regarding the launch module, it will be identical to the one used by the Americans in their new SSBN(X) (class Columbia) of which the construction order for the first units has already been given. Once again, the British manage to save costs and create synergies thanks to commonality. Likewise, new innovations will be adapted in the Dreadnought such as an X-shaped rudder configuration and a new water-cooled nuclear reactor PWR-3 New design and features.

The cutting of steel for the top seed of the class has already begun Dreadnought at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, where all units of the class will be built. However, construction of large blocks is not expected to begin until late 2021.

Initially it was expected that the Vanguard were decommissioned in 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2029. However, problems caused in the development of the new class, as well as the difficult to ponder effects of Brexit and COVID-19, may mean that these submarines remain between 5 to 10 years more operational on the dates mentioned above. According to the latest plans of the British Ministry of Defense, the first strategic patrol of a Dreadnought It is scheduled for 2031. The units, by the way, already have their names assigned; Dreadnought, Valiant, Warspite y King George VI.

Vanguard-class submarine - Wikipedia
HMS Vanguard in Faslane Bay, where the Clyde naval base is located. Author – Tam McDonald.
Selected region
Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, where the SSBN class is built Dreadnought. Source – Google Maps
Trident - Hemel Hempstead Quakers
The Trident II missiles in use by Royal Navy SSBNs have the capability of carrying multiple independent warheads. Source – Ilquakers.org.uk

Attack Submarines

The United Kingdom maintains a fleet of attack submarines that, although small in number of units, represent extensive combat capabilities for the nation, a concept reinforced by the well-known episode of the Falklands War. Precisely, if it is short in number, it is due to the commitment to nuclear-powered submarines, something that incidentally contributes to maintaining the industrial base on which the design and construction capabilities of this type of device are based.

The renewal of the old SSN (Submersible Ship Nuclear) class Trafalgar has been going on for decades in the UK. The substitute class (Astute), it will be made up of 7 newly designed units, of which there are currently 4 already in service with the Royal Navy, which add to the 3 units of the class Trafalgar still operational.

As with almost any submarine construction process, delays, cost overruns and bottlenecks have been noticeable and have affected this program. The overall delay of the same –without taking into account the possible effects that may occur after Brexit and the current pandemic-, it is already 4 years old. The deviation in terms of costs, not at all realistic, since the program will have to be audited in depth later, is already estimated at more than 2.000 million pounds above the initial budget. By the way, since many times we like to criticize our own things without paying attention to what happens beyond our borders, just like what happened to Navantia and the Spanish Navy with the S-80, the British Ministry of Defense found it necessary to request the advice of the North American General Dynamics to direct the program as a whole.

The main reasons for these cost overruns and delays relate to staffing issues at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. This facility would go, after the formation of the current BAE Systems in 1999, from more than 10.000 workers to just over 3.000. The losses of knowledge and experience acquired by this highly specialized workforce could not be replaced except by suffering delays and investing money, as they were unable to reach the level of efficiency required by the end client. A story that we know well here...

In the period expected between the completion of the sixth unit of the class Astute and the beginning of the construction of the Dreadnought It was expected that a long period of inactivity would occur again in the shipyard, which would imply an inevitable loss of workforce thanks to the inevitable layoffs, early retirements, etc. The matter became so scandalous that Parliament's studies as well as those of the Ministry of Defense itself concluded that it would be less burdensome for the public coffers to approve the construction of a seventh unit of the class. Astute, than not to build it and rehire and train the shipyard staff for the construction of the Dreadnought. It is not that the Royal Navy had that seventh unit to spare, but that the main reason for its construction was the maintenance of the naval industry is something that must be taken into account, since it demonstrates a firm national will to maintain it. A good warning to sailors.

