The Ministry of Defence has published a ten year record of Royal Navy deployments to the Middle East, offering a picture of how the UK presence in the region has fluctuated.
The figures were released after Conservative MP Richard Holden asked for annual deployment totals and an assessment of whether the current presence is adequate amid sustained regional instability.
Defence minister Al Carns provided the data but withheld vessel types on security grounds. The numbers show a high of 18 vessels in 2021 followed by a sharp reduction.
Royal Navy ship deployments to the Middle East
| Year | Number of vessels |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 17 |
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 18 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 8 |
Carns said deployments vary due to operational requirements, humanitarian tasks, evacuation operations and ships transiting the region en route to other theatres.
He added that “the Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard the UK’s national security interests and operational requirements” and that the UK “remains committed to working with our partners across the region.”
The answer did not address whether ministers consider the present level of eight vessels sufficient, despite ongoing concerns about Houthi activity in the Red Sea, Iranian proxy threats and periodic spikes in maritime risk across the wider Gulf.
Off-course we were fighting three wars in the Middle East and the Atlantic and pacific were very quiet.
Sorry four wars Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.
Not surprising when the RN has been reduced to a shadow of it’s former self. Now down to 7 active frigates and 6 destroyers which is a pitifully low force level and inadequate to meet NATO and UK EEZ protection duties.