Royal Navy chief backs drones, autonomous weapons in ‘Hybrid Navy’
- Reference: 1777804214
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/05/03/future_royal_navy_drones_high_tech/
- Source link:
In a speech at the defense and security think tank, the Royal United Services Institute ( [1]RUSI ), the First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said that there was still very much a place for the navy in the modern world, but that adopting new technology is critical to its future capabilities.
This need has become clear as threats have evolved over the past decade, and has been brought into sharp focus by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the more recent conflict in the Middle East, he said.
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The shutting of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping by Iran demonstrated two things: that sea power is vital to maintain the free flow of trade and uphold freedom of navigation, but also the vulnerability of traditional platforms in the face of new threats, such as low-cost suicide drones.
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By traditional platforms, he means the surface vessels that make up the navy - its destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers. These are vulnerable to new kinds of airborne drones and missiles, but also sea-going uncrewed weapons, as Ukraine has shown by destroying or disabling a third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
"Can we fight today, and if so, with what? I am not here to dodge these questions. I am here to show you that we have a plan – and that the Royal Navy is rising to the challenge," Jenkins said.
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The Royal Navy's preparations are being built around five key areas, he said, just one of which is the Hybrid Navy.
This is a vision for a future fleet transformed into a mix of crewed, uncrewed and autonomous assets, comprising traditional air, surface and subsurface systems working with and alongside drones and other cutting-edge weapon systems.
The aim is to have the first uncrewed escort ships sailing alongside Royal Navy warships within the next two years. Another goal is to launch the first jet-powered drone from one of the carriers next year, as part of [6]Project VANQUISH .
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A key objective of this scheme is to provide the additional capabilities, mass, and scalability the Royal Navy needs in order to be able to meet all of its obligations.
In case anyone hasn't noticed, the navy may have two giant aircraft carriers at its disposal, but the rest of its fighting vessels currently comprise just seven Type 23 frigates out of an original 16, and six Type 45 destroyers – half of which are undergoing long-term upgrades.
When it comes to submarines, the RN has six Astute-class "hunter-killer" submarines, and four Vanguard-class, which carry nuclear missiles.
What this means is that the navy is overstretched, especially when it is expected to guard pretty much the entire North Atlantic against Russian Navy activity, and the latter has an estimated 66 submarines - and growing.
The good(ish) news is that newer [8]Type 26 sub-hunting frigates are now being built, with the first, HMS Glasgow, now fitting out ahead of sea trials, and expected to enter service in 2028. And the first of a class of general-purpose frigate, the [9]Type 31 , is also expected to enter service before the end of the decade.
But the Royal Navy will still be overstretched even with these, and so uncrewed and autonomous platforms are seen as a way of filling out the gaps in its depleted fleet. This might be realized by a surface vessel acting as the command ship for a number of uncrewed ships accompanying it, but others will be expected to patrol alone at sea, looking out for submarines.
Russia's reinvestment in its submarine programs poses the most acute threat to Britain, according to Jenkins. Like our surface fleet, our submarines spent a substantial amount of time responding to Russian undersea activity over the past year or so, he said.
[10]Royal Navy races to arm ships against drone threat
[11]DragonFire laser to be fitted to Royal Navy ships after acing drone-zapping trials
[12]Britain eyes satellite laser warning system and carrier-launched jet drones
[13]Norway's £10B UK frigate deal could delay Royal Navy ships
Just last month, the Royal Navy spent 10 days [14]tracking and deterring Russian submarines trying to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, and Jenkins said that all the signs suggest this pattern of behavior by Moscow will only worsen further in future.
The Hybrid Navy is planned to include Atlantic Bastion, which aims to build a layered sensor network across the North Atlantic; Atlantic Shield, focused on integrated air and missile defense; and Atlantic Strike, involving hybrid carrier strike groups with precision long-range strike capability and Royal Marine Commando forces teamed with uncrewed surface, land, and air systems to bolster capabilities.
Jenkins said that the navy is already taking steps towards its intended goal. Last month, it held a wargame to test the potential of the Hybrid Navy, and has taken delivery of [15]20 uncrewed boats made by UK firm Kraken Technology to be used by 47 Commando Royal Marines, for training and operations.
