The latest fleet status update, gathered by Open Source Intelligence analyst and renowned UK naval commentator Britsky (@TBrit90), provides an overview of the Royal Navy’s major surface combatants.
This data details current operational deployments, maintenance periods, and long-term refits.
Out of 19 major surface combatants, 6 are currently operational. Including ships in maintenance, the number of ships that could realistically be ready to sail at reasonable notice increases to 9, reflecting ongoing efforts to maintain fleet readiness.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is undergoing significant repairs in Rosyth. Her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, is in Portsmouth for maintenance. Both carriers are expected to return to full operational status after completing their scheduled upkeep.
In the amphibious fleet, HMS Albion remains inactive in Devonport, while HMS Bulwark is undergoing an extensive refit.
The fleet of Type 45 destroyers presents a varied status. HMS Daring and HMS Dragon are in Portsmouth for long-term refits. Meanwhile, HMS Dauntless is active and preparing for future operations. HMS Diamond is currently heading home from Operation Prosperity Guardian, and HMS Duncan is deploying to the Red Sea. HMS Defender is also in Portsmouth, undergoing a refit.
Among the Type 23 frigates, HMS Lancaster is deployed in Bahrain for Operation Kipion. HMS Iron Duke is active and conducting workup activities in Belfast. HMS Northumberland, HMS Kent, and HMS Portland are all in Devonport for refits and maintenance. HMS Richmond is engaged in TAPS duty in Faslane, while HMS Somerset is under repair, and HMS Sutherland is undergoing a refit in Devonport. HMS St Albans is in a post-trials maintenance phase, preparing for future missions.
Royal Navy major combatants status. 29th June. pic.twitter.com/hcnmBwRIUV
— Britsky (@TBrit90) June 29, 2024
Summary of Status Colours
The fleet’s status is colour-coded to indicate the nature of each ship’s current state:
- Light Green: Deployed or engaged in operational duties.
- Green: Active and involved in workup, training, or local activities.
- Yellow: Short-term unavailable due to maintenance periods.
- Red: Longer-term unavailable, typically due to refits or extensive repairs.
Currently, approximately 32 per cent of the Royal Navy’s 19 major surface combatants are active or immediately deployable. When ships in ‘Yellow’ status (short-term unavailable due to maintenance periods) are included, the percentage increases to around 47 percent.
This broader inclusion reflects a more optimistic readiness level, assuming that maintenance periods are relatively short and the ships will soon be available for deployment.
Explanation of the Percentages
The calculation of these percentages is based on the current status of the Royal Navy’s 19 major surface combatants, excluding submarines. Out of the total fleet, only those ships categorised as either ‘Light Green’ (deployed or engaged in operational duties) or ‘Green’ (active and involved in workup, training, or local activities) are considered active or immediately deployable.
This accounts for approximately 32 percent of the fleet. When ships in ‘Yellow’ status (short-term unavailable due to maintenance periods) are included, the percentage increases to around 47 percent.
This broader inclusion reflects a more optimistic readiness level, assuming that maintenance periods are relatively short and the ships will soon be available for deployment. This distinction is crucial for understanding the operational readiness and overall capacity of the Royal Navy to respond to immediate threats or engage in planned operations.
While the current numbers indicate a portion of the fleet in maintenance, several ships could potentially be ready to sail on short notice. These include:
- HMS Prince of Wales: Currently in maintenance in Portsmouth, expected to return to operational status soon.
- HMS Portland: Undergoing maintenance in Devonport, could be ready for deployment once maintenance is completed.
- HMS St Albans: In a post-trials maintenance phase in Devonport, likely to be operational in the near future.
These ships, while not immediately deployable, are in relatively short-term maintenance periods and could be brought to operational status with reasonable notice.
This provides a somewhat more optimistic view of the Royal Navy’s capacity to respond to emergent situations.
This article is not intended to explain the why, how, or rationale for various levels of availability.
A special word of gratitude again goes to Britsky (@TBrit90) for his diligent efforts in gathering this information, providing our readers with an insightful glimpse into the state of the Royal Navy.
