Navy Admits Having Half of its Vessels under Repair

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The Royal Navy has confirmed that more than half of its ships and submarines are under repair, whether being modernized or in a reduced state of readiness. The navy admitted having had hit the low point in availability of its vessels. According to a report, out of the total 33 main ships and submarines, 15 are being repaired or undergoing upgrades, while four more are at a lesser state of readiness as they conduct tests on recently installed and modernized systems.

Director General of navy strategic readiness, Commodore Brian Santarpia, confirmed that “this is our most challenging year but we have a plan to make sure we have ships available all the time.” Furthermore, it was reported that “we’re still quite confident we can fill all the tasks given to us.” According to the details, the navy’s 12 frigates are being upgraded as part of the Halifax-class modernization program. During the process, five frigates are unavailable for operations because they are either in dry dock or being prepared for the upgrade process. Santarpia added that “they are available for operations, just not at the very highest levels.”

On the other hand, Defence analyst Martin Shadwick alleged that the situation is a result of having a “compact” maritime force and a large number of aging vessels that had to be modernized. According to the strategic studies professor at York University in Toronto, “The Navy has known this period was approaching, but in the short term they don’t have much choice but to live with it.”