The UK will scrap five warships, dozens of military helicopters and a fleet of drones to save money despite growing threats from Russia and a war raging in Europe.
John Healey, the defence secretary, announced the dramatic move in parliament on Wednesday, saying it would save up to half a billion pounds over the next five years.
The defence secretary described the equipment being axed as “outdated” and said the “common sense” decision to retire them was long overdue.
He signalled the decision was part of a plan to restructure and modernise the armed forces, which have already been significantly reduced in size following decades of cost-saving cuts, with new capabilities due to come online to replace the gaps.
“We face increasing global threats,” Mr Healey said in a written statement that was released at the same time as he addressed MPs.
“War in Europe, growing Russian aggression, conflict in the Middle East and technology changing the nature of warfare. As a result, defence needs increased resilience and readiness for the future.”
More on Army
Related Topics:
At the same time, though, he said the defence budget faced “serious financial pressures”.
Image: Defence Secretary John Healey speaking in parliament on Wednesday
He repeated a pledge that the government would set out a course to lift the defence budget to 2.5% of national income – but yet again without giving a date.
Advertisement
The defence secretary then spelt out what “difficult decisions” meant in reality.
“To ensure that Britain is kept secure at home and strong abroad in a changing world, defence needs to make changes too. Difficult decisions are required,” he said.
The weapons systems on the chopping block are:
• The Royal Navy’s two amphibious assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. They will be taken out of service at the end of the year – around a decade early in a blow to the ability of the Royal Marines to launch land assaults from the sea. • A fleet of 17 Royal Air Force Puma helicopters, as well as 14 of the military’s oldest Chinook helicopters • A fleet of 47 Watchkeeper drones – each worth about £5m – barely six years since they entered into service • HMS Northumberland, a Type 23 frigate, which is in need of costly repairs and has already operated well beyond an 18-year out-of-service date • Two large Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler – vessels which carry fuel and supplies to enable the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers to operate around the world.
Image: HMS Albion is due for the chopping block. File pic: Reuters
Image: HMS Bulwark. Pic: PA
The announcement, while uncomfortable, is designed to be the least damaging way to reduce costs while retaining capability.
It comes ahead of a plan by the government to publish a sweeping new review of defence in the spring, which is being drawn up by an external team and is expected to recommend extensive changes across the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The Ministry of Defence says that the equipment that is being axed – the term used is “accelerated retirement” – was selected because it is outdated and military chiefs need to focus finite money and personnel instead on the weapons systems most suited to modern warfare.
However, Russia’s war in Ukraine has demonstrated that old, outdated weapons are better than no weapons at all.
The Russian armed forces have relied heavily on old tanks, artillery guns and helicopters to fight after the weapons they used in the first weeks and months of the war were destroyed.
It takes years to build warships and helicopters.
Sir Keir Starmer will face uncomfortable challenges at the sight of amphibious assault vessels and Chinook transport helicopters being sold off or scrapped regardless of how old they are.
Yet it costs money to keep equipment in storage just in case it is needed.
Limited funds allocated to defence mean that military chiefs appear to have decided that scrapping weapons early is the least worst option.
The decision to scrap the British Army’s Mark 1 version of the Watchkeeper drone at a time when drones are such a dominant asset on the battlefield may also be tricky to defend.
Image: A Watchkeeper drone on display in France in 2012. File pic: AP
However, the programme has been beset by delays, cost overruns and flaws.
The first Watchkeeper drones only started operating around 2018 – some eight years late.
They also struggle to operate in poor weather conditions – limiting their utility.
The rapid pace of evolving technology in drone warfare – where the development cycle is a mere six to eight weeks – means that the technology inside Watchkeeper, which was conceived of more than 14 years ago, may well be easily defeated in a fight.
It is understood that scrapping the aircraft means that the army will be able to focus money on developing new innovative drone capabilities.
Photographed in a beam of sunlight, Prince William walked through Westminster Abbey with the King behind him.
The ornate robes of the Order of the Bath service, two weeks ago, felt like a world away from the more modern image he wants to portray.
But as a man bestowed with so many traditional titles, it’s a new role he’s shaping for himself that is more intriguing – William, the quiet disruptor.
Image: The Prince of Wales at the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey. Pic: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
In a week when Time Magazine named the Prince and Princess of Wales in its top 100 philanthropists list for “modernising royal philanthropy”, I spent the week following the prince on various engagements.
