All Royal Navy attack submarines in port at same time was 'embarrassing'

14 November 2023 , 16:11

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HMS Audacious was one of five Astute-class hunter-killer submarines in port (Image: PA)

The head of the Royal Navy was today forced to admit all six British submarines designed to hunt Russian subs were in dock at the same time.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key was told it was “embarrassing” none of the nuclear-powered attack boats was beneath the waves searching for Kremlin vessels. The revelation triggered claims British waters and shipping were unprotected from Russian vessels which were free to roam the North Atlantic.

Adm Sir Ben was grilled about the six Astute-class and Trafalgar-class, hunter-killer submarines - called SSNs - all being confined to port on the same day in September. Hauled before the Commons Defence Select Committee, which is probing the armed forces’ readiness for war, MPs rounded on the top sailor over the availability of warships and subs.

Former Defence Minister Mark Francois grilled the top sailor at a parliamentary committee

Quizzing him about the submarines being in port, former Defence Minister Mark Francois fumed: “We didn’t have a single one at sea, I think for the first time in living memory. That is operational failure, isn’t it?” Warning the senior officer that “you can’t monitor Russian submarines - which you often tell us are very active, and we believe you - if you’re tied up alongside”, he added: “Not having one SSN at sea is an embarrassment, come on.”

Adm Sir Ben squirmed: “I refute that - there was no need for any of those submarines to be at sea that day.” He added: “If there was no need for those boats to be at sea, that’s not operational failure. On that particular day we were meeting the readiness profile that was required. You can be alongside and at very short notice to sail - and if that’s the right place to put a boat at the time then that’s entirely sensible.”

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Adm Sir Ben went on: “If there are no Russian submarines in the North Atlantic why would we need to deploy one of our own submarines? Because then we are burning up core time, we are building up sailors’ time, we’re using time that could be used more efficiently and effectively elsewhere.”

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key ave evidence to the Commons Defence Select Committee

The five submarines alongside at Devonport, Clyde and Plymouth were HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful, Audacious, Anson and Triumph. Most were awaiting maintenance, while Anson was undergoing trials. Another two Astute-class boats, Agamemnon and Agincourt, are being built by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness and will not be operational for years.

Defence chiefs are usually reluctant to comment on how many ships - and particularly submarines - can be deployed at any one time. However, the First Sea Lord claimed three attack submarines could now put to sea immediately if required. Earlier, he repeatedly swerved saying how many of the Navy’s 11 frigates and six destroyers could sail tonight if needed, though later said “eight-and-a-half” were at “very high readiness”.

Fears are growing about the reliability of the ageing Type 23, Duke-class frigates. Delays in the replacement Type 26, City-class Global Combat Ship mean Duke-class frigates - some of which are already more than 30 years old - may have to stay in service longer than intended. Adm Sir Ben admitted: “Is it going to be a challenge to keep some very old ships going all the way through into the early 2030s as part of this transition? Yes, it is.”

The Mirror told how the Type 23, Duke-class frigate HMS Westminster is rusting in a Plymouth basin (MATTKEEBLE)

The Mirror told earlier this month how the Type 23 HMS Westminster was rusting in a Plymouth basin while Tory ministers decide whether it is worth refitting her or better to scrap the 4,900-ton vessel. Asked if she was being written off, Rear Adm Steve Moorhouse, the Ministry of Defence’s director of “force generation”, insisted: “No decisions have been made.”

Ben Glaze