Regarding class Astute, which we have already talked about in these pages, consists of a completely new design submarine that at the time was the first submarine designed entirely based on computer CAD systems. The hull shape is absolutely new, with a curious mini-hump behind the sail to accommodate the nuclear reactor. It has anechoic plates on the outer hull to minimize the acoustic signature in a quantity of 38.000 per vessel[2]. It is estimated, although of course the real data remains secret, that the operating depth exceeds 300 meters. The initial operational life, with improvements in the reactor's recharging cycles, will be between 25 and 30 years, although it could be extended, of course.

The propulsion is based on a Rolls Royce PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) reactor of the PWR-2 model. This reactor was initially developed for the class Vanguard, and according to its designers it could ensure 40 circumambulations of the Earth without needing to refuel. Whether or not it is true, what he has assured the Royal Navy is that it will not need to recharge the reactor throughout the operational life of the submarine, an operation as complex as it is dangerous. Two Alstom steam turbines generate the steam necessary for the movement of a propeller shaft, which is coupled to a pump-jet, also from Rolls Royce, and which provides 27.500 HP of power, translating into at least 29 knots in immersion[3].

The Astute, once again in close collaboration with the US Navy, will carry submarine-launched cruise missiles through torpedo tubes. Specifically it will be the Tomahawk Block IV of tactical attack. Likewise, they will have heavy torpedoes Spearfish.

The 3 units pending delivery by the manufacturer are expected to be delayed, with the last of them being received until 2026, or even beyond due to the problems created during this particular and chaotic year that 2020 has been.

In focus: Royal Navy submarine special forces delivery systems | Save the Royal Navy
In addition to their attack duties, Astute-class SSBs are capable of infiltrating special operations teams. Source – Save the Royal Navy.
Interior shots Astute class submarines under construction, workers... Stock Footage Video - Getty Images
The construction of the Astute-class SSN has been a tortuous process, with years of delays and significant cost overruns, something that practically no modern submarine program is free from. Source – Sky News.

Aircraft carrier

Probably the Royal Navy's highest priority over the past two decades has been the entry into service of new conventional aircraft carriers. The Falklands War taught the United Kingdom the importance of having aircraft carriers capable of projecting military power in areas far removed from the metropolis. Somehow the action of retaking the Falklands, thanks in large part to the availability of embarked air power, had a deep impact on British society, which suffered a real trauma when the Royal Navy stopped owning aircraft carriers.

The effort for the fleet to recover this capacity has been enormous, not only from an economic point of view - with a terrible impact for the entire Armed Forces. AA. British - but also for its battered naval industry, which was faced with a challenge that it was unable to assume with guarantees.

The construction of the class aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth, which in reality is still ongoing, began in 2008 and many options were considered, both regarding the design itself and the partners, since at first France was included for the program.

With a real cost that has not yet been determined, each aircraft carrier appears to ultimately cost around £3.000 billion (€3.360 billion), not including its embarked wing, nor of course the need for new escorts. They will also require a crew of about 1.800 men per ship, which is another of the great problems of the Royal Navy, an institution that finds it difficult to maintain an adequate workforce for all its units.

El Queen Elizabeth He has been the seed. Delivered to the Royal Navy in 2017, it is still in the advanced testing phase, but already under the command of the Fleet. He Prince of Wales, his twin, was commissioned in December 2019 and is even in a more premature state of enlistment.

El Queen Elizabeth He would remain on the East Coast of the United States between August and December 2.018 training for the operation of the Lockheed Martin F-35B vertical takeoff fighters. Lightning II, acquired by the United Kingdom. Of the conclusions drawn from said training, the main one is that the crew embarked for air operations on British aircraft carriers is insufficient to maintain the desired pace of air operations. Apparently the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Navy have approved the increase in embarked personnel[4] in order to correct this deficiency.

During 2019, the ship would undergo a maintenance period in Rosyth, which was also used to install CIWS equipment. Phalanx. She would later return to the US to train with the F-35Bs of the 617th Squadron before final delivery to the Royal Navy. Initial operational capability would arrive a year later seeking the possibility of executing its first operational deployment in distant waters.