None of them particularly headline-grabbing, but all examples of how he’s setting out to do things differently, or underlining the challenges, and potential criticisms, he faces doing things his own way.
Take Tuesday, for example.
We weren’t expecting him to turn up as we waited at the Soho Hotel in London to watch a new series of films about the dangers faced by wildlife rangers, a project described as “the brainchild” of Prince William.
But all of a sudden, there he was in the room, taking the mic to explain what it really means to him.
Speaking about his drive to “give a voice to the voiceless”, it was indicative of what feels like a greater desire from him to articulate more publicly what he stands for.
Since November, when he described how he wanted to carry out his duties with “a smaller r in the royal”, you’ve got the sense William, and his team, have further wanted to cement in our minds where he sees his role.
From conversations this week, with those who work closely with him, the word “convening” came up time and again; the prince doesn’t want to waste what he knows is a unique position, to bring people together, start conversations and support those who are already doing amazing things in their communities.
Image: Prince William recording the opening scenes for a documentary about rangers and the dangers they face.
Pic: PA
Shifting the dial
But this isn’t just about him personally.
This is now a man whose vision for the monarchy, I’m told, is increasingly driven by a desire to “shift the dial on global leadership” where others may be failing.
With palace sources telling me he’d be more than happy to “be acknowledged” as a quiet disruptor, despite the criticism his new ways of working might bring.
Those who’ve known him a long time will tell you this compulsion to do things differently has been there for some time.
Image: Prince William during a recent royal visit.
Pic: PA
Dr Tessy Ojo, the chief executive from The Diana Award, has worked with Prince William and Prince Harry for over 20 years.
She said: “They would never do royal engagements from the sense of cutting the ribbon or simply being poster people. We were very clearly warned if you wanted any form of engagement, it almost had to have a whole strategy behind it.”
She told me she has always sensed how much William appreciates the responsibility that comes with his role, especially in a world where “there’s a massive demand on leadership… there’s a lot of distrust on leaders”.
“What people wanted 40 years ago from their monarch is completely different,” she said.
“I think it’s super important that as the heir, as the next monarch, he’s very in tune with what the people want, and what people expect. And being able to be that 21st century monarch, who is a present dad, but also a leader who understands how to use your leadership for social good”.
A modern royal
Wednesday, and William walked into a sweaty, but infectiously positive, community hall in Leith in Edinburgh.
No ribbon cutting here, but this is the kind of visit the prince now sees as a big deal, “impact” the buzz word ahead of any engagement now.
A very lively game of football launching what they hope will be a long-term tie-up between the Royal Foundation (their charitable trust), Leith community centre and Street Soccer Scotland.
Image: The Prince of Wales playing football during the visit to Leith.
Pic: PA
Image: Pic: PA
On Thursday, the sight of a guard of honour saluting the prince and princess, as the national anthem was played alongside HMS Glasgow, just emphasised the regular handbrake turns they face from the more relaxed to the formal, as they want to make the monarchy feel connected and relevant.
Then there is family to consider, in a way that past generations just haven’t.
Their working diaries are now arranged around their children. They’ve made no secret of that.
On paper, it means fewer engagements compared to other members of the family, and it has led to mutterings of that word no one within the palace wants to hear: “workshy”.
Image: The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the naming ceremony for HMS Glasgow.
Pic: PA
Making an impact?
But talking to people in Glasgow, away from the royal visit, I overwhelmingly found most thought William was setting a good example by putting family first.
What people were less clear on was his “social impact” work and what that is all about.
The community projects may not necessarily grab as much attention as William and his advisors want, but what will be fascinating to watch is the potential long-term impact of this new kind of ethos.
As the Prince and Princess of Wales stood on the steps of Buckingham Palace at a garden party on Tuesday, pausing for the national anthem, you can’t help but wonder whether those traditional elements of royal life could face a shake-up when one day he leads the firm full time.
Understandably, no one likes to talk about transition, and Prince William certainly doesn’t shout about his thoughts on what will come.
South Western Railway (SWR) has been renationalised this weekend as part of the government’s transition towards Great British Railways.
The train operator officially came under public ownership at around 2am on Sunday – and the first journey, the 5.36am from Woking, was partly a rail replacement bus service due to engineering works.
Image: Pic: PA
So what difference will renationalisation make to passengers and will journeys be cheaper?
What is nationalisation?
Nationalisation means the government taking control of industries or companies, taking them from private to public ownership.
