Financial constraints lead UK military to decommission warships and aircraft
The British military plans to decommission five warships along with numerous helicopters and drones in an effort to ease financial strain, according to John Healey. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
"Difficult decisions are required” to save the military hundreds of millions of pounds, Defense Secretary John Healey has said.
The British military will be discontinuing several warships and dozens of helicopters and drones as it grapples with a significant multi-billion pound budget deficit, according to a statement from Defense Secretary John Healey.
During his address to Parliament on Wednesday, Healey emphasized that “difficult decisions are required” from the Labour government to ensure national safety amid “increasing global threats,” including those arising from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Healey acknowledged the “serious financial pressures in the defense budget,” stating that the UK will retire five warships in total. This includes the amphibious assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, the large auxiliary ships RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler, which are crucial for logistical support, as well as the frigate HMS Northumberland.
Additionally, the Defense Ministry will phase out 14 Chinook and 17 Puma transport helicopters, as well as 46 Watchkeeper drones. The latter will be retired in March 2025, despite being introduced only in 2010. Healey assured that these drones will be succeeded by “a new advanced capability.”
In further remarks, Healey reported that the Labour government “has taken immediate action, confirming an additional £2.9 billion for the Defense budget in 2025-2026 to help start to fix the foundations of UK defense.” He added that this action “will set a clear path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defense,” noting that the current expenditure is just over 2% of GDP.
Healey hinted that additional military assets may also be at risk. “These are not the only difficult decisions we will need to make as a new Government to deal with the fiscal inheritance,” he stated, while estimating that the new measures will save the UK military £150 million over the next two years, and potentially up to £500 million over five years.
In response, Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartlidge criticized the decision, contending that the Labour government “is weakening our national security.”
This announcement follows a warning from the UK National Audit Office in December, which highlighted a substantial budget shortfall of £16.9 billion, despite an increase of £46.3 billion in the military budget from 2023 to 2033. Furthermore, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reported in March that the actual deficit might reach as high as £29 billion, as the military had excluded some government requests from its budget calculations while focusing only on more affordable items.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
The British military will be discontinuing several warships and dozens of helicopters and drones as it grapples with a significant multi-billion pound budget deficit, according to a statement from Defense Secretary John Healey.
During his address to Parliament on Wednesday, Healey emphasized that “difficult decisions are required” from the Labour government to ensure national safety amid “increasing global threats,” including those arising from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Healey acknowledged the “serious financial pressures in the defense budget,” stating that the UK will retire five warships in total. This includes the amphibious assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, the large auxiliary ships RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler, which are crucial for logistical support, as well as the frigate HMS Northumberland.
Additionally, the Defense Ministry will phase out 14 Chinook and 17 Puma transport helicopters, as well as 46 Watchkeeper drones. The latter will be retired in March 2025, despite being introduced only in 2010. Healey assured that these drones will be succeeded by “a new advanced capability.”
In further remarks, Healey reported that the Labour government “has taken immediate action, confirming an additional £2.9 billion for the Defense budget in 2025-2026 to help start to fix the foundations of UK defense.” He added that this action “will set a clear path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defense,” noting that the current expenditure is just over 2% of GDP.
Healey hinted that additional military assets may also be at risk. “These are not the only difficult decisions we will need to make as a new Government to deal with the fiscal inheritance,” he stated, while estimating that the new measures will save the UK military £150 million over the next two years, and potentially up to £500 million over five years.
In response, Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartlidge criticized the decision, contending that the Labour government “is weakening our national security.”
This announcement follows a warning from the UK National Audit Office in December, which highlighted a substantial budget shortfall of £16.9 billion, despite an increase of £46.3 billion in the military budget from 2023 to 2033. Furthermore, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reported in March that the actual deficit might reach as high as £29 billion, as the military had excluded some government requests from its budget calculations while focusing only on more affordable items.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
