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”. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said the new equipment would be “designed and built for the increasing threats we face”. Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to publishing the long-delayed defence investment plan (DIP) before the Nato summit in Turkey on 7 July after months of talks over how to fund it. The MoD had been exploring options to replace the Type 45, the Navy’s fleet of destroyers, with the Type 83, a concept vessel which was at an early design phase.

Full report : UK scraps plans to replace destroyers with focus on drone warships.