British Forces News

The Royal Navy's flagship HMS Ocean will not get a last-minute reprieve despite the launch of a review into the nation's future defence needs, ministers have confirmed. 

Former Head of the Navy Lord West of Spithead described as "foolhardy" the failure to halt the planned paying-off of warships, particularly after it was shown there was no money for a proposed fleet of next-generation frigates. 

Former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Campbell of Pittenweem also argued against decisions being taken that could have an impact on the UK's military capability before the defence review concluded. 

It was recently reported the amphibious assault vessel HMS Ocean, Britain's biggest active warship, had been sold to Brazil for £84.3 million. 

Meanwhile, the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned the Ministry of Defence (MoD) faces a financial black hole in the armed forces' equipment budget of up to £20 billion. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the £180 billion 10-year equipment plan was "unaffordable" and did not represent a "realistic forecast" of the costs it would need to meet. 

Defence minister Earl Howe told peers there had been no change to the planned pay-off of any warships, despite the launch of a review "to make sure that our armed forces are able to meet the intensifying threats that this country faces". 

Given the current threats faced and the implications of Brexit, Lord West said: "It would seem that making any decisions about paying off ships that have already been decided would be rather foolhardy, not least because of the recent NAO report on the MoD equipment plan showing that there is no money there at all for the five frigates that have been much trumpeted." 

He called for vessels to be held in reserve until a conclusion was reached on Britain's military requirements. 

But Lord Howe pointed out the mothballing of ships carried a cost. 

The minister added: "If he is referring to HMS Ocean, I am afraid that the decision not to extend her life has been taken and she will decommission this year as planned." 

Lord Campbell said: "If the integrity of the modernisation is to be preserved, no decisions can be taken that will affect capability between now and the conclusions of that review." 

Opposition spokesman Lord Tunnicliffe pointed out the military equipment plan did not include the cost of the five new frigates.