Decline of Royal Navy
The UK Royal Navy which has been celebrated as the world’s strongest maritime force for several generations has been in a state of constant decline for the past twenty years. The major reasons for this substantial decline have been counted as, inflated cost of defense equipment, lack of proper strategic decisions, and irregularities in the recruitment process.
The Navy has turned into a minuscule version of its prior self due to these operational adversities. It has to struggle hard to meet the given challenges and the long-term operational commitments that are related to regions in and around the Middle East.
Elimination of the frigate force
The type 23 anti-submarine is said to be the spine of the Royal navy. This submarine is equipped with array sonars committed to the purpose of keeping track of Chinese and Russian submarines.
As a part of the then-labor government’s post-Cold War policy to dispose of high-value defense assets aimed at freeing up funding for other social welfare projects, three of such sixteen warships commissioned between 1989 and 2002 were sold off to Chile.
The reasons behind the constant wear and tear of inventory of type 23 are age and hard usage. There are a few that desperately need an overhauling but they are beyond economic repair.
It has been estimated that only seven will be serviceable by 2026 as per the latest predictions. It is quite obvious that the RN won’t be able to stick to its future commitments as not more than three or four will be available for deployment.
As of now, many operations are being carried out by lightly armed river-class patrol ships, support ships the RN’s paramilitary support fleet, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
Problem-plagued destroyers
The most potent type of air defense destroyer of the Royal Navy vessels is type 45 and one of the most outstandingly performing vessels of the same class is Diamond which played a crucial role in defending merchant shipping in the Red Sea from the drone and missile attacks. However, due to a perpetual need for funding and other specified conditions, only six out of the twelve planned could actually be constructed.
These ships have been subjected to immense problems in the generator and the propulsion which demands high overhauling expenses and repair work. Generally, only one of the classes has been operational at a time, although currently two are operational as of now.
Platform shortage hinders deployment.
The Royal Navy’s amphibious warfare vessels are lying unused due to unavailability of crew.
Both the aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy are massive and robust vessels but they have remained poorly managed and lack proper servicing and overhauling. Both have gone through remedial servicing in the last two years. One of them is Prince of Wales which is all set to execute an Indo-Pacific deployment in 2025. The second one, UK Royal Air Force F-35 Lightning fighter bombers have also been subjected to a similar deployment.
It still remains unclear whether both will be able to pass the upcoming defense review as they are likely to be potential targets for the unfolding counters.
The bigger challenge has been, finding sufficient escorts for the Indo-Pacific navy. To meet this challenge, the unwavering ally of the UK, Norway has come up with support in the form of a vessel as a protective screen for a single Royal Navy frigate.
Conclusion
The Royal Navy which was once the pride of the UK and supposedly the most robust Navy all across the world has been subjected to perpetual downfall due to the sheer negligence of the UK’s recent civil and military leaders. To its utter shame, the Royal Navy has now subsided to a dreadful state. Although some remedial action has been taken, it does not really seem to bear fruitful results. There are some projects in the pipeline, including the building of two new tranches of new frigates but it might take as many as three years to show any improvements. The Royal Navy is also raising funds and trying to cope with the shortages in the crew.
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