First Sea Lord determined to leave Royal Navy 'much stronger than inherited' as first hybrid wargame completed
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
The Royal Navy is pushing to create a fleet combining conventional warships with autonomous systems
The First Sea Lord is adamant that the Royal Navy will be left in a better position by the end of his leadership.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins issued the rallying cry during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute, He took the helm of the force in May 2025 following the sacking of his predecessor, Sir Ben Key, who had his Admiral rank stripped after having an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate under his command.
Much has been made about the shrinking Royal Navy fleet in recent months due to the Iran War, but Sir Gwyn remains steadfast in his belief that better times are on the horizon. “By the time I depart in 2029, I am determined that the Royal Navy will be much stronger than the one I inherited, a fleet fit for 21st century warfighting,” he said.
The First Sea Lord confirmed that the first Navy-wide wargame to test the potential of its new “hybrid” approach was held at month at Southwark Park. Unveiled to the public at HMNB Portsmouth late last year, and highlighted in the Strategic Defence Review, the hybrid navy involves combining conventional warships with autonomous vessels and submersibles. They will primarily be deployed to the North Atlantic and High North in response to Russia’s increased patrols and bolstered submarine force.
Advanced submarine-hunting Type 26 frigates will be at the heart of this approach, designed to scope out and destroy underwater threats. They are due to be rolled out from 2028 and into the 2030s, though ceded build slots to Norway could cause delays to the full compliment of eight ships being procured.
Sir Gwyn said: “The wargame provided clear evidence that our hybrid approach will deliver a significant increase in war-fighting capability. Our hybrid Navy generated a substantial increase in combat mass as measured by weapons and sensors, whilst also providing added flexibility and tactical choice for commanders.
“Our missile capacity increased threefold to the level necessary to win a contest in the North Atlantic. Across all our key missions, be it deterrence, carrier strike groups, amphibious strike groups, or integrated air and missile defence, we saw our readiness to respond improve markedly.”