UK Defence Secretary John Healey has unveiled plans to formally decommission five Royal Navy vessels, including both of the service’s last two amphibious assault ships. All five have been unofficially slated for sale or decommissioning, some for years, but Healey’s decision to formalize their removal from the fleet drew heavy criticism from the opposition.
“Before the election, we knew there were serious problems with defense – one previous Defence Secretary told this House last year that our Armed Forces had been ‘hollowed out and underfunded’ over the last 14 years. However, as I have told the House since taking office, the problems were even worse than we thought,” said Healey in an address before the House of Commons.
The assets slated for decommissioning include frigate HMS Northumberland, built in 1989 and refitted in 2018. During a drydocking earlier this year, the Royal Navy discovered “structural damage that makes her simply uneconomical to repair.” UK defense outlet Navy Lookout noted that Northumberland and her Type 23 sister ships were built out of thinner plate and designed for an 18-year service life – a life that they have long since outlasted.
The amphibs HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which have both been idle at the pier, will also be…