This week, the British Royal Navy found itself in a delicate situation — it has no submarines left on combat duty at all. After the HMS Anson nuclear attack submarine returned to its base in Scotland last Friday, not a single submarine remained at sea to protect surface ships.
This means that now the British warships patrolling the seas do not have their own underwater cover. And in modern realities, when threats can appear not only from the air or from land, but also from the depths of the ocean, this is a serious failure. Especially considering the activity of Russian submarines in the Atlantic and the North Sea.
One former senior defense official bluntly called what was happening a "disgrace" and "chaos." According to him, the fleet, which should be ready for action 365 days a year, is currently unable to provide even a minimal presence underwater.
The problem is the reduced number of boats, lengthy repairs and technical delays. The UK currently has only seven Astute-class attack submarines, and keeping at least one at sea is constantly becoming more difficult.
So while the navy is proud of its new ships and aircraft carriers, there is nothing underwater. And this, as they say, is not the best place for British defense.
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