The main interest of the Royal Navy, now that they have regained the ability to operate conventional aircraft carriers and can deploy their units anywhere on the globe, goes through the Far East, which is how the British define the area beyond Suez, that is, what we commonly call the Asia-Pacific and increasingly, the Indo-Pacific region. Specifically, the first deployment of the Combat Group of the Queen Elizabeth, which will have international escorts, will take place in the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Asian coasts.

They probably do it looking to execute FONOP operations (Freedom Of Navigation Operations) in areas in dispute with the People's Republic of China. We will have to see the effects that this deployment may have on Beijing, although there we should thank London for the action they are going to take. It is no less true, on the other hand, that this type of deployment will help London recover part of its former international prestige, which had suffered due among other things to the problems of the Royal Navy in recent years.

Returning to the topic of international involvement, in the escort of the Queen Elizabeth Both the United States and the Netherlands have confirmed their participation. The Embarked Wing will be composed of the RAF 617 Squadron and another USMC F-35B squadron accompanied by at least 1 MV-22 Osprey, also from the US Marines. The embarked helicopters will be Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare belonging to the 820th Squadron of the Royal Navy and Merlin Crownest AEW of the 845th Naval Squadron. Very significant for the future is the integration of F-35B units from other nations on these British aircraft carriers on a routine basis, which opens the doors to future collaborations of the same type. Furthermore, after Brexit, this possibility will allow the United Kingdom greater flexibility when it comes to getting involved in certain areas by not doing it alone.

El Prince of Wales, for his part, was commissioned in 2019 although he is in a somewhat more difficult situation than his twin. Delays in deliveries of the British F-35B affect this aircraft carrier, while budget allocations after Brexit/COVID will also have an effect on the entry into service of the Prince of Wales, although the recent announcement of multi-million dollar investments in defense possibly pave the way going forward. We must not forget that long before all this there was already talk of the possible putting in reserve of one of the two aircraft carriers with the aim of reducing operating costs associated with both the ship itself and the need to have two full crews.

Whatever happens, they will be impressive ships, given their displacement of 65.500, a length of 264,5 meters between perpendiculars and a beam of 39 at the waterline. The flight deck measures 283 x 73 meters. The propulsion plant is based on a Rolls & Royce-Wärtsilä design that provides two lines of axles with a power of 108.000 HP for a maximum speed of 27 knots. As on-board weapons they will have 3 systems Phalanx CIWS and anti-aircraft artillery DS-30 M Mk 2.

Finally, in relation to the Queen Elizabeth class, it is inevitable to comment that both BAE Systems and the British Government are trying to position a variant of this design for the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier program. Specifically, it is the CATOBAR variant created by the Royal Navy and discarded in 2012, which was equipped with catapults and hitch cables. Although the Indian program is complicated and its efforts are difficult to understand, it cannot be ruled out a priori that London will be able to meet its objective and export this ship, which would be a considerable achievement.

Development of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier – a design history | Save the Royal Navy
Before opting for an aircraft carrier for V/STOL aircraft, several proposals were presented, including a CATOBAR aircraft carrier, a model that the United Kingdom now intends to export to India. Source – Save the Royal Navy.
UK aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth just sprang to leak - CNN
H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth facing New York City. The choice of a design with two islands allows flight operations to be centralized in one of them and navigation and control of the ship in another. Font – Royal navy
F-35 jets leave HMS Queen Elizabeth after 'eclipsing aspirations' | Royal Navy
The choice of the F-35B will allow greater interoperability with UK allied countries such as the US or Australia. Source – Royal Navy.

Escorts

The status of the Royal Navy regarding escort ships It does not differ too much from that of other comparable navies such as the French Marine Nationale, the difference between the years before the Soviet collapse and today is scandalous. By 1991 the Royal Navy had 13 destroyers of different types and variants and 34 frigates, to which 17 new units would be added whose construction was planned for the following years. A global force of 47 modern and highly capable ocean escorts, an impressive figure. The comparison with the current number is devastating, especially if we analyze its current operation.

