Britain is failing to adequately protect submarines carrying its nuclear deterrent, a former admiral warned. It follows claims that none of the Royal Navy’s hunter-killer submarines are currently at sea.
The news emerges at a time of rising tensions with Russia, with more than 100 Russian vessels tracked off Britain’s coast over the past year.
These include a 6,000-tonne spy vessel whose 176-strong complement included 20 linguists employed by Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, and which was shadowed by an Astute submarine last year.
Speaking last night Admiral Roger Lane-Knott, who was in charge of the Royal Navy’s submarines during the Cold War, said: “We are clearly not protecting our north western approaches, where our Trident-carrying submarines leave and enter the UK. This is where these hunter-killers need to be.”
The Royal Navy has one remaining Trafalgar-class submarine and five out of seven new Astute hunter killers, designed to tackle an ever-increasing number of tasks, from protecting Vanguard Trident missile-carrying submarines and carrier escort to protecting undersea cables and intelligence-gathering in unfriendly waters.
The newest Astute, HMS Anson, is undergoing two years of sea trials before becoming fully operational and, according to the Navy Lookout blog, was spotted at Faslane this week alongside HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful.
HMS Audacious, which spent more than a year deployed on operations, is now stuck at Devonport awaiting maintenance because a suitable dry dock is not available.
In March it was announced that the Royal Navy was to double its number of hunter-killer submarines as part of the AUKUS defence pact with the US and Australia.
Though this will mean more jobs at home, the submarines will be deployed as part of Australia’s navy in the Indo Pacific.
Speaking last night Admiral Lane-Knott added: “We simply do not have enough submarines. In the Cold War we had four to six boats out at any one time. Now we are not even protecting our Vanguards as they carry our nuclear deterrent in and out.” He added: We are failing to build them at the pace that we need them, which is one a year. All we can manage is one every three years which, notwithstanding how complex that are, is just ludicrous.”
Naval expert Commander Tom Sharpe Royal said the problem had been aggravated by a shortage of submariners, leaving the Royal Navy unable to adhere to harmonisation guidelines – giving sailors leave – while keeping hulls in the water.
“These boats have tasks in the Mediterranean, in the UK and in the High North – not to mention their duties escorting Vanguards and our carrier strike force and securing our energy infrastructure.
Vanguards and our carrier strike force and securing our energy infrastructure.
“It is summer leave season and, on the one hand, this is sensible management of leave and resources.
“On the other hand, it is indicative once again of simply not having enough hulls or working sailors. This is the end state of a situation which has been forced upon the Royal Navy.”
He added: “Fundamentally, however, there is no getting around the fact that having all your hunter killer submarines alongside presents badly to our adversaries.”
Officially, the Royal Navy claims commitments are being met.
This may partly be due to the presence of US submarines in or near UK waters.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “The Royal Navy continues to meet its commitments. We do not comment on submarine operations.”
