The Royal Navy is experiencing readiness and maintenance shortfalls in its submarine force that is similar to the throughput problems for the US nuclear submarine forces. The logistical tail for exquisite platforms like nuclear submarines is enormous and a first world nation is the only entity capable of deploying these boats. The Royal Navy is not up to the task.
Here is my forecast: the Royal Navy will never be a blue water fleet action war machine again for the remainder of this century (if the UK lasts that long). Especially when you take the one third rule into account for peacetime navies which means that one third are in operational status, one third in maintenance and one third in training.
In wartime, one may see increased deployments but those will be offset by losses.
You will see a complete reassessment of surface navy efficacy in the next generation that will be driven by a demand to completely adapt to new unmanned and hyper-sonic realities that existentially threaten current naval thinking for surface warfare.
This graphic is from 2017 and if any readers have an updated list of RN surface ships, I am obliged if you send it to me. As of 2023, the Royal Navy had 80 vessels, including warships and non-commissioned vessels. 29% are in refit or maintenance or some type of inactive status.
ALL six hunter-killer subs are stuck in port as the Royal Navy has no working docks for repairs (presently).
The nuclear-powered vessels are designed to hunt Russian subs, spy on Britain’s enemies and deliver special forces on secret missions.
But none of the Astute-class subs — the fleet’s newest — have conducted a single operational voyage this year.
HMS Ambush has not sailed for two years.
HMS Audacious has spent 15 months in His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport.
The mess is worse than you think.
HMS Artful has been 14 months at HMNB Clyde, where HMS Astute has been since December.
A ship-lift to crane subs out of the water at Faslane has been out of action for over a year after the firm that made the ropes closed down, and the Navy couldn’t replace them.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29679184/six-british-hunter-killer-subs-stuck-in-port/
Email me at cgpodcast@pm.me.
