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John Currin

15 years in Royal New Zealand Navy

ESB Miguel Keith Drills with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force in East China Sea

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) steams in the Gulf of Thailand, Mar. 1, 2024, during Exercise Cobra Gold 2024. Cobra Gold demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the region by building interoperability, multilateral cooperative arrangements, advancing common interests, and a commitment to our allies and partners in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz)

DZIRHAN MAHADZIR MAY 15, 2024 3:59 PM

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) steams in the Gulf of Thailand, Mar. 1, 2024, during Exercise Cobra Gold 2024. U.S. Navy Photo

Expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) carried out trilateral drills with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the East China Sea earlier this week. 

Destroyer JS Akizuki (DD-115) and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft performed the drills for Noble Raven 24 from Saturday to Monday, according to a JMSDF news release issued Tuesday. Meanwhile, on Monday North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced United Nations maritime and air surveillance operations carried out in support of sanctions on North Korea.

For Noble Raven, the U.S., Japan and New Zealand carried out tactical exercises, according to the release.

“[The] New Zealand Defense Force is important partners to maintain and strengthen the international order based on the rule of law, and we are working together through various opportunities, such as monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels,” reads a JMSDF release.

Miguel Keith has been deployed to the Western Pacific since the fall of 2021 to support U.S. 7th Fleet operations, while the RNZAF P-8 Poseidon has been operating out of Kadena Air Base since mid-April, conducting surveillance activities of illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels that are prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions. These operations involve several countries deploying of ships and aircraft staging out of Japan, with a minimum of a single ship and a single aircraft, not necessarily from the same country, conducting the mission at specific periods. These deployments supplemental round-the-clock surveillance by the Japanese military on North Korea’s sanctions violations, according to a Japan Ministry of Defense post on social media website X.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced the surveillance missions in a press statement Monday in the state-run media outlet, referring to the “military interference in the Asia Pacific” carried out by U.S. allies under the pretext of monitoring violations of U.N. sanctions. The statement went on to state that the United Kingdom staged a naval drill with South Korea by dispatching its naval forces into the waters around the Korean peninsula, and claimed it was part of the U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea. Pyongyang also said that in the wake of the U.K.- South Korea drill, Canada is “scheming” to deploy a maritime patrol aircraft to a base in Japan to conduct surveillance over the waters around the Korean peninsula.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense had announced on May 8 that a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 MPA would carry out monitoring and surveillance out of Kadena Air Base from early May to early June. The U.K Ministry of Defense on Tuesday issued a news release stating that Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey (P234) conducted joint maritime patrols with South Korea in the waters around the Korean Peninsula to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolutions against North Korea. The release did not disclose when these patrols occurred, only stating that Spey carried out the patrols with a Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) ship and ROKN maritime patrol aircraft.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry statement went on to state that U.S. allies like Germany, France and New Zealand were sending military ships and aircraft to the Asia Pacific region, including the waters around the Korean peninsula in continuous succession for this year, “encroaching upon the security interests of regional countries and escalating the military tension in the region.” Pyongyang cited an Australian warship that was operating in the waters of the Korean peninsula and deployed a helicopter, claiming it threatened the maritime and air security of a surrounding country and created the possibility of conflict.

North Korea statement was referring to a May 4 incident in which a People’s Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet dropped flares in front of a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter operating from destroyer HMAS Hobart (D39) in the Yellow Sea while the destroyer was conducting a sanctions monitoring mission. While North Korea has not directly interfered in such missions, Chinese naval ships and military aircraft have on several occasions harassed Canadian maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters and Australian ships, aircraft and helicopters conducting the missions. Other countries conducting the missions have not publicly reported any harassment by the Chinese military. China claims that the monitoring missions serve as a cover for reconnaissance missions against China.

Speaking about the incident, China Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Col. Zhang Xiaogang said on May 7 that the People’s Liberation Army Navy was training in the Yellow Sea from May 3-4 and that Hobart dispatched its helicopter on three occasions to “conduct close reconnaissance and nuisance to China’s normal training activities.”

Zhang said warnings and actions forcing the other party to leave were legitimate, reasonable, professional, safe and fully complied with international law and international practice.

“We ask Australia to earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and security concerns, stop spreading false narratives, strictly restrict the actions of its naval and air forces, and stop all dangerous and provocative actions to avoid damaging the overall relations between China and Australia and the two militaries,” Zhang said.

