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Navy to build drone-equipped warships instead of replacing ageing destroyers

28 June 2026

Plans to replace ageing warships will be scrapped in favour of building at least six new modern "hybrid" vessels equipped to deploy drones as part of the UK's upcoming defence strategy.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the new vessels would be more suited to the "pace and nature of modern warfare", and a better investment than a "small number of large expensive ships".

[...]

Instead, investment will now go towards six new Common Combat Vessels, which the department said would be capable of "coordinating uncrewed systems in the air, on the surface and under the sea to deliver more resilient air defence".

It said the change in approach would extend "the Navy's reach, resilience and firepower without a proportional increase in crew or cost".

The government did not specify how much funding had been set aside in the DIP for development of the new vessels, which are expected to be delivered in the 2030s.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ky95ndx92o

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