The Royal Navy will have Common Combat Vessels (CCVs) acting as drone command warships rather than Type 83 destroyers as it transitions into a Hybrid Navy.
Reports of the switch have emerged ahead of publication of the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which is now expected to be published tomorrow (Tuesday).
The DIP is expected to lay out plans to axe the Type 83 destroyers which had been expected to replace the existing Type 45 warships as part of the RN’s mooted Future Air Dominance System (FADS).
Instead “at least six” CCVs will be procured to coordinate uncrewed systems (UxS) under the sea, on the waves, and above them.
These CCVs are expected to be built in the U.K. and delivered from the early 2030s onwards; previously there has been speculation that Type 31 and Type 26 frigates, being built by Babcock and BAE Systems respectively, will initially act as CCVs.
New-in-post Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis claimed these CCVs will give sailors “hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face.”
A U.K. MoD press statement noted: “Rather than concentrating capability in a small number of large, expensive ships, the Royal Navy’s shift to a hybrid navy will mix crewed and uncrewed capabilities and be more suited to the pace and nature of modern warfare.
“The funding announced in the DIP allows the National Armaments Director Group to commence the design work that will underpin the fundamental shift in how to deliver Air Defence at and from the sea.
“When in service, these CCVs will work alongside eight Type 26 and five Type 31 crewed frigates, as well as Type 91 uncrewed missile platforms, Type 92 uncrewed underwater sensing platforms, Type 93 Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles and Type 94 uncrewed sensor platforms, representing a once-in-a-generation investment in new maritime capability.”
The reports follow an announcement by the Ministry of Defence yesterday (Sunday) to buy new drones and high-speed Commando Insertion Craft (CICs) for the U.K. Commando Force.
The press statement said more than £500 million will be allocated for the new equipment, with a focus on “getting the latest kit into the hands of military personnel on the frontline.”
It said close to £100 million will be spent on uncrewed vessels, next-generation communications, networked targeting and strike drones.
It also took in plans to create a combined force with the commandos of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which involved increased U.K. investment in larger Amphibious Transport Ships.
- You can read more details on the U.K. Government website about both the Commando Force and the Common Combat Vessels announcements