The Royal Navy currently has 6 destroyers. Type 45 whose main mission is anti-aircraft defense of the fleet, with missiles Harpoon for surface warfare. The design is completely British, after the United Kingdom withdrew from the program Horizon that he maintained with France. Initially the class was going to consist of 12 units, to replace the destroyers in a 1 to 1 ratio. Type 42. Subsequently, as the new world born after the end of the Cold War took shape and the successive budget crises occurred, the total units for the would be reduced to 8 and 6 in 2004 and 2008, respectively. A reduction that not only saved the British coffers money from construction, but also the cost of maintaining the 1.200 crew members required for the half dozen ships that were never built, the cost of operation, the cost of the life cycle, etc.

The Type 45 They have a displacement of 7.500 tons, in addition to a significant weight reserve in case it is necessary to incorporate new systems throughout their operational life. They have 2 quadruple missile launchers Harpoon, which are not permanently installed on the ship, but rather are installed according to the needs of the missions to be carried out. There is an open program, although not yet concluded, to equip them with missiles Tomahawk Block IV as well as a future improvement of its embarked SAM, based on the system sea ​​viper with missiles Aster for defense against ballistic missiles.

The operational life of these destroyers is 30 to 40 years, due to which a program for their replacement has not yet been opened, but various improvements to be implemented in the current class continue to be studied, with all ships having been delivered between 2009 and 2013 by BAE Systems. They currently represent the maximum defense capabilities of the British fleet and its aircraft carriers. Unfortunately, the decrease in the number of destroyers available, as well as the entry into service of aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth seriously jeopardizes the Royal Navy's ability to accomplish all assigned missions. Therefore, part of the missions of these destroyers must be fulfilled by the frigate force.

At present the Type 45 are undergoing a major modernization program with a class-wide budget of £160 million (€180 million). The objective is to solve a series of problems found in its propulsion, replace the diesel generators originally installed, increase the number of these to 3 units and improve the electrical distribution network on board. The first in the class, the Dauntless, will have these improvements installed by 2021.

Regarding the frigates, as we said a few lines ago, in 1991, 34 operational frigates were commissioned by the Royal Navy with a new construction program underway that totaled 17 new units. Those new frigates under construction were the Type 23 and its entry into service was to standardize all units of this type into a single common class. This explains why a series of 17 units was chosen, to which as many options could be added in the future, something that never happened, quite the contrary.

Currently, the Royal Navy's frigate force consists of 13 frigates of the Type 23, which constitute the 4th and 6th Frigate Squadrons. The series would never reach the initial planned units, and of the 16 units built, 1 was decommissioned in 2005 and two were sold to Chile in 2006 and 2007.[5]. The operational situation of the British frigates is not the best, although they maintain higher capacities than other units in the fleet, due to their more intensive use. Between 2018 and 2019, two units were out of service, one due to lack of personnel to form a full crew and the other because it was intended as a training ship for new recruits and officers. On average, 7 units can be estimated to be fully operational at any time during that period, with the rest of the units remaining with reduced crews to alleviate the situation as a whole.

The surface unit force has undoubtedly been the most mistreated from a budgetary point of view. The last surface unit delivered to the Royal Navy was the destroyer duncan in 2013, while the last frigate was the Saint albans back in 2002. That is to say, 7 years have passed without adding any incorporation and in the specific case of the frigates there are 18 years that have passed since the last registration, periods of time never seen in the Royal Navy.

The good news is that, unlike what happens with destroyers, there is a program underway to renew frigates.[6]. The program Type 26 will allow the Royal Navy to enlist frigates of 5.400 tons displacement, equipped with the SAM Be Acceptor, VLS for the use of cruise missiles Tomahawk O well Storm Shadow and anti-ship Harpoon. They will be able to operate helicopters and will have an organic hangar for the operation of drones. The propulsion will be of the CODLOG type, capable of achieving 28 knots using two propulsion propellers, a good figure for a ship 148 meters long and 20 meters wide.