Would be good to see suppoer elements (RFA) included in the list.
So we can feel really depressed – rather than just depressed 😢
Yes, it would make sense to see the LPDs, Argus and the Bays as a group which will in whole or part migrate to MRSS.
If you just go onto Twitter X and follow Britsky he updates this frequently and lots of interesting stuff as well.
Aren’t Kent and Northumberland out for long-term refit, so why lump them with Portland rather than Sutherland?
Our only active ASW frigate is Richmond. With Portland in maintenance and Somerset seemingly in constant repair (it’s depressing that this ship isn’t marked as in service), we’ll have to wait until St Albans returns to full time service (soon we expect) and Sutherland (maybe at the end of this year) to have any level of robustness in ASW capability. Sending two ASW frigates on CSG 25 must leave us with at least two others in the UK out of repair or long term refit. I don’t know what deal the Navy got for allowing the sale of Argyll with no fuss, but I hope it included throwing some hefty resource at Somerset.
The vessels seem to be listed by age of the vessel in each category, starting with oldest vessel in each category. E.g Hms Lancaster is now oldest frigate listed at top of category.
So still No sign of Daring going back to sea soon, after 5 years of refit and PIP?
5 years, sure about that?
Edit: apologies , i see that it says 84 months in refit… i don’t think it is some technical issues, maybe lack of crews make the upgrade be so slow? still seems odd.
Gosh, time has passed me by here! She had been laid up for a few years before refit started.
Towed to Birkenhead for PIP in 2021.
Laid up pending refit 2017 till 2020, then spent a year in Portsmouth (presumably being stripped of kit to be refitted, replaced or modernised). Then towed up to CL for PIP in June 2021 and back to Portsmouth Dec 2022 where she is being refitted to renter service this year.
So 7 years out of the 14 she has been in service she has been non operational !
I don’t think that’s very good 🤔
Yes, very underused vessel!
So the RN could double crew her, like they do with SSNs, to maximise use over the next several years?
🤣 thanks I needed a laugh !
It will mean that when T83 is delayed by a decade, they will be able to throw away a fortune to lifex the T45s well into their 30s
Agreed its not good. Maybe we should have at least 30 Escorts to cover for refits and more.
Only 1 out of 6 submarines currently active/deployed. What is typical for a submarine fleet?
Having fully functional maintenance facilities, which the UK does not atm.
1 active/deployed for every 3 hulls is fairly typical for any platform. 2nd one either returning from or preparing for operations and the 3rd in maintenance/refit/training. deploying 2 out of 3 at once is a stretch because it implies training/maintenance is being deferred.
About 7bn spent on Astutes, and the only sub at sea is – Triumph
Shocking state the RN is in.
You can see why the RN is currently very interested in upgrading it’s submarine maintenance capability.
I wish they could do so a lot quicker though.
Just for once the purse strings aren’t an issue, massive amount of work being done at Devonport, Rosyth and HMNB Clyde. Anyone would think they know they will have support RAN boats as well 😉
And people laugh at the Russians…
What os going on with HMS Daring? She should have completed her PIP refit and be back in service by now? Dauntless was also out service for a good while longer than expected, are they having major issues with PIP?
“She should have completed her PIP refit and be back in service by now?”
Towed back from Birkenhead at beginning of last year. Certainly should be by now! I am also in the dark of what’s going on there?
Knowing the ministry of cuts I think They,re planning to sold/withdraw It.
So three destoyers and three frigates. Twelve ships long term unavaiable. Just as well we have the Americans and Japanese. 😥
And just as well we have the batch 2 Rivers
⛵😏
Yeah like they’re well armed and formidable fighting ships 🙄
Well, they might not be as heavily armed as the Imperial Cruisers but right now they are representing the RN, and therefore the UK, on a daily basis. They are a world-wide diplomatic presence, provide practical humanitarian assistance, reassurance and are building trusting relationships. They are a bargain.
Unfortunately they are not a deterrent to help prevent a shooting war and if there is a shooting war they will not help win it.