England’s railway lines are currently run by train operating companies as franchises under fixed-term contracts, but Labour have said they want to take control of the lines when those fixed terms end.
Image: Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. Pic: PA
In its manifesto, the party vowed to return rail journeys to public ownership within five years by establishing Great British Railways (GBR) to run both the network tracks and trains.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who travelled on the first renationalised departure from London Waterloo, said, before boarding, it was “a new dawn for our railways” and “a watershed moment”.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.
“But I know that most users of the railway don’t spend much time thinking about who runs the trains – they just want them to work,” she added. “That’s why operators will have to meet rigorous performance standards and earn the right to be called Great British Railways.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
6:32
How reliable are UK trains?
How will ticket prices be affected?
Labour have argued cutting off payments flowing into the private sector could save the taxpayer £150m a year.
But the government has not explicitly promised the savings made from nationalisation will be used to subsidise fees.
It is unlikely rail fares will fall as a result of nationalisation, rail analyst William Barter told Sky News.
“The government could mandate fare cuts if it wanted to, but there’s no sign it wants to,” he said.
“At the moment, I’m sure they would want to keep the money rather than give it back to passengers. The current operator aims to maximise revenue, and there’s no reason the government would want them to do anything differently under government control.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:54
UK has most expensive train tickets in Europe
What difference will it make for passengers?
Britain’s railways are frequently plagued by delays, cuts to services and timetable issues, but Mr Barter said nationalisation will make very little day-to-day difference to passengers.
There was “no reason to think” the move would improve issues around delays and cancellation of services, he said.
“It’s going to be the same people, the same management,” he explained.
“The facts of what the operator has to deal with in terms of revenue, infrastructure, reliability, all the rest of it – they haven’t changed.”
Image: Pic: iStock
Which services are next to be nationalised?
In the longer term, the move is likely to bring “a degree of certainty compared with relatively short-term franchises”, Mr Barter said, noting the government would only want to renationalise a franchise “because in one way or another something very bad is going on in that franchise, so in a way it can only get better”.
It also means the government will have greater accountability for fixing problems with punctuality and cancellations.
Mr Barter said: “If this is the government’s baby, then they’re going to do their best to make sure it doesn’t fail. So rather than having a franchise holder they can use as a political scapegoat, it’s theirs now.”
He added: “In the short term, I don’t think you’d expect to see any sort of change. Long term, you’ll see stability and integration bringing about gradual benefits. There’s not a silver bullet of that sort here.”
Britain’s railway services were privatised in the mid-1990s.
Image: South Western Railway came under public ownership at around 2am on Sunday. Pic: PA
Now, all services run by private companies will be renationalised as contracts reach the end of their minimum terms, with the process due to be completed by the end of 2027.
The next operator’s services to be brought under public control will be c2c – which runs between London and Essex – on 20 July, with Greater Anglia following in October, before seven more companies transfer over when their franchises end in the future.
Operators that were already under public ownership are LNER, Northern, Southeastern and TransPennine Express.
Alan Yentob, the former BBC presenter and executive, has died aged 78.
A statement from his family, shared by the BBC, said Yentob died on Saturday.
His wife Philippa Walker said: “For Jacob, Bella and I, every day with Alan held the promise of something unexpected. Our life was exciting, he was exciting.
“He was curious, funny, annoying, late, and creative in every cell of his body. But more than that, he was the kindest of men and a profoundly moral man. He leaves in his wake a trail of love a mile wide.”
Yentob joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968 and held a number of positions – including controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television, and head of music and art.
He was also the director of BBC drama, entertainment, and children’s TV.
Yentob launched CBBC and CBeebies, and his drama commissions included Pride And Prejudice and Middlemarch.
Image: Alan Yentob (left) with former BBC director general Tony Hall in 2012. Pic: Reuters.
The TV executive was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King in 2024 for services to the arts and media.
In a tribute, the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie said: “Alan Yentob was a towering figure in British broadcasting and the arts. A creative force and a cultural visionary, he shaped decades of programming at the BBC and beyond, with a passion for storytelling and public service that leave a lasting legacy.
“Above all, Alan was a true original. His passion wasn’t performative – it was personal. He believed in the power of culture to enrich, challenge and connect us.”
BBC Radio 4 presenter Amol Rajan described him on Instagram as “such a unique and kind man: an improbable impresario from unlikely origins who became a towering figure in the culture of post-war Britain.