An HCDC report said the RN is taking too long to fix major issues with vessels, noting the significant schedule delays affecting the Type 45 destroyer Power Improvement Project. (Crown Copyright)
A UK parliamentary committee has warned that the Royal Navy (RN) will carry “significant risk” for the next decade because of delays to major procurements and the poor availability of existing warships.
Published on 14 December, the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC) report, titled ‘We're going to need a bigger Navy', has called for a substantial increase in ship and submarine numbers. It also highlights the navy's lack of offensive punch and has called into question the RN's ability to deliver against the ambition set out by the government in its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
Written following the HCDC's inquiry, ‘The Navy: purpose and procurement', the report recognises that the RN is being asked to take on increasing global responsibilities at a time when the security environment is becoming more unstable. “However, despite these threats, spending on the navy and rest of defence has been capped,” said the committee. “Increased defence spending is required to address the numerous issues identified with the navy's current and future capabilities in this report.
“Funding is urgently needed to plug the delays and gaps the navy faces in key capabilities in the next decade.”
The report praises the RN's recent successes, most notably the commissioning of the two aircraft carriers and the 2021 carrier strike group deployment to the Indo-Pacific. However, the committee raises serious concerns about the navy's ability to deliver on its transformation agenda, and argues that the fleet is “too small and too specialised” to fulfil the full ambition of the Integrated Review.
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