Former Navy chief points warning over ‘horrifying’ British submarines amid Russia risk | EUROtoday

Britain’s submarine fleet is in a “parlous state”, a former navy chief has warned, amid the rising underwater risk from Russia.

Labour peer Lord West of Spithead, talking at Westminster, stated the silent service was in its worst situation throughout his 60 years of army service.

The former defence minister knowledgeable parliament it was “horrifying” that at occasions final 12 months, the UK lacked a single operational assault submarine.

He additionally raised issues over the pressures confronted by the nation’s steady at-sea nuclear deterrent.

Lord West made his hard-hitting feedback as Defence Secretary John Healey introduced plans for a brand new multimillion pound high-tech power to guard undersea cables and pipelines towards Russian assault.

The hybrid naval power, named Atlantic Bastion, will mix autonomous automobiles and AI with warships and plane to determine threats to underwater construction and to defend them from interference.

The UK and its Nato allies have develop into more and more involved in regards to the threat Moscow poses to seabed cables and pipelines, which carry most of Britain’s worldwide telecommunications information and important vitality provides corresponding to electrical energy, oil and fuel.

This has been underlined by the actions of Russian spy ships such because the Yantar, which have the aptitude to sabotage these hyperlinks.

Attacks on undersea infrastructure might trigger “catastrophic disruption” to the monetary and communications programs Britons depend on, the National Security Strategy Committee warned in a September report.

Against this backdrop, Lord West informed ministers: “Our submarine force is in a parlous state, the worst in my 60 years of service.

“Successive delays in ordering, a lack of dry dock investment, the failure to recruit and train the requisite nuclear personnel, training delays for those we have got, lack of spares and lack of maintenance, have all taken their toll.

“Does our nation realise that, for the last year, this great maritime nation has had one attack submarine operational for most of the time? Some of the time, it has not had one at all.

“That is pretty horrifying for a maritime nation of our stature.

“These submarines are war winners. They frighten (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and are what we use to give the Soviets a hard time with. That is where we have got to on that.”

He added: “In terms of a continuous at-sea deterrent, at the moment the boats are having to do 200-day patrols, with no fallback should something go wrong.

“We have maintained it, it is an amazing effort to do it, but my God, we should not be in that position.”

While he believed the Ministry of Defence “understand this”, with pressing steps being taken by the present First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, to enhance the provision and readiness of the Royal Navy’s assault submarines, Lord West urged ministers to return to the Treasury and demand additional funding to assist these efforts.

Defence minister Lord Coaker stated extra funding had been secured and funding was being made.

The Labour frontbencher informed the higher chamber: “We are seeking to address some of the challenges that he pointed out.”

Lord Coaker added: “I am also pleased to announce to the House that the recruitment and retention (of) submariners have improved as well.

“I accept the challenges he lays out but, with the First Sea Lord and others, we seek to address that quickly and urgently.”