The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plans to adapt cargo ships or ferries into multi-role vessels
Britain will buy and adapt cargo ships or ferries to bring two new vessels into service which could rapidly respond to a crisis and carry out a range of operations, the defence secretary has announced.
Gavin Williamson used a major speech in central London to set out the plans, which also include purchasing partly off-the-shelf drones that will be adapted and used in swarms to overwhelm enemy radars.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute at an event that was attended by top military brass – including the heads of each service – Mr Williamson revealed the new “Littoral Strike Ship concept”.
“These globally-deployable, multirole vessels would be able to conduct a wide range of operations from crisis support to war fighting,” he said.
“They would support our future Commando force, our worldrenowned Royal Marines – they will be forward deployed at exceptionally high readiness and able to respond at a moment’s notice – bringing the fight from the sea to land.”
He said the two ships – one of the first investments from the Transformation Fund – could be based to the east of Suez in the IndoPacific and to the west of Suez in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic.
It is understood the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is considering using cargo ships or ferries, with the existing hulls converted and ultimately able to deploy assets from them including fast boats, landing craft, helicopters and special forces.
It’s understood they could be used in hostage rescue situations, humanitarian disasters, intelligence surveillance and could intervene in situations in an agile way.
The vessels may be bought outright or leased, with the adaption carried out by British companies.
The cost is believed to be into the tens of millions.
Mr Williamson said the vision is for the two ships to form part of two Littoral Strike Groups, which would be complete with escorts, support vessels and helicopters.
“If we ever need them to, our two Littoral Strike Ships, two aircraft carriers, our amphibious assault ships Albion and Bulwark, and our three Bay Class landing ships can come together in one amphibious task force,” he said.
“This will give us a sovereign, lethal, amphibious force.
“This will be one of the largest and best in the world.”
During his speech, he confirmed the Rosyth-built HMS Queen Elizabeth – embarked with UK and US F-35 jets – will be deployed on her first operational mission to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Pacific region – where Beijing has been involved in a dispute over navigation rights and territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Mr Williamson also revealed that to “complement” the cutting-edge technology of the multi-million-pound stealth fighter jets, the Transformation Fund will also be used to develop “swarm squadrons of network-enabled drones”.
Last month, the Public Accounts Committee published a scathing report which said there is a funding black hole of at least £7 billion in plans for kit for the armed forces due to government dithering over which projects to fully finance, cancel or scale back.