MPS WARN OF ROYAL NAVY SHORTFALLS IN HIGH NORTH

MPs on the Commons Defence Committee say shortages of available Royal Navy warships and submarines threaten Britain’s ability to operate in the High North. They warned that the UK could struggle to deter Russian aggression in waters beyond Scotland and called for “dramatic progress” before 2030. Tan Dhesi, the committee chair, said: “The UK needs to be willing to address a hard truth: it does not currently have all the capabilities to operate successfully in the high north.” The committee asked the Ministry of Defence to set out a plan to put more vessels at sea by 2030.

MPs pointed to falling frigate numbers, the slow deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus this spring and reports that all five Astute-class attack submarines were in dock this summer. They also cited low availability among destroyers, frigates and attack submarines. The Royal Navy shadowed the Russian vessel Yantar in UK economic waters in November and January last year. It accused crew members of trying to map undersea cables and shining lasers at RAF pilots monitoring them. The committee said underwater cables and pipelines carrying data and energy could face sabotage.

The committee said Russian submarine operations could threaten Britain’s nuclear deterrent, civilian and military infrastructure, and Atlantic supply routes from the United States. It said the Ministry of Defence had acknowledged a gap in anti-submarine warfare. MPs warned that a crisis without US support would leave “critical military gaps” in the region. They said the UK would need to increase its military contribution if a smaller Nato member faced a threat or attack.