Plans for a new destroyer to replace Britain’s ageing warships have been scrapped as part of changes to the long-awaited defence investment plan aimed at prioritising drones and modernising the military.
The Royal Navy will instead procure at least six so-called “common combat vessels” (CCVs), which will act as command hubs for uncrewed systems, with delivery expected in the 2030s, officials said.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to unveil the blueprint for future-proofing the UK’s armed forces in the coming days as he tries to shore up his legacy before leaving No 10 as soon as July 20.
The new vessels are part of efforts to expand the Navy’s reach and firepower without a “proportional increase” in crew or cost and will work alongside eight Type 26 and five Type 31 crewed frigates, the Ministry of Defence said.
Underwater drones and sensor platforms will also feature heavily after ministers warned of rising Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic near critical undersea cables.
Earlier proposals to replace the Navy’s fleet of six Type 45 destroyers with a new class of guided-missile warship, the Type 83 destroyer, will no longer appear in the defence investment plan (Dip).
The Dip was originally due last year, but has been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military, which prompted former defence secretary John Healey to quit in protest.
His successor Dan Jarvis is understood to have secured some extra money for the plan, taking the settlement to around £14.5 billion – up from the £13.5 billion offered to Mr Healey but short of the £28 billion officials previously said was needed.
Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday morning, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the UK needed to prepare for the potential conflicts of the future rather than “whatever the last war was like” and that the Dip was “days away”.
Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir will press ahead with publishing the document during the transition period before his successor, who is likely to be Andy Burnham, takes office following his resignation.
But the Sunday Times reported the former Greater Manchester mayor, who has been authorised to receive Government briefings from the Civil Service as he prepares for power, had seen and signed off on the blueprint.
Opposition critics have described the suggested £1 billion uplift as a “drop in the ocean” while a former chief of the defence staff said Mr Burnham may need to find more money in the course of this Parliament.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that the next leader would need to operate “almost like a wartime prime minister” in light of global threats.
Mr Burnham, following his victory in the Makerfield by-election earlier this month, said: “A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.”
But Sir Tony told the programme: “As well as having the Makerfield test, I would say it’s the Moscow test.”
He said if there was “not enough” in the Dip, “then it may be that the new prime minister is going to have to find that money as part of the course of this Parliament.”
Defence Secretary Mr Jarvis said: “Our Royal Navy is a formidable force, operating to protect our nation and our allies in the Atlantic and beyond.
“These common combat vessels will provide our dedicated sailors with hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face.
“Developed with exceptional British innovators, the new ships will be British-built, supporting jobs across the nation and giving the Royal Navy a capability built for modern warfare.”
The plans come as First Sea Admiral General Sir Gwyn Jenkins leads efforts to shift towards a new “hybrid Navy” made up of both traditional crewed ships and submarines and autonomous vehicles and AI.
The programme will also “anchor” three new Atlantic programmes – Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Shield and Atlantic Strike – designed to counter Russian activity in the North Atlantic and High North, officials said.
Elsewhere, £500 million will be promised to Britain’s commandos under changes to the Dip drawn up by Mr Jarvis as he seeks to put his stamp on the long-awaited blueprint.
High-speed boats and strike drones will be committed to the elite force, with a focus on the High North – which includes the Arctic Circle and nearby areas – in the face of rising Russian activity in the region.
The funding will partly go towards new high-speed commando insertion craft – special vessels used to covertly transport troops from the rapid-response force – which officials said could be used for operations including the seizure of Russian shadow fleet vessels.
It comes after Royal Marine commandos helped intercept the tanker Smyrtos in the Channel early on Sunday in the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned ship earlier this month.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the plans were “too little, too late”.
“If correct, these reports suggest Labour’s long-delayed defence plan will have barely any more cash than the previous one – which their own former defence secretary John Healey said in his resignation letter would make Britain ‘less safe’. How can that situation have changed with such a small addition of cash?” he said.
“So it’s no surprise we are hearing reports of capabilities being scrapped, just at the time we are meant to be strengthening our armed forces.”
He added: “This is no way to run a country and the brilliant men and women of our armed forces deserve much better.”