Well, I would argue that their presence makes people think twice and consider consequences before they go off half cocked.
You need ships like that to pick up survivors in BGs and Convoys. We dont have any tugs like Ivan.
And the Gosport Ferry.
🙂Fleet of 3 ships. That’s MRSS sorted.
7 out of 25 (28%) actually on active duty
It’s not very good reading to see so few of these expensive ships on active duty . What is going on with daring , it can’t possibly take that long to refit a ship . It could have been dismantled and rebuilt in less time . What it does highlight is just how small the RN now is and the need for an increase in the fleet size across all types including subs
Just a question but in the status box it has the length of time the ship has been in for refit or maintenance but what does 2B, 14W or 7D mean ?
Anyone know ?
Stab in the dark mate, but might be 2Basin, 14Wharf and 7Dock! Like I say , just a guess.
Cheers that makes sense. Next time I see his post on X I’ll ask him and report back 😉
Whilst there is no such thing as a simple warship, does the high rate of deployability of the River 2 OPVs suggest that choosing relatively simple propulsion systems might improve overall fleet availability? The T31s, also with diesel propulsion, are planned to undertake long and distant operations. Obviously a significant reason for the low availability of the T23 is also their age and condition. T45 taking years for pip to correct a complex system.
For future ships of any type, opting for simpler, less maintenance heavy designs should be a priority. RN has used the phrase “non complex warships” about future MRSS and mine warfare motherships. Have lessons been learned?
There is no avoiding heavy complex designs, if they provide the capability, that is needed by a nations navy, such as AAW, BMD and ASW. Yes use simpler vessels for general purpose patrol.
Any idea what RN top brass mean by a” non complex warship”? Is it just a buzz phrase to avoid frightening the Treasury?
‘Non complex’ is what a ship needs to be in order to be built in S. Korea. Then you sail it back to the UK to fit the military systems and armament. Its politicians playing Tommy Cooper…not like that, like that.
I think it has a lot to do with them being an enlarged and more capable version of the River 1’s. They were a really odd bit of MOD procurement and I always think a really excellent solution. Instead of the normal order / buy they leased them on a £60 million lease from their designers / builders Vospers, part of the KUR was a minimum availability of 300 days pa.
And as Vospers were responsible for maintenance / refit and penalties they designed them accordingly.
BAe bought our Vospers as part of the industry merger for T45 and they built on that sound foundation for the Batch 2.
I just wish they could have gone a step further with what was called the C3 Global Corvette.
Didn’t C3 turn into the Black Swan Sloop-of-War? Interesting idea, but compromised in too many of the wrong places, like survivability, crew number and “submarine” accommodation.
I think it was more to do with the C1 (T26) got a bit expensive and ate the budget.
When it comes to propulsion systems simpler might not provide the resilience to faults which is what is actually required.
The best solution might be diesel engines generating electricity with electric drives with a built in power reserve. Say 6 engines with only four required for full speed so that should an engine or even two fail the ships operational capabilities are not compromised. Might need a couple of smaller generators for use in some ports but all UK ports ought to have shore supplies so there is no need to run generators in port and therefore extend time between maintenance activities.
Yes a marine diesel is a very simple and reliable propulsion system…it’s shite for doing anything other than a slow economical plod.
AAWs need diesels for the plod and power generation connected to gas turbines ( jet engines) for high speed dash to get them down the threat axis.
ASW need diesels for the plod, gas turbines to dash into place against a manoeuvring SSN and electric motors for low speed very quite crawling…
that means that complex warships need to have power and propulsion systems with 6-8 different engines and generators all linked into a complex gearbox arrangement.
For a Comparison at Jutland we had only HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMAS Australia of the Capital Ships in refit. Makes you wonder.
Ok to get this in perspective we have approx forty five Full, Vice and Rear admirals in the service. For six working ships?
Maybe admirals number should be ,linked to ships numbers.
The RN isn’t just ships though, is it?
Flag officers do the jobs that a major international company would have VPs and CEOs for.
Purple jobs and NATO posts need Admirals.