New 10p-a-shot anti-drone weapon being developed for UK’s Armed Forces

Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge has seen how the new Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon is being developed (Picture: MOD)

Alex Candlin 16th May 2024 at 9:27am

A game-changing new weapon that can disable multiple drones in one shot is currently being developed for the UK’s Armed Forces.

The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) will reportedly be able to prevent attack drones from reaching their targets while being extremely cheap to use.

“These game-changing systems will deliver decisive operational advantage to the UK Armed Forces, saving lives and defeating deadly threats,” said Defence Science and Technology Laboratory chief executive Paul Hollinshead.

Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge said: “We are already a force to be reckoned with on science and technology.

“Developments like RFDEW not only make our personnel more lethal and better protected on the battlefield, but also keep the UK a world leader on innovative military kit.

“The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too.

“As we ramp up our defence spending in the coming years, our Defence Drone Strategy will ensure we are at the forefront of this warfighting evolution.”

The RFDEW system is being developed for the British Armed Forces as part of the Government's new aim to put the UK’s defence industry on a war footing (Picture: MOD).
The RFDEW system is being developed for the British Armed Forces as part of the Government’s plan to put the UK defence industry on a war footing (Picture: MOD)

The versatile weapons system can track and destroy threats on the ground, in the air and at sea up to 1km away.

Once a target has been identified, the weapon beams a radio wave to disrupt or damage the electronic components of the enemy UAVs, causing them to stop in their tracks or fall out of the sky.

And unlike expensive missile systems, RFDEW only costs 10p per shot.

This new project forms part of the work to put the UK defence industry on a war footing following the Prime Minister’s announcement last month of an increase to the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

James Cartlidge was given the opportunity to the new about the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon system (Picture: MOD)
James Cartlidge was given the opportunity to learn about the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon system (Picture: MOD)

US military moves temporary pier off Gaza’s coast to provide aid in the coming days By MATTHEW ADAMS STARS AND STRIPES • May 16, 2024

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces install the Trident Pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. Humanitarian aid will start to move into the war-torn territory in the coming days, defense officials said. (U.S. Central Command)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has completed installing a floating, temporary pier off Gaza’s coast, and humanitarian aid will start to move into the war-torn territory in the coming days, defense officials said Thursday. “This morning, just a few hours ago, the pier was successfully affixed to the beach in Gaza. And in the coming days, we will commence delivery of aid,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. At 7:40 a.m. Gaza time, CENTCOM personnel anchored the pier to the beach. No U.S. troops entered Gaza, according to a CENTCOM statement posted on X. The pier, known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, is meant to provide another way to deliver needed aid into Gaza. The World Health Organization has warned some 2.3 million Gaza inhabitants face extreme hunger that could become a full-blown famine by next month as Israel continues its war against Hamas militants, who launched a surprise assault in October from the enclave. Sonali Korde, a U.S. Agency for International Development official, said the assistance is necessary because conditions on the ground have not improved, and a vital border crossing closed in the last few weeks. Israel on May 7 seized control of and closed the Rafah crossing, which aid organizations relied on. “We need to just continue to work on getting more aid in through all routes. We’re at a point in time when this is all hands on deck,” Korde said. “We can’t spare any effort.” President Joe Biden first announced the JLOTS operation on March 7 during his State of the Union speech. One day later, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, said the temporary pier would be operational within about 60 days. A defense official on Wednesday said the U.S. military had begun moving parts of the pier toward Gaza from the Port of Ashdod, one of Israel’s three main cargo ports north of Gaza. The delivery of food and other aid could begin in the first 24 to 48 hours after installation, according to an NBC News report.

