Britain’s naval strength has come under intense scrutiny after the Royal Navy was forced to rely on a German warship for a major NATO mission, as Donald Trump launched a stinging attack on the UK’s military capabilities.
In a move that has sparked widespread criticism, the German frigate FGS Sachsen will now lead a North Atlantic deployment originally assigned to HMS Dragon. The British destroyer was redeployed to Cyprus earlier this month amid rising tensions linked to the Iran conflict, leaving the UK unable to carry out the mission alone.
The situation has fuelled claims that Britain has effectively “run out of ships”.
Adding to the controversy, Trump openly mocked the UK’s aircraft carriers, saying they “aren’t the best” and branding them “toys compared to what we have”.
His remarks have intensified an already fierce backlash across defence and political circles.
Former NATO commander General Sir Richard Shirreff warned the situation sends a “bloody awful message”, undermining Britain’s credibility with its allies. Meanwhile, Second World War Royal Marine veteran Doug Cheshire, 102, described the state of affairs as a “damn disgrace”, adding: “If Churchill was alive he would sack every one of them.”
The criticism comes just weeks after another embarrassing episode, when an Iranian drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus while no British warship was in position to respond. HMS Dragon took nearly a month to reach the island, prompting anger locally and calls from some Cypriots to remove British bases altogether.
Now, with Germany stepping in to lead the NATO mission, concerns over Britain’s shrinking naval capability have deepened.
Officials have sought to downplay the situation. The German Embassy described the move as a sign of strong UK-Germany cooperation, while the Ministry of Defence insisted it is not unusual for NATO missions to be led from allied ships, even when commanded by Royal Navy personnel.
However, critics remain unconvinced.
Conservative MP and former Army officer Ben Obese-Jecty said the episode shows the UK has “seemingly run out of ships”, warning that “Britannia no longer rules the waves”.
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West echoed those concerns, stating that allies are increasingly noticing Britain is no longer the naval power it once was. “Our American allies are looking at us and saying, ‘this isn’t the British we’re used to’,” he warned.
Defence Secretary John Healey has admitted he is “not happy with the situation”, pointing out that it can take up to six years to build a warship. However, he faced further scrutiny after incorrectly stating the number of available frigates and destroyers during a broadcast interview, claiming there were 17, when the actual figure is 13.
The pressure has been compounded by revised NATO figures showing UK defence spending has fallen short of earlier estimates. Britain is now reported to have spent 2.31 per cent of GDP on defence last year, with 2024 figures also adjusted downwards.
While military sources insist the change is due to GDP recalculations rather than actual cuts, critics argue it adds to concerns about long-term investment in defence.
The Ministry of Defence has defended its position, highlighting a £9 billion increase in spending since 2023 and pledging £270 billion in defence investment over this Parliament, the largest sustained increase since the Cold War.
Yet for many, the optics are hard to ignore.
With Britain relying on allies to fill operational gaps and facing criticism from both abroad and at home, the episode has reignited a pressing question: can the UK still project the military strength it once did?
