As the holiday season begins, the Royal Navy remains prepared to respond to global and national challenges, with 21 Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels deployed or on short notice to respond if required, according to a press release from the Royal Navy.
While ships such as HMS Portland and HMS Iron Duke have returned home for Christmas after demanding deployments, the Royal Navy emphasises its continuous operational readiness.
These 21 vessels include a mix of surface ships, submarines, and auxiliary support ships, ensuring a robust presence in key areas and readiness to protect UK interests over the festive period.
The fleet’s flexibility ensures it can respond to a wide range of scenarios, from maritime security operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Royal Navy’s operational readiness over the festive period highlights its year-round dedication to maintaining national defence and supporting allied commitments, regardless of the season.
We recently reported that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), which provides essential logistical support for the Royal Navy, is currently operating with only one active tanker, RFA Tidesurge.
Other tankers are temporarily sidelined due to routine maintenance and staffing challenges.
While this situation may appear concerning at first glance, the Ministry of Defence has reassured that current operations remain unaffected. A Royal Navy spokesperson said:
“The Royal Fleet Auxiliary provides crucial support to the delivery of Royal Navy operations around the world, and we continue to meet all of our global commitments.
The numbers of available ships fluctuate due to routine maintenance commitments; these are factored into the operational requirements of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which are kept under constant review to ensure we meet our commitments for current and future operations.”
However, ongoing industrial action by RFA personnel since August 2024 has added complexity. Strikes over pay disputes, with workers citing a real-terms pay reduction of up to 36% over the past decade, have limited the ability of some ships to operate.
The reduction in tanker availability, while relatively fine for the reduced taskings at this time of year, also highlights longer-term challenges for the RFA, including recruitment and retention issues that mirror broader trends across the Royal Navy. Addressing these underlying concerns will be key to ensuring the RFA remains capable of supporting the Royal Navy’s global commitments.
Despite the immediate challenges, we understand that plans are already in place to bring additional tankers online in the New Year as and when required. These efforts suggest the situation, while not ideal, is being actively managed.
They key is not 21 vessels but the mix of those vessels.. In my old ED I could tell you I had 21 staff on shift, but if those 21 staff were healthcare assistance you it would not be a functioning ED, you would need a mix of consultant, staff grade, F2, very Senior nurse to run it, senior nurses, staff nurses, plaster techs, radiographers, care assistants etc…
So what is the mix, do they have ASW frigates, AAW destroyers, an amphibious vessel, patrol vessels, mine warfare, SSN, ect… they don’t need to tell the numbers for operational security. But they should give assurance all types of core ship are available. In the end the MOD is ultimately accountable to the electorate via political process.
Nice points. It’s like they want to overwhelm us with numbers rather than facts. I’m willing to be Russia has more ships within 250 miles of Britain than we have in operational service.
Err. No, they won’t.
19 Archers probably.
One Bomber, 1 x Falklands 1 x Gib. The river in the far east, sweeper in the Gulf. Frigate in the gulf. That’s at first glance.
21 vessels on standby? Really? I didn’t think we had 21 vessels in active service let alone on standby……..I would love to see a list of said vessels…..
So the Royal Navy can currently put 21 vessels to sea on short notice but I keep reading on here that we are completely defenceless and have no navy. 🤔
21 ships deployed or on short notice if required! Numbers mean nothing by themselves. Would the Royal Navy have sufficiently trained crew to operate 21 shops at the same time. Many of us have read articles written by senior former military staff that disclose Britain’s military is seriously short of top notch fighting equipment and personnel. It’s all very well having lots of high ranking well paid staff but when push comes to shove equipment and personnel numbers count. Each year we now have more people leaving the armed services than are recruited. What does this suggest?
Apologies for some typos. I don’t seem to be able to correct them
Wer wouldn’t have a personnel shortage if we were still allowed to be proud if being British and our forces had prioritised the employment of people who want to join, rather than chasing people who don’t want to apply so they can make up the numbers. The armed forces are currently appealing to exactly the people who will never put their lives on the line for Britain, let alone for other people.
Yes motivated patriots, resilient ones at that. Those wanting to be part of something that has value and respect.
Yes they have crews
21 ??? How long to get some of these out to state of readiness ? How many pathetic little patrol boats which don’t even routinely carry even a GPMG are included in this stretched truth !!!!
Is that including rowing boats and toy boats floating in the admirals baths?
21 on standby, perhaps someone would care to explain why two Russian Warshios were allowed to sail unescorted through the English Channel? Which vessel was supposed to be on escort duty?
Which Warships and when did they sail through the English Channel ?.
Reportedly a frigate and a Ropucha-class landing ship. December 17th. You know what the Russians are like, so even the landing ships can have a 76mm main gun along with two 30mms, SAMs, etc.
Unless we are planning to replace the Archer class in the next few years, perhaps we need to update them to take the larger engine and 20mm gun they were originally designed for.
Given this statement, perhaps the RN would care to explain why two Russian Warshios were allowed to sail unescorted through the English Channel? Which vessel was supposed to be on escort duty?
Were they escorted “underwater”?
Thanks, I’d missed that titbit.
We normally have a Type 23 assigned to home waters/escort duty At one time it was HMS Somerset. The idea is to demonstrate a physical RN presence, I believe it was queried and it was said the were insufficient assets available…..
Yes of course we have , HMS warrior, victory , Carlisle , Belfast …..
Yes it seems that Russia undertook its right to transit the English Channel and did not have a RN escort, that’s a pretty bad laps of capability as it’s not exactly a high end job do something as fundamental as escorting a non Allied nations ( read enemy) warships through your straits..sends a real message that does.
The reality is this reflects the collapse of the RNs major surface combatant fleet and the fact it’s been propped up by patrol ships that should be closer to home doing patrol stuff..like escorting enemy surface combatants.