UK to scrap destroyer replacement in favour of hybrid drone-capable warships
The UK Ministry of Defence plans to abandon work on a new destroyer replacement and instead build at least six hybrid warships designed to deploy drones. The vessels are intended to operate across the air, surface and undersea domains, marking a significant shift in naval procurement. The change is set to form part of the country's long-delayed defence investment plan.
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The ministry said the new ships would be better suited to the pace and nature of modern warfare than a small number of large, expensive vessels. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said the equipment would be designed and built for the increasing threats the UK faces. The government has not said how much money has been allocated for the programme, but it has confirmed the vessels will be part of a wider investment package expected before the Nato summit in Turkey on 7 July.
The plan would replace earlier work on a successor to the Type 45 destroyers, which are the Royal Navy's ageing air-defence ships. Officials had been exploring the Type 83 concept, but the new approach would instead fund Common Combat Vessels. The ministry said these ships would coordinate uncrewed systems in the air, on the surface and under the sea to provide more resilient air defence, while extending the Navy's reach, resilience and firepower without a proportional increase in crew or cost.
The decision matters because it reflects how the UK is trying to adapt its fleet to changing military risks, including Russian activity in the North Atlantic and High North. The ministry said the vessels would also help protect critical underwater infrastructure and strengthen Nato deterrence. That places the programme within a broader effort to respond to threats that are increasingly seen as spanning conventional naval power, drones and undersea assets.
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The defence investment plan has been delayed for months amid difficult budget negotiations between the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and other departments. Those talks have already led to the resignations of John Healey as defence secretary and Al Carns as armed forces minister in recent weeks, after both argued that the draft plan lacked sufficient funding and ambition. The government has said the naval programme will be a once-in-a-generation investment in maritime capability and could provide work for British shipyards.
What remains unclear is the final cost, the timetable for construction and how the new vessels will fit alongside other parts of the defence investment plan. It is also not yet clear how quickly the Royal Navy can move from concept to delivery, given the early stage of the previous Type 83 work. The next key moment is the publication of the defence investment plan before the Nato summit in Turkey, which should set out how the government intends to fund the shift.
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