La Type 26 It had to be a class made up of 13 units. Once again, things have not gone as planned. The increase in the size of the ship caused costs to rise beyond expectations and it seems that in the end only 8 units will be built, complementing the Escort Force in the future with 5 more frigates of the model. Type 31, which is a more versatile design. All of this is still very long-term planning, since the possible authorization of the ninth has recently been debated in the United Kingdom. Type 26. That is to say, the future is more open than ever, as we will explain later.

Regarding the construction, the first unit of the class, named Glasgow, began construction in Clyde in 2018 and is not expected to be delivered until 2025, nor to be fully completed until two years later, in 2027. The first three units have a budget of 2.400 billion pounds (2.690 billion euros) to its construction, the main reason why it was decided to cut the number of units, since that amount was barely enough for three, once costs increased.

Despite these problems, which as always do not take into account the possible effects of Brexit/COVID, the Type 26 They can be considered a real success for the British naval industry. The British Ministry of Defense itself considered it especially onerous to qualify for export contracts to third countries, which is why it authorized the design of a more economical frigate, the aforementioned one. Type 31e, so that the United Kingdom could qualify for large surface ship contracts.

We are talking about the well-known fleet renewal programs of Canada, Australia and the USA. Unexpectedly even for London, both Canada and Australia opted for the BAE Systems design and have awarded it the design and construction of their new frigates. The sale of these units to foreign nations - although members of the Commonwealth, let us not forget - will allow international standardization in the frigate market which, apart from resulting in an economic benefit for the British companies involved, will facilitate the interoperability of the different armed forces, which have strong ties of mutual support.

Regarding class Type 31, is in the design and evaluation phase by the Royal Navy. Beyond the cost of Type 26, British shipbuilding capacity does not currently allow for the replacement of frigates Type 23 protrusions for their replacement, making the most economical - and in theory quickest to build - Type 31, should complement the gaps left by the outgoing units not covered by the Type 26. Thus, in December 2018 the Ministry of Defense would allocate 5 million pounds to each of the applicant consortiums for the update that finished configuring a definitive design. In November 2019, the contract to build 5 new frigates would be officially awarded. Type 31 to the Babcock-led consortium with its design Arrowhead 140.

This design is based on that of the Danish frigates of the class Iver Eightfeldt built in the Odense shipyards since 2008. Thanks to being a proven design, it is expected that costs and delays will be controlled. They will be units 138 meters long, 19 meters wide and have a displacement of 6.095 tons, capable of reaching a speed of more than 26 knots, thanks to a CODAD propulsion. Its main armament, beyond the cannon, will be composed of a VLS system for SAM missiles Be Acceptor.

Surprisingly, Babcock International has contractually agreed to a unit cost of £250 million (€280 million), with a global amount for the entire program of £2.000 billion (€2.240 billion). Cost control, as in all large naval programs, is something that will have to be seen, since in the offer phase the three suiting consortiums denounced this clause as something absolutely unrealizable. At the moment, the situation does not allow us to be too optimistic. Already in January 2020, Babcock announced that the first unit would be launched in 2023 but would be operational at least until 2027, which represents an initial delay of 4 years over the planned dates. Obviously a temporary delay will imply in one way or another an increase in costs.

Infographic: Type 26 – City Class Frigate | GOES BOATS
The future frigates Type 26 They will be the backbone of the Royal Navy until mid-century. Source – Naval Analyzes
Babcock completes Type 31 whole ship preliminary design review
All the Type 31 respond to the need to have a cheaper ship with a lower technological risk than the Type 26. Source – Babcock.
The Ultimate Showdown: (Part-1) Arleigh Burke v/s Daring Class Destroyers – Defencyclopedia
The destroyers Type 45 They remain the most powerful surface unit of the Royal Navy although unfortunately their numbers did not approach the original requirements due to their cost and the impossibility of recruiting the necessary crews. Source – Royal Navy.

mine war

Mine warfare units have, at least traditionally, been of great importance to the Royal Navy. The fall of the Berlin Wall however had disastrous effects and caused the money allocated to these units to go to other larger units. Currently the MCM (Mine Countermeasures) force of the Royal Navy is made up of three Task Groups, MCM-1, MCM-2 and MCM-9.

