The UK is set to scrap two landing ships, a frigate and 31 helicopters from the Royal Navy. The emergency cuts were announced by Secretary of State for Defence John Healy. He said the cuts were due to a £22 billion hole left by the Tories. But the Conservatives warned that the cuts were due to Labour refusing to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.
John Geely said that six “obsolete” defense projects, which will save £500 million over the next five years. “We began to lay the foundation for further actions, – he declared. – For too long our soldiers, sailors and aircrew have been forced to use outdated equipment.
The scrapping of HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion will leave the UK without amphibious ships. In addition, the frigate HMS Northumberland is also beyond repair and will be decommissioned along with two Wave-class tankers. According to John Gealy, HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion were “retired” by Tory ministers, “but remain on the balance sheet, which is worth £9 million a year”.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,00014 Chinook helicopters and 17 Pumas will also be retired. The UK's helicopter replacement programme is still several years away, and last year there were 294 helicopters in service. The Watchkeeper MK1 drones, which cost around £5m each but have developed problems and will be scrapped, will also be phased out.
Some MPs have been pushing for old equipment to be offered to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia, and the UK is currently exploring the possibility of repurposing decommissioned military equipment for use in Ukraine, although a final decision on this has not yet been made. John Healy assured parliament that personnel would be retrained or redeployed, and no job losses were expected.
He said the government was also committed to addressing the long-standing financial problems in the defence sector. So the UK must make difficult decisions to ensure the Armed Forces are ready for future challenges.