A Tory Baroness has argued for the Government to provide the Royal Navy with more frigates as hull numbers could drop down to seven as vessels leave service.
This comes as analysis from expert commentator NavyLookout reveals that the frigate fleet could drop to its lowest ever level in modern times.
Baroness Neville-Jones said:
“The UK has a strong interest in holding the western alliance together. Over the years we have put a lot of eggs in that basket, and a close relationship with the US, as part of the wider Atlantic community, is part of the fabric of our own polity. No longer being in the EU means we are simultaneously less influential and more vulnerable to the effects of transatlantic disagreement and breaches of trust. My conclusion is that devoting resources to diplomacy in Washington is top of the list of priorities, since failure of the alliance will not just destroy our ability to deal with all the other wider threats that we confront in the Middle East and China; we will face the likelihood of a wider war in our continent.
Secondly, I turn to China. The integrated review recognised the challenge that China poses militarily, politically and economically, and the Conservative Government made an important and constructive move in AUKUS, which helps join the Atlantic and Pacific worlds and increases the credibility of a European contribution to the political and military scene in the Asia-Pacific. I belong to those who believe that we should try to contribute to that part of the world. I hope that, in conducting the defence review, the noble Lord, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, in whom I have great confidence, is able to build on AUKUS. There is no doubt that, to keep the Americans with us, Europeans must spend more on defence, especially on the security of our own continent. I am not suggesting that the Indo-Pacific has any real priority. We cannot credibly ask the Americans to take our security more seriously than we do.
I think it is time for the UK to respond to the global balance of power by giving the Royal Navy a greater role in, and a greater reach of, our defence diplomacy—more ships, in the words of the noble Lord, Lord West, particularly frigates. It is also time that we had a China strategy that joins up our political, economic and military objectives. It is something that we do not have and badly need. I do not believe in keeping countries guessing; that is dangerous. We did not keep the Russians guessing about our terms during the Cold War and we should not do so with the Chinese. We need to say what we mean to them.”
Later in the discussion, Lord Coaker, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, stated:
“I thank my noble friend for his important question. Whether it is aircraft carriers and planes, the number of soldiers, technology or other capabilities, you have to have the capability you need to meet the threat that you face. My noble friend is right to point that out.
That is the fundamental principle that underlies the review of the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, and why he will be working closely with others. I say to all noble Lords that it is an open review and anyone is welcome to contribute to it.”
For more on frigate numbers, let us direct you to the wonderful NavyLookout’s article on Britain’s future frigate numbers.
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If only the party this Baroness is a member of was in power in recent times and could have accelerated the Type 26s procurement…
That’s the thing isn’t ‘Government should do this’ ‘So why didn’t you?’
Let’s not forget the Type 32 – what ever happened to that?
Boris who actually seemed to care about the UK and the military was hounded out of office. Wasn’t it £16b extra over 4 years he said he was going to put in
She’s right. I wonder why they didn’t do anything but cut out armed forces during their 14- years in power?
Please could someone ask the Baroness that?
Should have ordered more type 26s and not cut the order from 13 to 8. Should have placed an order for another batch of 5 type 31s before they left office.
Instead it’s all missed opportunity, incompetence and then pointing the finger of blame at Labour, who have only just come into power and have to sort out the dogs dinner of a mess the Tories bequeathed them
I can only agree with other posters.
The last government dallied so long the Frigate fleet is falling apart.
No one to blame but themselves.
Labour cut 3 T23s and all the remaining T22 B2s before 2010 as well, so they are also guilty.
But on replacements, she has to look at her own party.
I agree Daniele – both parties are cut from the same cloth when it comes to defence. There is no daylight between them. It will be interesting to see what the outcome of the SDR next year will be (even though we just had a refresh of the last review in Mar-23). Lord Robertson is someone I respect and I hope HMG truly takes onboard the SDR findings and recommendations and don’t do what HMG always does and simply sweep it under the carpet (remember the National Shipbuilding Strategy Report a few years back – how has that been working… Read more »
Did her time in government pass her by ? Goes to show how much she knows when she references Mr West, the most enthusiastic cheerleader of RN surface fleet cutbacks when he was in charge. Idiots.
8 x T26, 8 x GP Frigates T31/32 mix and 8 x T45 successor destroyers. I think a maximum of 24 escorts is all that we could ever hope for but even this would likely be decades in the making.
So bloody obvious. So why didn’t her party do anything about it during the last 14 years?
Wonderful – Stating the b——-g obvious as over the past 50 years all the Navy has seen is Cut Cut Cut no matter the Government of the day. We have now run out of capability, surface ships being just one. I suggest we get rid of the Lords and Commons and spend their wages on rebuilding the country including our defence!!!!!
What’s the point in building new warships when the can’t crew the ones already in service.
Umh…yes. Where were you?
I don’t think we should afford more ships… Australia and USA should worry about China…sell/give one of our carriers and some frigates destroyers to Australia..think more about air defence systems and submarine countermeasures for our own defence
Went didn’t you highlight this when your buddies were cutting everything to the bone then?
Pretty certain not being in the EU is of no relevance considering the EU has only one Aircraft carrier.
With AUKUS could we not design a joint future destroyer like we have done with AUKUS subs? Because the Burke, Hobart and T45s are getting on. Would be good to have an expanded destroyer fleet at economies of scale.
I am increasingly doubtful that surface escorts are worth the huge sums spent on them. They have little offensive capacity. If you want seaborne AAW build an arsenal ship. If you want surface ship ASW build simple submarine chasers.
Surface warships are now too vulnerable to PGMs that will only get more capable over time.
Far better to spend the money on submarines, which with AUKUS, we appear to be doing.