The MCM-1, equipped with ships of the class Sandowns Built between 1998 and 2002, it is responsible for the protection of nuclear submarines at the Faslane Naval Base. The MCM-2, equipped with units of the class Hunt Built between 1981 and 1989, it carries out maritime patrols in the metropolis. Finally, the MCM-9, based in Bahrain, provides protection to civilian and allied ships as they navigate the Persian Gulf. Logically, both MCM-1 and MCM-2 provide ships to MCM-9 on a rotating basis for deployment in that area.

The budgets for mine warfare continue to decline and the consequences of having opted for aircraft carriers, with their tremendous cost, are being felt throughout the fleet. In 2017 two units of the class Hunt They were due to receive a complete modernization, however, and unexpectedly, they were decommissioned, leaving the MCM force at minimum. All in all, the prospects are favorable in the medium term because in consortium with France and relying on Thales, the Royal Navy hopes to be able to base this vital part of naval warfare in the coming years on low-cost autonomous ships.

To this end, they have launched several programs in recent years, although they should bear fruit quickly given the age of the class ships. Hunt, with more than 30 years of service, and of the class Sandowns, which is around 20 years in the case of the most modern. They therefore have little time to incorporate autonomous platforms and, just as important, to develop a doctrine and train operators in their use.

Lithuanian Navy Looking to Procure 3rd ex-Royal Navy Hunt-class MCM Vessel - Naval News
Ships of the class Hunt They make up the MCM-2 of the Royal Navy. Source – Royal Navy
Sandown Class Minehunter (RN) - UK Defense Forum
British Sandow class ship. Source – Royal Navy

Amphibious Ships

It is not lost on anyone that the Royal Marines represent one of the main weapons for projecting British naval power. Although the new aircraft carriers have the capacity to embark and deploy Marines to the coast, this body will continue to need specialized ships to operate effectively.

The idea that aircraft carriers of the size and importance of Queen Elizabeth are going to be risky in the pursuit of amphibious objectives close to the enemy coast, it is illogical. It is true that they have the capacity to transport between 50 and 300 infantrymen and support them with 4 helicopters. Merlin HC4 dedicated exclusively. However, this is still a secondary support capacity and intended more for humanitarian aid operations or the fight against catastrophes than for anything else.

The 2018 sale of HMS Ocean to Brazil was a very serious loss for the amphibious forces, since it was their most modern and specialized ship for these missions, but budgetary constraints and the shortage of qualified personnel in the fleet forced them to make this tragic decision. H.M.S. Ocean He had 20 years of service in the Royal Navy, so the big problem was not the sale itself, but the absence of a replacement, which has reduced the global capabilities of the Royal Navy.

The Royal Navy's amphibious capabilities are currently based on two LPDH-class ships. Albion, with a displacement of 18.500 tons, 176 meters in length, capacity to embark a General Staff of 190 men and a force of 305 marines, with their support of landing helicopters and LCU, LCAC, etc. One of them is usually in reserve, while the other remains operational. Their service age is 17 and 15 years respectively. Regarding their hypothetical replacements, a program was launched for them to be replaced in 2035 by two 30.000-ton LHD-type vessels, but in this regard there are serious doubts regarding the economic viability of the project.

Furthermore, the Royal Marines force has been reduced by around 10 per cent between 2017 and 2019, counting around 6.300 enlisted men. Surprisingly, in 2019 a program called Littotal Strike Ship (LSS) which, based on modified commercial ships, is intended to be a smaller-scale and more economical version of the US Marines' ESB program ships. This program, which is still ongoing, proposes a new version of amphibious landing, if it can be called that, in order to not require expensive ships specialized in this function. Despite this, it seems that the Royal Navy may lose this important capability if it does not truly replace the class Albion by true amphibious vessels, whether of the same type as these or LHD.