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces install the Trident Pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. Humanitarian aid will start to move into the war-torn territory in the coming days, defense officials said. (U.S. Central Command) The Pentagon announced last week that the U.S. military completed construction of the floating pier, but weather conditions made it unsafe to dock the pier to begin transporting more aid into the region. Cooper said the future impact of weather on the pier is situational. The weather is expected to be good for the coming week or so, with the goal being to move as much humanitarian aid as possible and make assessments about the pier along the way. “As we sit here now, we have about 500 tons of humanitarian assistance loaded on ships. That’s about 1 million pounds ready for the delivery in the coming days and … thousands in the pipeline coming behind,” Cooper said. “Historically speaking, the time between May and August, there’s very favorable weather in this part of the world.” The pier is initially expected to deliver about 90 trucks worth of aid a day and ramp up to 150 per day once it reaches full capacity, defense officials said late last month. The United Nations has said to meet the needs of Palestinians trapped in Gaza about 500 trucks worth of aid per day must enter the territory. The flow of aid is expected to start in Cyprus, where it will be inspected and loaded onto ships to travel about 200 miles to the floating platform in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Once it arrives, the aid will be transferred by U.S. military vessels to the causeway attached to the coast of Gaza. From there, trucks driven by a third party will take the aid into Gaza, not the U.S. military. The cost of the pier is about $320 million, Pentagon officials estimate. About 1,000 American troops are involved in the operation. Cooper said 14 ships from the U.S. and partner nations are involved with helping deliver aid. He added three more U.S. ships will join in the coming week. “We’ve been working closely with the Israeli Defense Force for six weeks to ensure every aspect of logistics, operations command and control communications, and force protection are in place. With the IDF, we have developed a comprehensive security plan across multiple domains,” Cooper said.

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces install the Trident Pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. Humanitarian aid will start to move into the war-torn territory in the coming days, defense officials said.

Australia unveils record $37 billion defense budget

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Australia will spend a record AU$55.7 billion (U.S. $36.8 billion) on defense during the next fiscal year, according to budget documents unveiled May 14.

The figure equates to 2.02% of gross domestic product and represents a 6.3% increase from last year.

Australia’s national defense strategy released last month, promised a significant increase in spending, but that does not start until 2027-2028, when defense expenditure is slated to reach about AU$67.4 billion.

Beyond that, the government still has a ways to go to hit its defense spending goal of AU$100 billion by 2033-2034, which would be 2.3% of GDP.

In this latest budget release for the 2024-2025 time frame, the government has set aside AU$16.7 billion for equipment acquisitions in the coming fiscal year, plus another AU$17.2 billion to sustain existing assets.

The Navy receives a significant allocation of AU$10.7 billion. Nuclear-powered submarines are starting to consume an enormous portion of the budget as the trilateral AUKUS agreement progresses.

Notably, spending on nuclear submarines will snowball from last year’s AU$475 million to AU$2.8 billion in the coming year, eventually reaching AU$4.97 billion in 2027-2028.

By comparison, six Hunter-class frigates and six Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels are to receive AU$813 million and AU$587 million, respectively.

The budget makes no reference to 11 new general-purpose frigates, which the government is expected to select next year.

The Army is promised AU$11.8 billion as it procures expensive assets such as Boxer armored vehicles, Redback infantry fighting vehicles, Huntsman self-propelled howitzers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, M1A2 Abrams tanks, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, and UH-60M Black Hawk and AH-64E Apache helicopters.

The Air Force will receive AU$9.5 billion, with F-35A fighter jets being its single-most expensive acquisition; nine of 72 fighters remain undelivered.

Budget figures also revealed that the arrival of four MC-55A Peregrine electronic warfare aircraft is running two years behind schedule.

The Australian Signals Directorate, which conducts foreign signals intelligence, cybersecurity and offensive cyber operations, will receive AU$2.7 billion. A further AU$1 billion is allocated to defense intelligence.

Australian military procurements are handled by the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. The government in 2021 formed the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise to promote the sovereign production of missiles and munitions. Together, they will receive AU$1.3 billion in the next fiscal year.

For its part, Ukraine garnered AU$144.3 million in military aid for the year ahead, as it continues its fight against a Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, the Defence Department wants 63,597 uniformed personnel and 19,127 civilian employees in the year ahead. The Australian Defence Force, or ADF, is currently made up of about 58,600 uniformed personnel. The department is made up of about 18,000 civilian employees.

“[The Department of] Defence is forecasting to be below the required ADF fulltime workforce for 2024-25 due to high separation rates and lower than expected achievement of recruitment targets over recent years,” the budget document stated.

The new budget also noted that last year’s spending on personnel costs surpassed estimates by AU$1 billion because of increased living costs. About AU$16.7 billion is to be spent on the workforce this coming fiscal year.

Approximately AU$6.6 billion will go toward maintaining the security and condition of Defence Department property. Before the budget was announced, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy promised between AU$14 billion and AU$18 billion would go to upgrading and hardening military bases in northern Australia over the next decade.

“The Northern Territory is critical to the defense of the nation, not just in defending Australia, but projecting power out into our region against any potential adversary,” Conroy said.

