The Royal Navy is expected to retire eight warships over five years, fuelling fears of fresh gaps in Britain’s maritime defences.
Three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), responsible for protecting Britain’s coastline, will be withdrawn by 2028, followed by five minehunters by 2031.
The news comes despite the furore over the Royal Navy’s sole ice patrol ship HMS Protector breaking down earlier this month and wider cuts to the fleet.
OPVs HMS Tyne, Severn and Mersey will have served for a quarter of a century by 2028.
The five Hunt-class minehunters, HMS Ledbury, Cattistock, Brocklesby, Middleton and Hurworth, entered service between 1981 and 1985.
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