US defence secretary Pete Hegseth recently mocked the 'big, bad Royal Navy' in a press update on the US-Israeli war against Iran, adding to a series of jibes from President Donald Trump, who has dismissed UK aircraft carriers as 'toys' and reportedly told Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to 'bother' sending them to the Gulf. Trump told the Daily Telegraph: 'You don't even have a navy. You're too old and had aircraft carriers that didn't work.'
While these comments may be politically motivated—Trump and Hegseth face pressure over an offensive against Iran that critics say lacks clear objectives, and Starmer has refused to be drawn into the conflict—many British politicians, military officials and experts suggest there is substance to the barbs. On 10 March, the House of Commons defence committee expressed grave concerns over the navy's 'capacity and resilience' to respond to the Middle East crisis. Former general Richard Barrons, part of Labour's strategic defence review team, said the lack of readiness stems from a military 'right-sized for an era free of threat'.
Perhaps the most serious intervention came from the First Sea Lord, Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who admitted the navy is not ready for war. Speaking to Svenska Dagbladet on Monday, he said: 'According to the defence investigation that was completed last year, I will be ready for war by the end of this decade.' When asked to clarify if the navy is ready now, he confirmed he did not think so. A recent report by the Center for European Policy Analysis said the Royal Navy was 'on course for national embarrassment'.
Criticism was triggered by the slow deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus after the US and Israel attacked Iran, taking over three weeks. At the end of the Cold War, the UK had 51 destroyers and frigates, spending 3.2% of GDP on defence. That number has halved to 13, with much of the fleet ageing, while defence spending stands at 2.4% of GDP, set to rise to 2.5% by April 2027. Britain also removed its final three minehunters from Bahrain in the past year, including HMS Middleton, towed back in January.
The government says its Atlantic Bastion programme aims to transform the Royal Navy into a hybrid navy integrating autonomous vessels, AI-enabled sensors, warships and aircraft. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'As the First Sea Lord has repeatedly said, the navy is absolutely ready to fight... The government is providing a generational increase in defence spending, with an extra £270bn across this parliament.' Despite refusing to be drawn into the Iran conflict, Starmer has reportedly accepted the need to increase military spending.
