Officials have discussed whether at least one of the ships should be scrapped to address financial problems, the paper claims
Two of Britain’s aircraft carriers, which are said to serve as the backbone of the Royal Navy, would have major battlefield vulnerabilities in a potential conflict with a near-peer adversary, The Times reported on Friday, citing sources.
A defense source told the paper that the UK military had run a “whole load of scenarios” simulating a full-scale conflict, in which the navy’s “ability to survive” was tested against an “overwhelming force.” The war games, the details of which are secret, involved HMS Queen Elizabeth – the fleet’s current flagship – and HMS Prince of Wales, which were commissioned in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
Designed to project UK power across the globe, both vessels can carry up to 40 aircraft, including advanced F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, and can host helicopters for anti-submarine warfare as well as troop transports.
A Times source familiar with the situation admitted that “in most war games, the carriers get sunk,” adding that the ships are particularly vulnerable to missiles. One military official explained that the navy command stretches “everything to the limit” during these test runs. “At some point, you will get to a scenario where it [the carrier] is sunk,” he said.
The British paper noted that China, one of the potential adversaries of the UK, is improving its arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles and supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as its radar capabilities.
According to The Times, British military leaders are trying to find assets they can get rid of to save billions of dollars, with discussions underway about whether aircraft carriers are a must for waging modern warfare. During a high-profile meeting, “the prospect of scrapping at least one carrier to help with financial problems was raised,” the report said.
However, one source suggested that while all options remain on the table, it is highly unlikely that the UK would decommission one of its carriers, as it “would downgrade our commitment [to NATO] at a time when the US are signaling moving away.”
Former First Sea Lord Alan West said aircraft carriers are among the most versatile assets in the UK’s arsenal, adding: “If carriers are so useless, why are the Chinese, Americans and Indians desperately building up their carrier forces?”
British officials and media reports have been sounding the alarm for years about the inadequate combat readiness of the British military, with Defense Secretary John Healey saying last month that the armed forces are “hollowed out” and “underfunded.”
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