Royal Navy warship crisis deepens as another crippled vessel is written off leaving just five frigates to defend Britain…and there is ‘no money to buy weapons’

Following the withdrawal of HMS Iron Duke, the Royal Navy’s frigate fleet is today reduced to just five; The army ‘does not have money to buy weapons’.

The battleship will be retired due to technical problems just three years after a £103 million refit.

HMS Iron Duke has been experiencing technical problems since 2017. Since then, more than 1.7 million man hours have been spent trying to save it.

The shocking catalog of problems with the frigate has depleted the Royal Navy’s budget at a time of unprecedented concerns about the UK’s defense capabilities.

Today the Royal Navy confirmed the withdrawal as part of a plan to replace its aging Type 23 frigates with more advanced Type 26 frigates.

The Royal Navy is also introducing Type 31 frigates, promising a total of 13 new warships in the coming years.

Last week, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins announced plans for a ‘Hybrid Navy’ in which drone ships will operate alongside crewed warships and submarines in the coming years.

In recent weeks engineers have been dismantling parts of HMS Iron Duke for use on other warships. He was over 30 years old.

Retired general Sir Richard Barrons has become the third adviser to Defense Secretary John Healey to speak out about the government’s failure to meet demands for additional investment.

In its deployable state, HMS Iron Duke was among the Navy’s most versatile warships; was protecting shipping routes and supporting humanitarian operations.

The confirmation that he would never sail again came after US President Donald Trump and US War Secretary Pete Hegseth chastised Britain over the state of its Royal Navy.

As the Mail revealed last month, HMS Dragon, the only ship sent to the Gulf in response to the war with Iran, was recently forced into port so it could undergo emergency repairs.

The departure of HMS Iron Duke was revealed hours after another key defense adviser, former general Sir Richard Barrons, launched a scathing attack on the government.

General Barrons said the Ministry of Defense was going ‘backward’ on military investment.

Just last year the former Army chief was a close aide to Defense Secretary John Healey and co-author of the UK’s Strategic Defense Review (SDR).

Another adviser, former NATO Secretary General George Robertson, broke ranks last month by calling for an urgent recapitalization of Britain’s armed forces.

Gen. Barrons said the Army has no money left to buy new weapons before 2030, with only “just about” enough left for traditional platforms such as helicopters.

Barrons also condemned the government’s failure to make public its spending plan, the Defense Investment Plan (DIP).

He said: ‘The armed forces know what they need to do but they don’t have the money to do it.

‘Our ability to defend our homeland and contribute to NATO is very weak. What actually happens is [spending] DIP, which was supposed to be released in September, was postponed due to not being resolved. [2025] and it’s still on the Prime Minister’s desk.’

Barrons and Robertson were joined by foreign affairs advisor Fiona Hill to help Healey draft the SDR.

He also criticized the UK government’s failure to prioritize defence. Last month Hill said there was a ‘strange’ lack of urgency about putting Britain in a state of war.

Today, Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartilidge said: ‘When three advisers to the Defense Secretary on SDR criticize the government’s record, you know they have a problem.

‘As a matter of necessity, the government needs to reallocate the funds allocated for the Chagos Islands lease to invest in the UK military.

‘There are still years to come for the 13 new frigates ordered by the government. We run the risk of creating a talent gap in the Royal Navy. ‘Chagos Treaty money would be transferred around the clock to accelerate the development of these ships.’

The Ministry of Defense said today: ‘The Royal Navy keeps planned decommissioning dates under ongoing review as part of routine force planning, balancing operational requirements and affordability. Decommissioning decisions will be announced in the usual way.

‘Through the Strategic Defense Review, we are building a new hybrid navy by investing in world-class submarines and state-of-the-art warships, transforming our aircraft carriers and introducing autonomous ships to patrol the North Atlantic and beyond.’