We must also not forget that for amphibious operations the Royal Navy has the support of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), ships built in civilian shipyards and operated by mixed crews composed of civilians and uniformed personnel. Among the units operated by the RFA are 3 LPDH of the class Bay (with a fourth unit sold to Australia in 2011 for budgetary reasons) whose design is based on the Rotterdam Dutch. The new class fleet tankers also operate Tide, 4 units built by Daewoo in South Korea with 37.000 tons of displacement. Finally, they also have the multipurpose replenishment ship Fort Victoria, which in 2018 received a modernization valued at 44 million pounds (50 million euros) and which will be essential support for the combat groups formed around the British aircraft carriers.

It is precisely for this branch of the naval forces that Navantia opts to build a series of supply ships. In 2018, the FSS (Fleet Solid Support) program would begin, consisting of 3 40.000-ton vessels for the supply of supplies. The budget allocated to the FSS program is 1.500 billion pounds (1.680 billion euros) for the class as a whole. Like class tankers Tide, have not been classified as warships, which is why British law allows the construction of these ships in a foreign nation, otherwise they would be obliged to be built in national shipyards. Perhaps this is why the FSS program is causing significant political controversy in the United Kingdom.

The contenders for the program are, on the one hand, a British consortium made up of the country's main industries, namely: Babcock, BAE Systems, Cammel Laird and Rolls & Royce. On the other hand, what is known as Team Resolute, a team formed by the Spanish Navantia, BMT Team and Infrastata. This last company owns the Belfast, Harland and Wolff shipyards and has also recently acquired the Appledore shipyards, which had closed after participating in the aircraft carrier program. Meanwhile, various pressure groups are trying to ensure that future ships are considered warships and therefore built on national territory. It is not ruled out that this point of view will finally prevail, since it is a policy that would make a lot of sense both with respect to what Brexit promised and in relation to Prime Minister Johnson's ideas about the national shipbuilding policy. While the issue is being resolved, the Ministry of Defense, as a party very interested in the cost of the program, has resisted ever, even unofficially, defining the FSS as warships, since it wants the cheapest option and apparently that It involves being built in alliance with foreign designers with extensive experience, such as Navantia.

Unfortunately for Spanish interests, recently from the British Ministry of Defense a series of high-ranking officials have begun to define the FSS as warships in different press conferences. This fact could be interpreted as a warning of what is to come and that is that the unions, still very powerful in heavy industry, are also exerting great pressure for the project to be one hundred percent British. In any case, the process of awarding the construction contract will not be relaunched again until spring 2021, so we have to wait and play our cards right.

Fleet solid support ships – an important part of the naval logistics chain | Save the Royal Navy
The team formed by Navantia, BMT Team and Infrastata has offered the image design for the FSS program. Source – Navantia.
Bay class LSD Landing Ship Dock Amphibious Royal Navy Fleet Auxiliary
The auxiliary fleet operates three LPDHs of the class Bay. Source – Seaforces.org

Author

  • Alejandro A. Vilches Alarcón

    Technical naval engineer from the University of Cadiz. In addition to his professional facet, which has led him to work in shipyards in Spain, France and the United Kingdom, he adds his passion for History. He is author of dozens of articles in national and international media and four books on Soviet submarines and submarine warfare.

3 Comments

    • Complete and well documented article. On the topic of Acrotiri and Dhekelia you can find something in one of the installments of the IEEE project "The geopolitics of military bases", more specifically one that Mario Gallego wrote in 2018.

  1. The truth is that, at least as far as I know, they are not very important to the Royal Navy and are very important to the RAF and the British Army. The nearest port facility is Limassol, but it is outside the British Sovereignty Zone. Furthermore, right now the situation of Acrotiri and Dhekelia is up in the air due to Brexit, experiencing something similar to what is happening with Gibraltar.

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