Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
The carriers cannot be used on their own and need a range of support vessels...
Conclusion
The carriers cannot be used on their own and need a range of support vessels to provide supplies and protection. The Department told us that in a conflict situation, for example, it would need anti-submarine warfare frigates, anti-aircraft destroyers, and hunter-killer submarines. Deploying Carrier Strike will therefore require a significant proportion of the Royal Navy’s fleet. However, the Department faces financial pressures and funding shortfalls over the next 10 years which could restrict investment in capabilities and upgrades. For example, it needs to upgrade the propulsion systems of all six Type 45 destroyers by the mid-2020s and is replacing the outdated Type 23 anti-submarine frigates with specialist Type 26 frigates from 2027. The Department told us that it has made a case to HM Treasury for increasing the size of the surface fleet, but no outcome was yet forthcoming. Furthermore, the ships need to be crewed to operate. The Department said it was not aware of any problems regarding the surface fleet but admitted that crewing submarines was more of a struggle.52
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2021 6.2 The department will address the capabilities required to support the carriers as part of the Integrated Review, reporting in the first quarter of 2021. Although taut and requiring mitigation in 2022 when RFA Fort Victoria undergoes maintenance, the support shipping needed to keep the carriers supplied with fuel, munitions and stores is in place for the period up until Full Operating Capability for Carrier Strike in 2023. To allow declaration of the wider Full Operating Capability for Carrier Enabled Power Projection from 2026, and the associated routine operating model, the Fleet Solid Support requirements have been informed by operating experience and a new competition will be launched in the first quarter of 2021. Building on the success of the Type 31 Programme, the department intends to allow international partners to work with UK firms to bid for this British-led shipbuilding project. 6.3 The Integrated Review will consider the requirement for the movement of people and goods within the carrier group, noting that the department will not have a full understanding of the requirement until the capability has been “road tested” in 2021. The task is currently performed by existing utility helicopters as an interim solution. The Rotary Wing strategy element of the Integrated Review will address the out of service dates of existing helicopters, so this maritime intra-theatre lift task is one of a number that require a long-term solution. The Review should also set out the maritime elements of the future joint force including the role and numbers of anti-submarine warfare frigates. Once the Review is published, the department will evaluate the outcomes in detail and present the future investment plan accordingly.