Former First Sea Lord Lord West of Spithead has delivered a stark warning to the government, telling the House of Lords that the Royal Navy’s attack submarine fleet is in the “worst state in my 60 years of service”.
The comments came during an 8 December debate on the condition of the UK’s submarine force, where peers sharply criticised delays, maintenance problems and workforce shortages that have left the fleet struggling to meet operational commitments, including the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
‘Pretty horrifying for a maritime nation’
Lord West said chronic underinvestment in dry docks, engineering capacity, spare parts and recruitment had left the UK at times able to deploy only a single attack submarine, and occasionally none at all.
“That is pretty horrifying for a maritime nation of our stature,” he told peers.
He also warned about the pressure placed on the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD), saying boats were now conducting 200-day patrols with no backup available if something went wrong. “We have maintained it… but, my God, we should not be in that position,” he said.
Government insists problems are being addressed
Responding to the government, Defence Minister Lord Coaker acknowledged the scale of the problems but insisted they were being addressed under the First Sea Lord’s new 100-day plan aimed at stabilising “critical areas” of the Navy.
Coaker pointed to major investments already in progress, including infrastructure upgrades at Devonport and Faslane, as well as the £31bn Dreadnought submarine programme with an additional £10bn contingency.
He also confirmed efforts to expand the engineering workforce supporting the submarine flotilla. “We have started to ensure that we recruit more of those,” he said, adding that submariner recruitment and retention had improved.
Infrastructure delays and skills shortages
Pressed on the causes of the maintenance backlog, Coaker admitted that infrastructure delays had been a major factor. He said the Navy was examining the use of floating dry docks as a faster interim solution while long-term projects continue.
He also highlighted the wider national shortage of technical labour: “Getting technicians, engineers and the important skills that we need is a problem that has bedevilled our country for decades,” he told peers, calling for stronger vocational training pipelines.
Coaker praised the dedication of submariners who have sustained Operation Relentless, the UK’s continuous nuclear deterrent patrol, for 56 years. But he accepted that further measures were needed to protect the fleet as undersea threats evolve. “The First Sea Lord has announced further measures to protect the undersea environment to counter the new threats we face,” he said.
