Future of the Royal Navy

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Future planning of the Royal Navy's capabilities is set through periodic Defence Reviews carried out by the British Government.

In July 2024, the newly elected Labour Government launched a Strategic Defence Review that is to be released in the first half of 2025. Defence Secretary John Healey is to oversee the review.[1]

The National Audit Office (NAO) has, for a considerable period of time, described the Ministry of Defence's equipment plan as "unaffordable".[2] As late as January 2021 the NAO reported that the Royal Navy had the largest shortfall of the three services at £4.3 billion over the 2020 to 2030 period.[3] To address some of these gaps, in November 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first outcome of the defence review by pledging increased funding in the range of £16.5 billion over four years to stabilise the defence budget and to provide new funding for space, cyber and research activities. A plan to construct a new class of frigate, the Type 32 frigate, was also announced with five vessels envisaged and likely entering service starting in the early 2030s, though many other details about the program were undecided, even following publication of the March 2021 defence white paper.[4] The previous government planned to increase the Royal Navy's fleet to 24 frigates and destroyers, perhaps achieving that objective by the mid-2030s.[5]

In March 2023, a further £5 billion in funding was announced as part of a defence policy "refresh" exercise to "help replenish and bolster vital ammunition stocks, modernise the UK's nuclear enterprise and fund the next phase of the AUKUS submarine programme".[6] However, in December 2023 the NAO again described the MoD's defence plan for 2023-2033 as "unaffordable" and some £16.9 billion over budget. Forecast costs for the Navy were reported to have risen by £16.4 billion (or 41%). Spending decisions were expected to be made during the next spending review in 2024, at which point more funding might be allocated or other decisions taken.[7] In April 2024, Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP (or £81 billion) by 2030. The Labour Party pledged to raise defence spending to the same level.[8]

As of February 2023, the following major vessels are under construction: the final two of seven Astute-class submarines; the first three of four Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarines, the first four[9] of eight Type 26 frigates; and three of the five Type 31 frigates. Additional replenishment vessels were on order for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

  1. ^ "New era for defence: government launches root and branch review of UK Armed Forces". Ministry of Defence. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ "UK MoD is wasting billions of dollars in taxpayers money, according to Labour dossier". www.defenceprocurementinternational.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ^ Allison, George (12 January 2021). "UK defence equipment plan 'remains unaffordable'". UK Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  4. ^ Chuter, Andrew (19 November 2020). "UK to boost defense budget by $21.9 billion. Here's who benefits — and loses out". Defense News.
  5. ^ "When will the Royal Navy have 24 frigates and destroyers?". Navy Lookout. 17 March 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  6. ^ "PM announces major defence investment in launch of Integrated Review Refresh". Gov.UK. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  7. ^ "The Equipment Plan 2023 to 2033". National Audit Office. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  8. ^ Seddon, Paul; Beale, Jonathan (23 April 2024). "Rishi Sunak vows to boost UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Construction begins on Royal Navy's fourth Type 26 frigate - HMS Birmingham". www.baesystems.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2021.