The Royal Navy is envisioning a future in which naval drones dominate sea conflict, allowing the service to make the best use of its limited manpower.

Last week, the British Army’s senior-most officer unveiled a plan that could see its armored force supported by unmanned combat systems (UCS), including aerial and land-based drones. It is part of the British military’s shift towards a more agile and tech-enabled fighting force.

This shift to drones won’t be limited to the land or the air. The Royal Navy has already been undertaking a major doctrinal shift of its own, moving away from relying solely on large, expensive manned vessels to uncrewed platforms. The operational change is set to increase fleet mass, extend the combat reach of the Royal Navy, and aid in defending critical infrastructure.

As part of the plan, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced it is shelving its plans to purchase a number of Type 83 guided-missile destroyers, which were expected to replace the fleet’s six legacy Type 45 destroyers. Instead, the Royal Navy could be outfitted with the new “Common Combat Vessels (CCVs) ” (CCVs) by the early 2030s. The hybrid vessels are seen as a better investment than another class of destroyers.

The effort is now being led by outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who released the UK’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) on Tuesday on the eve of the annual NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The DIP had faced delays as British lawmakers debated how it would be paid for, with the Type 83 being seen as prohibitively expensive.

The MoD has confirmed that it has spent roughly £1 million ($1.3 million) to date on the initial design concept for the proposed 14,000-ton destroyers. It was expected that each of the warships could have cost far more than the £1 billion ($1.3 billion) that was spent on each Type 45 destroyer.

Drone Motherships Could Be More Effective Than Regular Destroyers

The Common Combat Vessels are seen as a more cost-effective platform than the Type 45, but could also offer greater combat capabilities. These warships could be built around the Type 31 frigate hulls, and each could serve as a hybrid mothership that could deploy a fleet of autonomous, unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater drones.

The CCVs would serve alongside the Royal Navy’s eight Type 26 and five Type 31 frigates, as well as the uncrewed Type 91 missile barge, Type 92 underwater sensor platform, the Type 93 extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) and Type 94 sensor platform.

“These Common Combat Vessels will provide our dedicated sailors with hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face,” UK Secretary of State for Defence Dan Jarvis told reporters. “Developed with exceptional British innovators, the new ships will be British-built, supporting jobs across the nation and giving the Royal Navy a capability built for modern warfare.”

The hybrid fleet would support efforts to counter the Russian Navy’s activities in the North Atlantic and High North, which have increasingly been an area of concern for NATO and the United States. The MoD has suggested that the adaptable design of the CCVs could allow for exports to other nations.

The Royal Navy Has Always Been at the Cutting Edge of Naval Warfare

The Royal Navy had been among the early pioneers of naval aviation, and it could now lead the way again with the CCVs. The role of the sailors could also evolve, where many could be drone operators or even drone system managers.

Each CCV would be outfitted with greater automation, thus requiring fewer sailors than the planned Type 83 destroyers. That would help mitigate the Royal Navy’s crew shortages, while also reducing operational costs—a vital necessity for a Royal Navy grappling with shoestring budgets and expected to do more with less. It would allow its tactics to evolve.

Although the Royal Navy might begin with just six of these vessels, the shift would be away from a small number of large, heavily armed destroyers and instead see a far larger number of small, unmanned vessels that serve as a force multiplier.

It might be easy to dismiss the state of the Royal Navy—which now has more admirals than active duty combat ships—but throughout its centuries-long history, the service has been one that has steadily evolved, innovated, and led in technological development.

In 1860, HMS Warrior became the Royal Navy’s first iron-hulled, armored battleship. Constructed with an iron hull rather than traditional oak, she was completely impervious to the explosive shells of contemporary wooden warships.

Four decades later, the Royal Navy changed battleship design forever with HMS Dreadnought. After World War I, the UK’s senior service then led naval aviation with the commissioning of HMS Hermes, the first ship to be specifically designed and built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier.

Now in the 2020s, the Royal Navy is charting a course for the future of hybrid warfare once again—in a sink-or-swim moment for the British military.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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