Half of our warships 'to be mothballed'

Under threat: Britain's naval fleet could be cut
13 April 2012

Half the Royal Navy's warships could be withdrawn from service to save money as defence chiefs struggle to implement crippling spending cuts.

• Promotion block for senior navy officers

Navy top brass are said to be furious over plans to mothball six frigates and destroyers, as well as two minesweepers and support ships, to help cut £250million from defence spending this year.

Serving officers have warned that Britain's once mighty fleet is being reduced to little more than 'a coastal defence force'.

Thirteen vessels are already in 'reduced readiness' - Ministry of Defence jargon indicating they cannot be put to sea. Confining another eight to port would mean almost half the fleet would be out of action.

One report named the ships at risk as Type 22 frigates Cumberland, Chatham, Cornwall and Campbeltown and Type 42 destroyers Southampton and Exeter.

The plans have added to fears that two new giant aircraft carriers - the centrepiece of Labour's future defence strategy - will never get off the drawing board.

The news came as the backlash grew over senior commanders' admission that too many soldiers were living in sub-standard housing.

All three services must undertake drastic cost-cutting measures by the end of this financial year because of a budget crisis.

The strain of simultaneous major operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, coupled with the spiralling costs of ambitious equipment projects, has put defence spending under huge strain.

Vital training exercises are having to be cancelled, and all military parachute training could be scrapped.

The Ministry of Defence insisted yesterday that no final decision had been taken over ship numbers and readiness levels, although sources confirmed that mothballing six or more ships was an option.

HMS Invincible, one of the Navy's three 'mini' aircraft carriers, was withdrawn two years ago to save money, and is now likely to be sold.

Admiral Sir Alan West, recently retired as head of the Navy, has warned that the service is already struggling to fulfil its key tasks and would have to abandon longstanding commitments if it loses more ships.

He said of the latest threatened cuts: 'This is just outrageous. The squeeze on money is very damaging to the Navy while people are focusing on the Army.'

And a serving officer told the Daily Mail: 'For decades we've prided ourselves on being the world's best navy, despite the cuts.

'But there will come a point - perhaps not far off - when we're just too small to maintain core skills and standards.

The politicians and the public need to understand this.'

Another insider added: 'This means we are no better than a coastal defence force or a fleet of dug-out canoes.'

The Government's Royal Navy strategy is based on the two new £3.5billion aircraft carriers, but plans for them to enter service in 2012 and 2015 were officially abandoned two years ago.

Without them Britain's fleet will effectively be unable to operate in hostile waters, unless protected by the U.S.

A review of port facilities could also see one of three bases closed, with Portsmouth seen as the most likely.

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