Following the Prime Minister's statement today on the Government's 2015 Defence and Security Review, I wanted to let you and your families know what the future now holds for the Royal Navy.
There is more detail to come - but what is already very clear is that the Government has substantially reset the Defence and Security agenda, with a significant investment, commitment and responsibility that now puts the Royal Navy absolutely at the heart of our Nation’s security. The Prime Minister said today this Review will deliver “a bigger Navy with more ships”.
This is enormously welcome. The Government has reversed past trends and will grow the Navy for the first time since the Second World War. In particular, the cancellation of proper carriers in the 1966 Defence Review, almost exactly fifty years ago, and the paying off of the Invincible Class and the Harriers, has been entirely revisited.
The Chancellor has said, twice, that the Government "wants to deliver the most modern Navy in the world.” Yesterday he said "We are going to step up the aircraft carrier punch of the United Kingdom. We are going to make sure that when these aircraft carriers are available, they are going to have planes that can fly from them in force. By 2023, we will be able to have 24 of these jets - some of the most powerful in the world - the F35, on the decks of these carriers, and Britain, second only to the United States, will be able to project power abroad in order to defend ourselves at home."
Because carriers are at the heart of Defence, in practical terms this resets the whole Navy, our equipment and our operational programme, authorising more naval manpower which, alongside our own adjustments and redistribution, confirms the Government's expansion agenda for the Navy. We will ensure the revised operational programme, in particular, will bring very welcome extra stability, to help to further alleviate gapping and to allow you and your families to plan.
This puts us 'under orders', giving us the mandate and a good deal of the resources to deliver the global Royal Navy. This fits into the key Defence outcome of Joint Force 2025 - an expeditionary force based on a land division, a maritime task group and an expeditionary air group. This force will be drawn from a wide range of cutting-edge capabilities, Navy included. But we will benefit too from the wider shared Defence resources, such as new intelligence and reconnaissance platforms.
So what will SDSR 2015 mean for us? Here are the headlines for the Royal Navy:
✔ This is the first Defence Review that orders the Royal Navy to grow in capability and manpower
✔ We can't do it without you: Our People. So we will see rising Navy personnel numbers (full time and Reserve), no repeat of the redundancy rounds of the last review and a continued commitment to recruiting and retaining the best, most diverse talent for our journey ahead
✔ We have approval to reset and stabilise the Navy operational programme, to allow us to further alleviate gapping and to help you and your families to plan ahead
✔ Tens of billions of pounds are being invested in a Big Navy future: Renewed Strategic Deterrent (with a final Commons vote soon), 100% Carrier availability from two, more F35B jets (24 embarked from 2023 or earlier)
✔ At least 19 Frigates and Destroyers - Type 45 AAW destroyers, Type 26 ASW frigates, and a new generation of credible general purpose frigates
✔ New OPVs, with greater emphasis on training and Reserves, homeland security and global use
✔ Building "the most modern Navy in the world" - through a steady drumbeat of construction under the National Shipbuilding Strategy which, by the 2030s, will further increase the numbers of frigates and destroyers
✔ 3 Commando Brigade: The Nation’s amphibious force – high impact and low footprint, staying strong, with a powerful Special Forces contribution to Counter Terrorism, smarter fighting, and better vehicles
✔ Global reach with RFA support: 3 new Solid Support ships to join our 4 new Tide Class tankers, and RFA manpower protected
✔ 9 new Maritime Patrol Aircraft – working alongside our SSNs and ASW frigates and helicopters to protect the Deterrent and the Carriers and to keep our seas safe
✔ Further additions to HMS PRINCE OF WALES so she can support Counter Terrorism operations, including Commando and Special Forces raids and amphibious operations
✔ Much more investment in unmanned systems, especially Mine Counter Measures, and technology upgrades to defensive capabilities
✔ Using technology and innovation to get much more from our kit, a sharper war-fighting edge, and to ease the pressure on our hard-worked technical specialists.
✔ A Type 45 machinery improvement package to deliver the most modern AAW and BMD platform in the world more reliably
We now own this extraordinary plan. We know how tough the Nation's financial challenges are across other important departments. Nevertheless, Defence is allocated 2% GDP, and 0.5% growth each year, and a claim on the Joint Security Fund. Even so, it'll be tough to deliver. But, for years these capabilities are what we have argued patiently for.
And we must also run Navy business better. We know that, and we know there's still some short term pain for long term gain, whilst our focus remains where it is needed most: on the frontline and people, and especially for spares and support. We know it won’t all be plain sailing, and there will be some tough days ahead as we rethink and reset. But, we've just the people, Military and Civilian, and the attitude to do it.
This is our opportunity to grow, and ours alone - no one else must do our work for us. We've got people who have proudly and courageously brought their families with them on our tough Navy journey over so many years. We really owe it to them too, so please show them our plan.
Make no mistake - SDSR 2015 signals a remarkable turning point in the history of the Royal Navy - the signal to change our journey from decades of contraction to growth; the signal to aim for deployable and global power; the signal to believe in our future.
As has been the case for half a millennium, the Senior Service lies at the heart of our maritime Nation; a nation which has a deep rooted 'Navy faith'. In capability, technology, innovation, economics, and diplomatic effect, we will add to the 'Great' in Great Britain. With pride.