He has promised more details later this summer on how the Hybrid Navy will be delivered, and said, "By the time I depart in 2029, I am determined that the Royal Navy will be much stronger than the one I inherited."
It will be a very different Royal Navy from the current one, and some may feel uncomfortable about the pace of this transformation, he said, "But our island's history shows us why it must be done."
Let's just hope the UK government is willing to provide the funding for all this. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.rusi.org/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2afdxKp51AeO1IngvtMZnmQAAAAM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44afdxKp51AeO1IngvtMZnmQAAAAM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33afdxKp51AeO1IngvtMZnmQAAAAM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44afdxKp51AeO1IngvtMZnmQAAAAM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/uk_satellite_laser_drone/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33afdxKp51AeO1IngvtMZnmQAAAAM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/01/norway_uk_frigate_deal/
[9] https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/equipment/ships/inspiration-class
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/09/uks_royal_navy_desperately_seeking/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/24/royal_navy_dragonfire_laser/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/uk_satellite_laser_drone/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/01/norway_uk_frigate_deal/
[14] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/09/uk-navy-russian-submarines-undersea-cables-north-atlantic
[15] https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2026/march/11/20260311-kraken-usv-procurement-announcement
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: And so ..
Don't worry, it will be decades late, way overbudget and won't work anyway.
Re: And so ..
The robot escorts will certainly work, just not in the Navy.
As if there's a choice!
With a critical shortage of manpower, zero heavy industrial capacity and a populace that wouldn't fight for the UK at any price, going autonomous is the only option left.
Re: As if there's a choice!
Problem is, who is going to build them? Import from China? US is in the same situation. We (US) has become great at jawboning and spending huge sums discussing new bestest ways to do things. To implement our grand ideas, we outsource to a country that can build it and build it cheap. Because all the profit has to go for jawboning.
Re: As if there's a choice!
The US is a lot further geographically from any threat and its also self-sufficient in terms of raw materials. By contrast, the situation in Europe is pretty dire with energy shortages being the most pressing of several existential threats.
Re: As if there's a choice!
Autonomous escorts may protect your crewed ships, but they'll have plenty of demands for maintenance at sea by people coming over temporarily, and operators on other ships to keep them doing the jobs they should I expect - not sure there'll be a genuine saving in people required. Certainly they'll need industry to make them. I think the idea is to make sure your crrewed ships are protected and to keep squishy and hard to replace people out of the line of fire.
First, decide your purpose
As always, first decide your purpose. Then it will all become clear.
“the navy is overstretched, especially when it is expected to guard pretty much the entire North Atlantic against Russian Navy activity”
Who expects this? I don’t.
Two years ago, perhaps, but not today. The clear reason to do so is ONLY to maintain our NATO responsibilities and alliance with the USA. It’s a protection fleet FOR THE USA. As of 18 months ago, Orange Man says he doesn’t need that. Okay, then we should take him at his word, and send him a letter explaining that the UK will no longer pay for the Defense of the whole US Eastern seaboard. They can pay for their own defense, we have other matters to attend to.
This has the major added benefit of - if the USA had to defend their Eastern seaboard from where they are, it would probably take at least 5-8 carrier strike groups to cover the area on continuous patrol. There would be nothing left to cause trouble anywhere else. Job Done.
The UK doesnt need any aircraft carriers either. We have no need to project expeditionary warfare force around the world.
Our strategic naval needs, are to provide naval escort. And to maintain the Vanguard sub Retribution force, so that any attackers can be quite sure of the FAFO element. That’s it.
Our coastline defense needs, are for missile defense *which we don’t have* and shoreline artillery *which we largely don’t have*.
We should spend our money on paying for our own defense, rather than subsidising the military doctrine of USA, France and Germany.
Re: First, decide your purpose
You missed that Orange Man says what Putin orders him to say.
It's kind of ironic that the US spends so much on the defence yet they now have de facto Russian president.
There is no point having all those guns, if people operating them don't have brains.
And so ..
.. Terminator becomes a documentary :(