STORY
The Government is moving towards a major change in Royal Navy procurement, with plans for next generation destroyers replaced by at least six new Common Combat Vessels designed to coordinate drones and autonomous systems.
Sources reported that the Ministry of Defence will abandon the planned Type 83 destroyer replacement programme and instead invest in hybrid vessels able to operate with uncrewed air, surface and underwater systems. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has said the ships will be British built and intended to support domestic defence jobs as well as military capability.
The move forms part of the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan and reflects the Government’s focus on emerging threats, including Russian activity in the North Atlantic and around undersea infrastructure. The decision follows weeks of political pressure over defence funding and comes after John Healey resigned from the Ministry of Defence amid concerns over the scale of available investment.