Since 2017, the UK has had a National Shipbuilding Strategy, which Boris Johnson refreshed in 2022, and which was given a further boost by Rishi Sunak, who had resigned as Prime Minister, to coincide with the election campaign ahead of the UK general election. According to this paper - and it first has to prove that it is more than that - the United Kingdom is to become the "most competitive maritime nation" by 2050. Up to 28 new ships are to be built for the Royal Navy in order to halt and reverse the current serious shrinking trend.
Type 26 new build "Glasgow", photo: BAE
To this end, £75 billion (€85 billion) has just been proclaimed, which over the next six years will increase the share of defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product. A "golden age" for British shipbuilding is now set to dawn - with ships developed nationally and built in our own shipyards - from aircraft carriers (ticked off) to strategic nuclear submarines and everything in between. Type 26 and 31 frigates (with land targeting capability) are currently being built in Scotland, Astute and Dreadnaught class submarines in Barrow-in-Furness and fleet support vessels in Belfast and Devon. Plus six multi-role support ships, as described elsewhere. The latest scoop: the Royal Navy could sell "Argyll", its oldest Type 23 Duke-class frigate, which has been in service twice as long as once planned.
Type 23 "Argyll", Photo: US-Navy
The hoped-for buyer would be the defence contractor BAE Systems: the company would then have the opportunity to set up a shipbuilding academy on board very close to the action to train the young workers who would be absolutely essential for such a massive shipbuilding programme - but who are not yet available! The Russian war of aggression had shown what was necessary and what could be done; after all, British weapons technology had also contributed to the sinking of Russian battleships in the Black Sea. All of this encourages the Royal Navy to bridge the gap between Type 45 destroyers and ageing Type 23 frigates until new ships are commissioned. All well and good - if it weren't for a change of government with an announcement. This change will begin with a cash review and end with severe disillusionment, because the economic data of the Brexit-shaken island nation leaves little room for such euphoric shipbuilding programmes.
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