The HMS Iron Duke was quietly retired after 30 years of service following years of technical issues and more than 1.7 million man-hours spent trying to fix it up
The Royal Navy has been left with just five key warships to defend Britain, according to reports.
The HMS Iron Duke was quietly retired from key duties after its weapons and sensors were removed. There had been no major announcement, despite the withdrawal coming just three years after a £103 million refit.
The frigate had suffered numerous technical issues since 2017 and more than 1.7 million man-hours have been spent in a bid to bring it up to standard. Its retirement has left the Royal Navy with just five frigates as the division’s budget comes under further constraints.
Engineers had been stripping parts from the vessel in order to use them on other warships in the Royal Navy. It had first been deployed in the 90s.
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Royal Navy chiefs have confirmed the withdrawal was part of an ongoing effort to replace the older Type 23 frigates with the more advanced Type 26 frigates. It comes as the Royal Navy sets out to introduce Type 31 frigates, promising some 13 new warships in the next few years.
The HMS Iron Duke had been one of the Royal Navy’s best warships and had protected shipping routes as well as supporting humanitarian operations. While the retiring of the vessel did not prompt criticism of the Royal Navy’s state on its own, it is yet another move that will add to growing calls for massive investment in the military.
General Richard Barrons said the Army has no money left to purchase new weapons before 2030 and “just about” enough funding for conventional vehicles and aircraft such as helicopters.
He also hit out at the government’s failure to public the blue for spending, the Defence Investment Plan. General Barrons said: “The armed forces know what they have to do but they just don’t have the money to do it.
“Our ability to defend our homeland, to make a contribution to NATO, is too thin. What actually has happened is that [spending] went backwards with the failure to settle the DIP, which should have been out in September [last year] and is still on the Prime Minister’s desk.”
The Ministry of Defence said, according to MailOnline: “The Royal Navy keeps planned out-of-service dates under continual review as part of routine force planning, balancing operational requirements and affordability. Any decommissioning decisions will be announced in the usual way.
“Through the Strategic Defence Review, we are building a new hybrid navy – investing in world-class submarines and cutting-edge warships, transforming our aircraft carriers, and introducing autonomous vessels to patrol the North Atlantic and beyond.”
