UK Scraps Type 83 Plans, Procures At Least Six Common Combat Vessels for Uncrewed Systems

Britain will scrap plans to replace its six Type 45 destroyers with the next-generation Type 83 class and instead procure at least six Common Combat Vessels under the updated Defence Investment Plan, with delivery expected from the early 2030s.

“- Published The Royal Navy is to transform the way it operates over the next few years”

BBC

The Ministry of Defence said the new Common Combat Vessels will act as control hubs for uncrewed systems, coordinating uncrewed systems in the air, on the surface and under the sea.

BBC

The BBC described the change as “hybridisation – combining traditional crew-operated weapons platforms like frigates, with fleets of uncrewed and autonomous systems,” as the Royal Navy keeps its frigates updated.

The BBC also said the Type 83 destroyers, “yet to be built, are now being scrapped in favour of the drones,” as the Navy’s surface fleet shifts toward distributed control.

In the Reuters reporting carried by gCaptain, Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said the Common Combat Vessels will provide “hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face,” linking the procurement decision to the threat environment.

The BBC framed the Defence Investment Plan’s shift as controversial, noting that John Healey resigned as defence secretary in protest at what he said was the government’s failure to spend enough money to properly defend Britain against threats primarily coming from Russia.

The BBC also quoted Bob Sawers, the managing director of the Audere Group, saying: "This [shift] reflects a growing recognition that defence must reform if it is to acquire capabilities that can adapt at the pace of conflict."

Forces News

Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy Commander, told the BBC that it was “cost-cutting, no doubt,” while also warning that “there are a lot of things drones can't do and the technology and weapons required to make this work will be expensive”.

The BBC said the Royal Marines are being allocated around £500m for fast Commando Insertion Craft and strike drones, as part of a Rapid Response Force.

In the Reuters reporting carried by gCaptain, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the strategy would be unveiled within days and told Sky News: “We have to be ready for any future war and what that will be like, not whatever the last war was like,” tying the procurement debate to readiness.

The BBC said the drones and the new approach will be deployed in the North Atlantic to confront the threat from Russia's submarines and “research” vessels that have been taking an unhealthy interest in vulnerable undersea cables.

“LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) – Britain will scrap plans to replace its aging destroyers and will instead procure at least six “Common Combat Vessels” to serve as control hubs for uncrewed systems, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday”

gCaptain

The BBC warned that the undersea cables carry more than 90% of the UK's data, including trillions of dollars' worth of financial transactions, making the undersea infrastructure a central stake in the new naval posture.

The BBC said the Royal Navy’s updated Defence Investment Plan is being refocused by Dan Jarvis to take on more of the lessons from Ukraine and Iran, with Ukraine’s use of drone technology described as driving back Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

In the Shephard Media report, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed plans to downsize its assault ship ambitions and procure “at least six” Common Combat Vessels as the Royal Navy’s first “hybrid” warship.

In NavalToday’s account of the same shift, Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “Our Royal Navy is a formidable force, operating to protect our nation and our allies in the Atlantic and beyond,” positioning the Common Combat Vessels as part of a broader Atlantic-facing deterrence posture.