The Ministry of Defence has provided an update on the planned out of service dates for Royal Navy ships, following a written question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty.
The response from Maria Eagle, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, clarified that while specific dates for individual ships are not released for operational security reasons, the Navy does provide dates by class.
According to Eagle, the Royal Navy constantly reviews the out of service dates to ensure maximum availability for operational tasking. This approach allows flexibility in managing the fleet’s readiness while maintaining security.
“For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out of service dates of individual platforms,” stated the Minister.
Dates by Ship Class
The following list details the planned out of service dates for various classes of Royal Navy ships:
- Queen Elizabeth Class (Aircraft Carriers): 2069
- Albion Class (Amphibious Assault Ships): 2025
- Daring Class (Type 45 Destroyers): 2038
- Duke Class (Type 23 Frigates): 2035
- Wave Class (Tanker Ships): 2025
- Tide Class (Fleet Tankers): 2040
- Bay Class (Landing Ship Dock): 2034
- Fort Class (Replenishment Ships): 2028
- Hunt Class (Mine Countermeasure Vessels): 2031
- Sandown Class (Mine Countermeasure Vessels): 2025
- River Class (Offshore Patrol Vessels):
- Batch 1: 2028
- Batch 2: 2040
The future
The Royal Navy is currently undergoing a comprehensive modernisation programme, with several advanced warships and submarines in various stages of construction and planning. The Type 26 frigates, also known as the Global Combat Ships, are designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and multi-mission operations. Eight ships are planned, with the first vessel, HMS Glasgow, already launched. Subsequent ships, including HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, are under construction. These frigates feature a stealth design, vertical launch missile systems, and a mission bay for modular payloads, along with hangars to accommodate helicopters and drones.
The Type 31 frigates, also known as the Inspiration class, are intended for general-purpose missions and global deployment. Five of these vessels are being constructed at the Rosyth shipyard, with entry into service expected to begin in 2027.
The Royal Navy is also developing future surface combatants, including the conceptual Type 32 frigates and the Type 83 destroyers. The Type 32 frigates are being designed to support autonomous systems and protect territorial waters, with an emphasis on modularity. These ships are currently in the concept phase. The Type 83 destroyers are intended to succeed the Type 45 class, focusing on advanced air-defence capabilities, including potential ballistic missile defence. These destroyers are in the design and development phase, with an anticipated service entry in the late 2030s.
In addition to surface combatants, the Royal Navy is expanding its support and amphibious capabilities. The Multi-Role Strike Ships (MRSS) will provide amphibious warfare, humanitarian assistance, and logistics support. Up to six ships are planned, with the program currently approved and procurement processes underway.
The Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships are designed to resupply naval vessels with ammunition, food, and other supplies at sea, particularly in support of carrier strike groups. Three ships are planned, with construction expected to begin in 2025 and the first ship anticipated to enter service by 2031.
Type 45 is only 3 years after the Type 23. I would have though the Type 45 would last a bit longer.
I think they are being hopelessly optimistic about 23s lasting that long – Jonathan wrote an excellent reply the other day as to why it was BS.
Announcement in 2060s: “Carrier lives will be extended to 2080” (due to them not having started the procurement process for whatever replacements we will need in those days)
Depressing to see all the 2025 dates – particularly given current world events.
2038 for the Daring Class (Type 45 Destroyers) is crazy. There is no chance that more than one T83 will be in service by then. Another big capability gap looming.
De facto confirmation that the last Sandown, Bangor, will decommission this year. That will leave the 9th Mine Countermeasures Squadron in Bahrain with just one MCMV left – Middleton. With no prospect of any reinforcements, that is surely the end of the line for the squadron.
Finally, we are running out of time to replace the three River B1s by 2028. SDR2025 (what a wonderful and far sighted document that it going to be, the three lead reviewers having in just 11 months considered in-depth every single defence and security the problems that the UK faces and identified a solution, all within a budget of just 2.5% of GDP!) will presumably make a firm recommendation and rapidly implementable decision on how this will be done. Most probably this will involve pulling Spey and Tamar back to UK waters and claiming that a third OPV is no longer needed because of AI, UAS and space based surveillance systems.
Yes
Dear me
This class are just starting to be really used after propulsion problems
HMS Daring is still not back in service after how many years – nearly 10?
Fantastic radars Good looking and capable if they were fully armed
Pathetic retiring them so quickly
Is there something we don’t know?
That’s in 13 years, by then they’ll have been in service about 30 years
T45s have barely been used – no doubt be sold to Brazil (even as they cosy up to Putin!) – MoD really is filled with cretins
This is fantastic news, once again the UK leads the World like no other nation.
“Away all boats”.
Honestly you can probably knock 5 years off the T23, HMS Kent is probably the final tester if we hear this year or next year that she is beyond economic refit then essentially the whole class is undoubtedly done by 2030.
In reality 4 out of the last 4 to hit Kent’s stage post lifex got decommissioned if Kent goes the same way that’s five out of five.
I would also expect to see the type T45 to be around a lot longer than 2038, these ships had a designed life of 25 years and in reality have been very very lightly used. When you consider the T23 had a design life of 18 years and some will have been thrashed by the RN for 35+ years, I cannot see the RN getting less than 35 years out of these large well built lightly used hulls.. which means the mid to late 2040s.. one of the other reasons I expect to see this is I think everyone pretty much knows that the RN needed 10 AAW destroyers and dropping to 6 even in peacetime was a risk… now it’s a disaster keeping the T45s running into the mid 2045s would be a low capital cost option to get a lot more RN destroyers in service..as they essentially backstop and support the newer T83.
Out of service date will be brought forward. Ships commissioned delayed. Lack of a credible navy for years again. This is the norm now
My biggest concern at the moment is how many ships do we actually need to launch a year to keep the current navy size (which is very small) compared to what we are launching. If we want a navy of 30 ships and have designed lives of 30 years that’s one a year (on average) – when was the last time we launched a ship for the navy? Prince of Wales maybe other than the astutes?
We need to be launching an escort every 2 years after we make up the short fall, every time that moves to longer we reduce the size of the fleet.