Britain risks failing to deter future Russian aggression in the High North because the Royal Navy does not have enough submarines and warships available, MPs on the Commons defence select committee have warned. The cross-party group said the shortfalls mean the UK could be left exposed in a region increasingly central to its defence and security.
The committee pointed to the slow deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus this spring, declining numbers of frigates and reports that all five Astute-class attack submarines were in dock this summer. It described these as evidence of a navy that is under-resourced for the threat it faces, and said «dramatic progress» is needed by the end of the decade.
The High North has become a focal point for British defence planning as Vladimir Putin's Russia increasingly sends spy ships based there into British waters. The committee's findings suggest that the gap between the threat and the Royal Navy's ability to respond is widening at a time when the region's strategic importance is growing.
The warning comes as MPs press the government over the state of the armed forces more broadly. The committee's focus on the availability of attack submarines is significant because those vessels are central to tracking and deterring Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic and the waters around the UK. Having the entire Astute fleet in dock at once, even temporarily, limits the navy's ability to maintain a continuous presence.
The slow deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus was cited as a further illustration of the pressures on the surface fleet. The destroyer's delayed arrival highlighted how competing demands can stretch limited resources, and the committee linked this to the wider problem of declining frigate numbers.
MPs concluded that without faster progress in rebuilding the fleet and improving availability, the UK may not be able to deter Russian aggression beyond its own shores. The committee's report adds to a growing body of concern about military readiness, with warnings that «glaring gaps» in capability are leaving the country vulnerable to Russian submarine activity and sabotage in the High North.
The government has not yet responded in detail to the committee's findings. The report is likely to intensify scrutiny of defence spending and procurement decisions, particularly over how quickly new warships and submarines can be brought into service and kept operational.
For now, the committee's message is that the Royal Navy needs to make substantial improvements before the end of the decade if it is to meet the challenge posed by Russia in the High North. The MPs' warning places the issue firmly on the political agenda as questions grow over whether Britain's naval resources match its stated commitments.