'They've lost the plot': Mysterious Type 83 warship project to replace Royal Navy HMS Dragon could be delayed
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Aspirations to build new air defence destroyers could be kicked into the long grass due to budgetary constraints.
The Times reports that the programme to construct new Type 83 destroyers for the Royal Navy may be delayed. This would be in an effort to make £10bn worth of savings for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
These warships are due to replace their Type 45 counterparts, which are due to be retired between 2035 and 2038. One of these vessels, HMS Dragon, is currently was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean after Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by a Kamikaze drone.
Deferring the Type 83 destroyer programme is one of the options being considered, despite the Type 45s suffering from persistent issues with propulsion and power cuts. Three of the vessels are currently undergoing major refits to replace and fix their engines.
Sources told The Times that other major projects are also expected to be delayed or “descoped”, with fewer items being ordered or equipment plans going ahead for weapons with a reduced high-end capability. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which aims to set out how the reforms in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) can be financially met, has been delayed since the autumn of last year and may not appear until June - a year after the SDR was published.
One source said the reforms have been turned into a “spreadsheet exercise” from being built on a strategic basis. “They’ve lost the plot,” they added. Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, previously informed prime minister Sir Keir Starmer that the MoD faces a £28bn blackhole in defence spending.
The last update on the Type 83 project was given in January this year. Minister for defence readiness and industry, Luke Pollard, said it remained “under review” and no decisions would be finalised until the publication of the DIP. It is still in the concept phase and has yet to be fully fleshed out.
Details about what the new Type 83 destroyers could look like were unveiled at the CNE conference in Farnborough last year. Commodore Michael Wood, Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the programme in Navy Command, previously said they would be an evolution of the current Type 45 destroyers and could utilise laser weapons, electronic propulsion, and more digital systems - powered by AI and machine learning.
If the project is delayed, the Royal Navy could face a similar predicament to what its currently enduring with the Type 23 frigates. The Duke-class ships are ageing and having to be retired after spending several years past their allocated lifespans. Replacement Type 26 and 31 frigates are currently under construction but are far from being completed.
Responding to the claims about the Type 83 programme, an MoD spokesperson said: “This is pure speculation. We are working flat out to finalise the Defence Investment Plan and it will be published as soon as possible. Renowned for their air defence capabilities, our high-tech Type-45 destroyers are at the heart of the Royal Navy’s fleet, and we are moving towards a hybrid navy of the future, combining the latest autonomous and AI technologies with world-class warships and aircraft.”