Britain’s Royal Navy no longer rules the waves, thanks to ‘pathetically low’ number of ships, MPs warn

The Royal Navy once helped the United Kingdom rule the waves, as the lyrics of Rule Britannia would have it.

But no more, unless the government steps up plans to modernise the country’s struggling fleet, MPs have warned.

According to the defence select committee, the UK already has a “woefully low” number of vessels available and uncertainty remains over plans to replace ageing frigates that are due to be decommissioned by 2035.

The parliamentary committee’s chair, Julian Lewis, said the Ministry of Defence risked leaving the country with fewer than 19 frigates and destroyers, which he said “was already a pathetically low total”. The MPs said that dropping below that number even for a short time would be “completely unacceptable” and leave the UK vulnerable to threats from sources, including Russia and the Middle East, as well as unprepared to deal with conflicts in the South and East China Seas and to meet its Nato obligations.

“The United Kingdom will then lack the maritime strength to deal with the threats we face right now, let alone in the future. We are putting the MoD on notice that it must not let this happen,” said Lewis, announcing the release of the committee’s report on Monday.

In all, 13 frigates are due to leave the service at a rate of one a year between 2023 and 2035. And the MPs said they had “serious concerns” about the funding and timetable of the fleet that will replace them.

They also attacked the MoD for the “extraordinary mistakes” in the design of Type 45 destroyers after it emerged they had faulty engines. The MPs accused the ministry and contractors of a “serious failing” for under-testing the system, which is unable to operate continuously in warm waters, and warned the problems had “potentially dangerous” consequences.