United Kingdom · Russia · Ukraine · The Register
Royal Navy chief backs drones, autonomous weapons in ‘Hybrid Navy’
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◎ Multiple-sources
The leader of Britain’s Royal Navy has outlined a “Hybrid Navy” built on a mix of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous platforms to ensure it can continue to defend the nation and operate overseas.
Key facts
- The good(ish) news is that newer Type 26 sub-hunting frigates are now being built, with the first, HMS Glasgow, now fitting out ahead of sea trials, and expected to enter service in 2028
- What this means is that the navy is overstretched, especially when it is expected to guard pretty much the entire North Atlantic against Russian Navy activity, and the latter has an estimated 66
- Last month, the Royal Navy spent 10 days tracking and deterring Russian submarines trying to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, and Jenkins said that all the signs suggest — He has promised more details later this summer on how the Hybrid Navy will be delivered, and said, "By the time the reporter depart in 2029, the reporter is determined that the Royal Navy will be much stronger
Summary
In a speech at the defense and security think tank, the Royal United Services Institute ( RUSI ), the First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said that there was still much a place for the navy in the modern world, but that adopting new technology is critical to its future capabilities. This need has become clear as threats have evolved over the past decade, and has been brought into sharp focus by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the more recent conflict in the Middle East, he said.
By traditional platforms, he means the surface vessels that make up the navy - its destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers.