Retired chief of Naval Staff Lord Alan West told The Sun the Royal Navy is at its worst state, operating the smallest fleet ever with nine ships scrapped in two years under PM Keir Starmer. Plans for new destroyers and frigates were dropped due to cost.
The UN's International Maritime Organization suspended its escort program in the Strait of Hormuz after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, the Ever Lovely, reported being hit by a projectile. US officials suspect Iran was behind the attack, which caused bridge damage but no casualties or environmental impact.
The British Royal Navy's HMS Lyme Bay is on standby off Gibraltar, prepared for a potential international mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The mission hinges on a peace agreement between Iran and its adversaries, following Iran's retaliatory blockade of the strait after a US-Israeli airstrike.
The Royal Navy will reportedly spend £200,000 redesigning female ceremonial uniform following criticism over the placement of jacket buttons Read Full Article at RT.com
Britain and nine other north European nations have signed a statement of intent to create a new multinational maritime force outside NATO, to be commanded from London and operational by 2029. The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force includes the Netherlands, all five Nordic nations and the three Baltic states. The announcement comes as the British naval chief claimed Russian incursions into European waters have jumped by almost a third in two years, with Moscow deploying frigates to escort oil tankers after Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened to seize them.