The 2024 National Defence Strategy, released last month, cited “increasing strategic competition” between China and Australian ally the United States, adding that the former seeks “to change the current regional balance in its favor.”

“China has employed coercive tactics in pursuit of its strategic objectives, including forceful handling of territorial disputes and unsafe intercepts of vessels and aircraft operating in international waters and airspace,” the document stated.

Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University, warned that despite promised increases in defense spending, there is “a significant gap in ADF capability over the next 10, maybe 15 years. This gap coincides with the most strategically unstable geopolitical situation since [World War II].”

About Gordon Arthur

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan leaves Portsmouth after undergoing refit

Alex Candlin 11th May 2024 at 6:36pm

Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan has left her home port of Portsmouth following a refit period.

The Royal Navy confirmed the 152-metre vessel was leaving HMNB Portsmouth to carry out “routine post-maintenance activity”.

HMS Duncan returned home to Portsmouth in December, becoming the final Royal Navy warship to return to the UK in time for Christmas.

The ship and her company had been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean for six months, leading a Nato task group in the region in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There are six Daring-class Type 45s in the Royal Navy fleet – HMS Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan.

They are the Royal Navy’s air defence specialists, and in recent months have proven their worth in the Red Sea.

HMS Diamond, deployed to the region to protect merchant shipping, has shot down a number of Houthi drones and a missile using her Sea Viper missile system and guns.

RFA’s new underwater surveillance vessel snapped as she ties up alongside HMS Belfast

Alex Walters 13th May 2024 at 10:08am

RFA Proteus in London
The UK’s first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus in London (Picture: Amy Savage/ AmzJS13)
RFA Proteus arriving in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus sailing in London (Picture: Amy Savage/ AmzJS13)
RFA Proteus in London alongside HMS Belfast
RFA Proteus in London alongside HMS Belfast (Picture: Amy Savage/ AmzJS13)
Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London, where she was formally dedicated (Picture: Amy Savage/ AmzJS13)
RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge (Picture: Amy Savage/ AmzJS13)

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RFA Proteus in London alongside HMS Belfast
Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London
RFA Proteus arriving in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London alongside HMS Belfast
Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London
RFA Proteus arriving in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London alongside HMS Belfast
Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus in London 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X
RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge 12052024 CREDIT Amy Savage, AmzJS13 X

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RFA Proteus, the first of a new generation of survey and surveillance ships, has arrived in London ahead of the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference.

Photographer Amy Savage managed to take some striking images of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel on the River Thames.

RFA Proteus, who was formally dedicated last year, started life as an oil rig support vessel and now serves as a testbed for technology to be used beneath the waves.

RFA Proteus, named after the god of rivers and water in Greek mythology, is also used as a launchpad for remotely operated vehicles as well as some specialist capabilities similar to those of the oil and gas industry.

She carries a crew of 26 officers and sailors from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as well as 60 Royal Navy personnel responsible for the undersea surveillance and survey and warfare systems.

The RFA vessel also comes with a flight deck, a 1,000 square metre cargo deck and a heavy-duty crane for lifting and lowering operations.

RFA Proteus in London sailing under Tower Bridge
RFA Proteus sails past Tower Bridge (Picture: Amy Savage/AmzJS13 X)

This year’s First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference is being organised and hosted by the Council on Geostrategy at Lancaster House.

It said: “This year’s conference will focus on a particularly important and long-term topic – the future of the Royal Navy, specifically its vision for 2040.

“The conference will aim not only to articulate, but also to deliver this vision by fostering a dialogue between the private and public sectors and by bringing together officers, officials, parliamentarians, industry, media and academia.”

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The Council on Geostrategy is delighted to be hosting the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference 2024!

In this video @StarychSam, our Director of Strategy, is at Lancaster House giving an overview of the conference 🇬🇧

Find out more @RoyalNavy#SPC2024 👉 https://t.co/g64ecG1Ro1pic.twitter.com/Z2ZUyenMPW— Council on Geostrategy (@ConGeostrategy) April 25, 2024

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Watch: The Download – all the top stories from across the military world

14th May 2024 at 2:50pm

Watch: The Download

Defence Secretary says six Multi Role Support Ships are to be built for Royal Marines operations, new US weapons arrive on Ukraine’s frontline and King Charles hands role over to Prince William – all this and more on The Download.

