A Tory baroness has challenged the government to produce more ships to bolster the Royal Navy fleet.

As reported in the UK Defence Journal, Baroness Lilian Pauline Neville-Jones said the UK “needs more ships” due to various international pressures and to maintain maritime security. She made the claim to Lord Vernon Coaker, minister of state for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

“There is no doubt that, to keep the Americans with us, Europeans must spend more on defence, especially on the security of our own continent. I am not suggesting that the Indo-Pacific has any real priority. We cannot credibly ask the Americans to take our security more seriously than we do.

A Conservative baroness has called for more ships, particularly frigates, to be added to the Royal Navy’s fleet to bolster the UK’s defence. | LPhot Belinda Alker

placeholder image — A Conservative baroness has called for more ships, particularly frigates, to be added to the Royal Navy’s fleet to bolster the UK’s defence. | LPhot Belinda Alker

“I think it is time for the UK to respond to the global balance of power by giving the Royal Navy a greater role in, and a greater reach of, our defence diplomacy—more ships, in the words of the noble Lord, Lord West, particularly frigates.

“It is also time that we had a China strategy that joins up our political, economic and military objectives. It is something that we do not have and badly need. I do not believe in keeping countries guessing; that is dangerous. We did not keep the Russians guessing about our terms during the Cold War and we should not do so with the Chinese. We need to say what we mean to them.”

Baroness Neville-Jones said the UK should continue to contribute to AUKUS, an alliance between Britain, USA and Australia - adding that it is particularly important due to Brexit. A report published by the Council on Geostrategy concurs that the UK needs to build more ships and upgrade existing ones to defend themselves from “global threats”.

In response to the Baroness, Lord Coaker said: “Whether it is aircraft carriers and planes, the number of soldiers, technology or other capabilities, you have to have the capability you need to meet the threat that you face. My noble friend is right to point that out.”