Heads of branches have admirals…Logs, Fleet Air Arm, WE, ME. Then you can add in the Sea Lords, Fleet HQ Branches.
Don’t panic, as long as we get at least a year’s notice of any war we’ll be alright. It’ll give us time to order some rowing boats to act as stand ins.
Chronic lack of platforms AND crews – the RN needs a new budget that allows for growth in numbers of both personnel and platforms as well as addressing accommodation issues signpost a determination for active retention of sailors.
‘Out of 19 major surface combatants, 6 are currently operational’.
Sounds like the ‘rule of 3’ still has relevance.
What is the Chilean navy doing differently that their ex-RN 23s
are not so worn out as ours?
Almirante Cochrane was HMS Norfolk
Almirante Lynch was HMS Grafton
Almirante Condell was HMS Marlborough
It’s an excellent question, I have also asked this, no answers to date.
Are they actuality spending any time at sea? the youngest ship the Chilean navy have that is classed a major surface combatant is 30 year old. the oldest is nearly 45 years old
Not good enough. Refit, refit, refit. Half the T45s sidelined, only 9 frigates listed. 15 ‘major’ combatants, not 19. It’s a parlous state of affairs but hey, Labour will ‘support’ UK Defence. We’re saved!
Lancaster whilst deployed does FTSPs. That isnt reflected.
It’s just completed time alongside to have the Helo Drone kit fitted and is now sporting some nifty domes port and stbd on the funnel for the command data links. Interesting to note they are a lot smaller than the Scan Eagle domes when that system was in use.
Again, these figures do not tell the whole story. Fleet HQ knows what Notice for Sea each unit is at. NFS can be measured in hours, days or weeks. More importantly it knows the Operational Capability of each unit. OC is the important driver.
For instance if you need a vessel to do SAR at short notice there is no point sending a ship that has a black flightdeck due to paint coming off it and a contaminated helo fuelling system…even if the crew is fully worked up and at 100% crew numbers. But you could send a unit at 60% crewing who are not fully worked up and the vessel has just 3 of 4 engines working if it had a good flight deck and fuel system.
Notice for sea can be shortened with little if any heads up but it can affect OC. I have been on ships that where at 48hrs, we sailed within12 and were putting stuff back together as we went. We also went without several crew who couldn’t get back in time from leave. On one occasion we went North and spent 4 weeks up there at EMCOM red escorting, monitoring, and shadowing a Kirov. This in the days before emails and Paradigm Phones, no snail mail to or from the UK. Nobody family wise knew what we were doing or where we were. You do what you can do with what you have.
The 47% figure is pretty good and with the Navy Transformation works ongoing it will improve. The speeding up of ship builds and refits will help but they are not instantaneous in the results they bring. The old rule of 3 is pretty much dead now. Fwd. basing and crew rotations have negated it. Regarding the upcoming CSG deployment that is planned for years in advance. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Refits and maintenance periods from 3 years ago will be included in the plans. Not just for the units taking part but also the units not deploying who will still need to do the mundane stuff such as TAPS and FRE type duties. Also included will be FAA planning for aircraft availability. What will be causing a headache will be the RFA issues that will have been giving Fleet Planners kittens!
Good news on Peregrine. We should get a year’s operations, maybe more, before Lancaster returns to the UK. I wish they’d fit the same kit to Iron Duke ready for REPMUS. That would make swap over next year less painful
With reports of storms hitting the Caribbean, any news as to whether we’ll be sending a hurricane relief ship to the West Indies this year?
From the point of view of availability of the escorts the RN have ( and we should have 32) they seem to have got over the refit hump..T45 availability is improved and the T23s we have left are pretty much now through Lifex. I suppose the next big thing to manage in will be the T45 lethality improvement work.
A big worry is the SSNs, they have got to get that sorted out.
Only 32% of surface fleet at immediate readiness and no Aircraft Carrier currently available. Not a good position to be in!
Just a look from the outside. Does the navy have a navy anymore?
These operational figures are appalling whoever in the MOD and Admiral in charge of fleet operations should hang their heads in shame. The RN is a complete joke.