Concerned ministers are pushing for futuristic new destroyers to be adapted to a new environment.

A Defence Select Committee meeting report published yesterday (July 9) recommends changes to the mysterious Royal Navy Type 83 destroyers. The project has only just reached the concept phase, but ministers have promised imminent updates on what these ships could be and how they will be used.

In the committee's report, titled Defence in the Grey Zone, they suggested using the vessels to be used in the Arctic and High North to deal with Russia’s growing submarine threat. It set out possibilities for the destroyers to be used alongside the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) - a UK-led military force comprising of ten European nations which is tasked to respond to northern threats.

Politicians have pushed for upcoming Type 83 destroyers to be adapted for the Arctic. Pictured: Families gather to watch HMS Dauntless leave Portsmouth on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. She will join HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific. | Sarah Standing (220425-5077)

placeholder image — Politicians have pushed for upcoming Type 83 destroyers to be adapted for the Arctic. Pictured: Families gather to watch HMS Dauntless leave Portsmouth on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. She will join HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific. | Sarah Standing (220425-5077)

The report said its deterrent effect is only credible if it is equipped to undertake operations in different environments, including in the grey zone. Grey Zone warfare involves committing incidents which erode a state’s ability to function that are below the threshold of direct conflict.

Vessels breaking undersea internet cables and other related infrastructure is the most prominent example. Russia has also been bolstering its shadow fleet, which primarily operates in the High North and Arctic. Committee members suggest boosting the country's military cap[abilities to combat this.

What change could be made to Type 83 destroyers and what will they look like?

They note the country only has one icebreaker ship, HMS Protector, which according to Professor Caroline Kennedy “keeps breaking down”. “An enhanced Arctic capability might include hardening Royal Navy ships to operate in ‘disruptive’ or slush ice in the Arctic, as Russia and China are equipping their vessels to do,” they added.

Due to this environmental change, they recommend the Type 83 destroyer should be adapted. The report said: “The Government should consider enhancing the JEF’s deployable capability to combat grey zone threats, such as protecting seabed infrastructure and permitting extended military operations in the High North/Arctic, for example by reinforcing the bows of Royal Navy ships, including the future Type 83 Destroyers.”

The new ships are set to be adapted for the “digital age”. Commodore Michael Wood, Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the programme in Navy Command, said they will be an evolution of the Type 45 vessels. He told Naval News: “This is going to be a very different platform from Type 45. We are not building Type 46.

“We’re moving to a digital age. We’re moving into the electronic propulsion age. We’re moving into the laser weapon age. Electronic attacks will be important, and we’re going to rely very heavily on automation and lean crewing.”