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HMS Spey teams up with South Korean ships and aircraft to patrol Korean Peninsula

HMS Spey is one of two Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels deployed in the Indo-Pacific as part of the UK’s permanent maritime presence in the region (Picture: MOD)

14th May 2024 at 3:17pm

The Royal Navy and its South Korean counterpart have been carrying out patrols around the Korean Peninsula in a first-of-its-kind joint operation.

The operation follows the signing of the Downing Street Accord by the UK and Republic of Korea in November 2023 during the state visit by President Yoon Suk-Yeoul.

HMS Spey patrolled alongside the South Korean military as one of two British Offshore Patrol Vessels deployed in the Indo-Pacific as part of the UK’s permanent maritime presence in the region. 

“As well as cooperating on this important mission, I was thrilled that, alongside the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, we were able to develop greater interoperability and people-to-people links,” said Lieutenant Commander Kris White, the Executive Officer of HMS Spey.

“From the Korean War to today’s defence and security challenges, it was clear how like-minded we are, especially on the importance of maritime security and the free flow of trade.”

The Downing Street Accord is committed to bringing the UK and South Korea closer together, and enforces UN Security Council resolutions intended to curb North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

Sea patrols aim to stop smugglers from helping North Korea develop nuclear weapons by enforcing international sanctions.

Apart from defence and security, the UK is on a mission to foster closer ties with South Korea in a wide range of fields, including trade and business,  clean energy and climate.

The accord is in line with similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, as the UK seeks to consolidate its influence in the Indo-Pacific.

RN Commandos to get new amphibious warships with lessons learned from Ukraine

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034

More amphibious warships are under way, while HMS Albion will see out her planned service life (Picture: Royal Navy)

14th May 2024 at 11:22am

Up to six new amphibious warships for the Royal Marines are to be built in the UK, drawing on the lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the first three vessels would definitely be built for Royal Marines, with the other three planned to be constructed.

The vessels are known as Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) – specialist warships that are designed to rapidly deliver the Commando Force onto coastlines around the world to conduct special operations.

Speaking at the annual Sea Power Conference in central London, the Defence Secretary also announced that existing amphibious warfare ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034.

He told Forces News he was “very confident about… crossover times”.

“Not least because we’re going to keep the existing ships in place for our Royal Marines in the meantime,” he said.

Drones are of increasing importance to the Royal Navy and the new vessels will carry an array of UAVs (Picture: Royal Navy)
Uncrewed aerial vehicles are of increasing importance to the Royal Navy and the new vessels will carry an array of UAVs (Picture: Royal Navy)

“But the good thing about the multi-role design, just as with the Type-26… is they’re designed to be somewhat more modular in design, enabling them to be used in many different use cases.”

Additionally, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said if the UK can “move quickly and confidently into contested waters” and is “prepared to do so”, that will become part of the “deterrence messaging” to potential enemies.

“That requires all the unique skill sets that we find in the Royal Marines Commandos today and building into the future as part of their transformation,” he said.

“But it also requires a means of getting them to work and, when they’re finished doing their work, picking them up and taking them on to the next jobs.”

According to Mr Shapps, the three confirmed MRSS vessels are among 28 warships and submarines that are either planned or currently being built.

He said: “This is a new golden age for British shipbuilding.

“The new vessels for the Royal Marines will help our brave commandos fight the conflicts of the future.

Ships like the new MRSSs and HMS Bulwark are needed to land members of the Commando Force wherever they are required (Picture: MOD)
Ships like the new MRSS and HMS Bulwark are needed to land members of the Commando Force wherever they are required (Picture: MOD)

“This is all possible because this government has committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by the end of the decade, as part of our plans to deliver a more secure future for you and your family.”

Russia’s Black Sea fleet has proved vulnerable to attacks from Ukrainian missiles and drones.

And in the Red Sea, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used weapons to target merchant vessels and international warships protecting the vital trade routes.

In response, the MRSS vessels are designed to carry a broad range of unmanned drones along with vehicles, aircraft and insertion craft.

They will also be able to act as primary casualty receiving ships, providing urgent medical care.

Under the plans, Type 26 and Type 31 frigates will be built in Scotland, Astute and Dreadnought submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, and Fleet Solid Support ships in Belfast and Devon.

In line with the National Shipbuilding Strategy, there will be up to six MRSS built overall, which will replace current capabilities in the early 2030s.

This includes the two Landing Platform Docks, three Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries) and the Aviation Support Ship RFA Argus.