New UK military vessels ‘to respond at moment’s notice to global crises’
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 yesterday 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, Scarborough-born Mr Williamson revealed the new “Littoral Strike Ship concept”.
“These globally deployable, multi-role 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 Indo-Pacific and to the west of Suez in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic.
It is understood the Ministry of Defence 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 and special forces.