UK aircraft carriers keep breaking down, with one pulling out of NATO exercises Sunday. Years of underfunding have left the UK’s navy in a threadbare state, according to a report.It comes as at a time when the UK is stretching its naval capabilities to counter global threats.
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go.
download the app
The high-profile failure of the UK’s flagship aircraft carrier over the weekend has shown how Britain is struggling to keep up with first-rate navies around the world.The $3.7 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth had to pull out of the largest NATO naval exercises since the Cold War on Sunday when a problem was discovered with its propeller.In a message on X, Britain’s Royal Navy said there was an issue with a coupling on the carrier’s starboard propeller shaft.The setback came 18 months after its sister ship HMS Prince of Wales broke down after a similar problem, causing it to pull out of exercises with the US Navy.This stuff matters —The problems are being exposed at a time when the UK is stretching its naval capabilities by providing protection to vessels in the Red Sea targeted by Houthi rebels.It is also poised to defend against China’s aggression in East Asia, and Russian aggression in the Black Sea amid the war between Russia and Ukraine.Tom Sharpe, a former Navy commander, said that the malfunction will mean that Britain will no longer send a carrier to the Red Sea, according to The Times.On the same day that the carrier broke down, Britain’s House of Commons defense committee said the military is “consistently overstretched” with “unrelenting pressure” on personnel.The report questioned its readiness for some wars and said it heard that the “hollowing out” of the armed forces had undermined the UK’s military capabilities.”General Lord Houghton pointed to the shortage of available vessels and further noted that he found the high proportion of naval equipment which was inoperable to be ‘quite disturbing'”, said the report, citing a top UK defense official.The Ministry of Defence said in response to the report that the military was meeting its commitments.”Our Armed Forces are always ready to protect and defend the UK, and we continue to meet all operational commitments, including participating in every single NATO mission, supporting Ukraine, and tackling Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea,” said a spokeswoman.The Prince of Wales and the HMS Queen Elizabeth have only been in service for around three years. In 2020 the UK’s government spending watchdog warned that it was unclear if enough money had been budgeted to meet ambitious plans for the vessels given the lack of frigates and support vessels.It’s not just the flagship vessels, but smaller and nonetheless vital ships that seem to be encountering problems. In January, two UK warships collided off the coast of Bahrain.The Ministry of Defence told BI that technical problems were to be expected on state-of-the-art ships.”It’s not uncommon to have maintenance issues with state-of-the-art ships which contain complex engineering and technology. Having two aircraft carriers means that HMS Prince of Wales can quickly prepare to deploy in place of HMS Queen Elizabeth,” said a spokeswoman.”HMS Prince of Wales will deploy soon on NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, carrying out her duties to keep the nation and our allies safe.”Experts were sounding the alarm about the state of the British navy even before Queen Elizabeth’s participation in the exercises was canceled, pointing out in comments to The Financial Times last week that it would’ve been dependent on allies for support vessels.”There is a dissonance between the UK’s military ambitions and its capabilities,” Sir Richard Barrons, former head of Britain’s armed forces, told the publication. “The risk is that we get drawn into a conflict and can’t sustain our presence, and this exposes a strategic weakness.”
