List_of_active_Royal_Navy_ships

List of active Royal Navy ships

List of active Royal Navy ships

List of current ships in the Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the principal naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Its assets include both commissioned warships and non-commissioned vessels. As of January 2024, there are 68 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy.

Of the commissioned vessels, twenty-one are major surface combatants (two aircraft carriers, six guided missile destroyers, eleven frigates and two amphibious transport docks) and ten are nuclear-powered submarines (four ballistic missile submarines and six fleet submarines). In addition the Navy possesses seven mine countermeasures vessels, twenty-six patrol vessels, two survey vessels, one icebreaker and one historic warship, Victory. The total displacement of the Royal Navy's commissioned ships is approximately 421,200 tonnes.

The Royal Navy also includes a number of smaller non-commissioned assets. The naval training vessels Brecon and Hindostan can be found based at the Royal Navy stone frigates HMS Raleigh and the Britannia Royal Naval College, respectively. Non-commissioned Sea-class workboats, procured under Project Vahana, are operated by the Royal Navy in various support, survey and training roles, replacing previous P1000 Class Picket Boat vessels.[1][2][3] This class of vessel also incorporates an autonomous minehunting variant,[4] while another autonomous vessel, Madfox, is employed in varied roles including as a testbed for autonomous combat operations.[5] Madfox and other experimental vessels, including XV Patrick Blackett and APAC-24 (a crewless Pacific 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boat), are operated by NavyX, a unit of the Royal Navy dedicated to developing, testing and accelerating the use of new high technologies.[6]

Besides the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and the Royal Marines operate their own flotillas of vessels which complement the assets of the Royal Navy. These vessels are not included in this list or the above figures. Nevertheless, combined, the Royal Navy and RFA have 81 vessels with a total displacement in excess of 762,200 tonnes, with the principal landing craft of the Royal Marines having an additional combined displacement of about 2,200 tonnes.

As a supporting contingent of His Majesty's Naval Service, the civilian Marine Services operate nearly 100 auxiliary ships (including coastal logistics, tugs and research vessels) in support of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary operations.[7][8]

In the United Kingdom, the Royal Navy operates three main bases where commissioned ships are based: HMNB Portsmouth, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde. A number of commissioned vessels, belonging to the University Royal Naval Units (URNU), are stationed at various other locations around the United Kingdom.

The Royal Navy's principal overseas base is HMS Jufair in Bahrain.[9] A general-purpose frigate and vessels belonging to the navy's 9th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron are forward-deployed there. Two fast patrol boats, together with a forward-deployed River-class offshore patrol vessel, normally form part of the Gibraltar Squadron and are permanently based there. Four other River-class vessels are also forward-deployed: one in the Falkland Islands, one in the Caribbean and two in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, the United Kingdom maintains a Joint Logistics Support Base in Duqm, Oman which hosts the Littoral Response Group (South) composed of two ships from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, though also supported by Royal Navy assets as may be available and required.[10]

All ships and submarines currently in commission with the Royal Navy were built in the United Kingdom, with the exceptions of icebreaker Protector which was built in Norway and survey vessel Magpie which was substantially built in Ireland. All commissioned vessels of the Royal Navy bear the ship prefix "HMS", for His Majesty's Ship or His Majesty's Submarine.

Ceremonial/Historic ship

More information Flagship of the First Sea Lord, Classic first-rate ...

Submarine service

More information Submarine service, Strategic ...

Surface fleet

More information Surface fleet, Aircraft carriers ...

Auxiliary vessels

See also: Ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and vessels operated by Serco Marine Services

More information RN auxiliary ships, Survey ...

Silhouettes

Silhouettes of major fleet units:

Silhouettes of all Royal Navy and RFA units:

See also

Lists of ships operated by or in support of His Majesty's Naval Service
Related articles

Footnotes

  1. [N 1]
    Launched in 1765 and commissioned in 1778, making Victory the world's oldest warship still in commission.
  2. [N 2]
    Queen Elizabeth is the current Fleet Flagship as of 2021.
  3. [N 3]
    Albion in "extended readiness" (uncrewed reserve) as of early 2024.[27][28]
  4. [N 4]
    Bulwark entered 'extended readiness' in late 2016. Expected to complete long-term refit in 2024 but remain in reserve, though with an ability to deploy "if required".[30]
  5. [N 5]
    HMS Lancaster is forward deployed, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  6. [N 6]
    HMS Westminster reported inactive as of 2023 with planned refit suspended.[43]
  7. [N 7]
    HMS Forth is forward deployed as guardship in the Falkland Islands.
  8. [N 8]
    HMS Medway is forward deployed as Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North) guardship in the Caribbean.
  9. [N 9]
    HMS Trent is forward deployed to Gibraltar for regional operations in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Guinea.
  10. [N 10]
    HMS Tamar is forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region with her primary logistics hub at the British Defence Singapore Support Unit in Singapore[58]
  11. [N 11]
    HMS Spey is forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region with her primary logistics hub at the British Defence Singapore Support Unit in Singapore[60]
  12. [N 12]
    HMS Middleton is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  13. [N 13]
    HMS Chiddingfold is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  14. [N 14]
    HMS Bangor is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  15. [N 15]
    Forms part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron providing security to nuclear submarines entering and leaving the waters in and around HMNB Clyde.
  16. [N 16]
    Forms part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron providing security to nuclear submarines entering and leaving the waters in and around HMNB Clyde.
  17. [N 17]
    Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  18. [N 18]
    Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  19. [N 19]
    Deployed in Antarctic waters during the regional summer. Official role to: "patrol and survey in the Antarctic and South Atlantic, maintaining UK sovereign presence with wider regional engagement".[89]
  20. [N 20]
    Officer training units assigned to Britannia Royal Naval College; Diver support boats at HMNB Portsmouth (three units), Devonport, Clyde and Gibraltar (one unit each); Passenger Transfer units to HMS Prince of Wales; and two or more small survey modules to HMS Protector and HMS Scott.
  21. [N 21]
    Three assigned as passenger transfer vessels to HMS Queen Elizabeth
  22. [N 22]
    Pre-production units within joint UK-France MCM programme

References

  1. [1]
    "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. [2]
    Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-904459552.
  3. [3]
    "New lease of life for BRNC boats". Royal Navy. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. [4]
    "Autonomous systems - the future of royal navy mine warfare". NavyLookout.
  5. [5]
    "Royal Navy launches missile from autonomous vessel in NATO exercise". Royal Navy. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  6. [6]
    "Royal Navy Launched Its First 'Crewless Pacific 24 Boat' USV". Naval News. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  7. [7]
    "Outsourcing giant Serco marks 25 years working with Royal Navy". BusinessLive. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  8. [8]
    "Vessel Management". Serco Marine Services. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  9. [9]
    "Navy's new Gulf home almost ready for first sailors". Royal Navy. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  10. [10]
    Allison, George (30 July 2021). "British Littoral Response Group ships to be based in Oman". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  11. [11]
    Farmer, Ben (7 December 2017). "The Queen commissions the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier - HMS Queen Elizabeth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  12. [12]
    "HMS Vanguard". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  13. [13]
    "HMS Victorious". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  14. [14]
    "HMS Vigilant". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  15. [15]
    "HMS Vengeance". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  16. [16]
    "HMS Astute". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  17. [17]
    "HMS Ambush". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  18. [18]
    "HMS Artful". Royal Navy. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  19. [19]
    "HMS Audacious". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  20. [20]
    Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (23 September 2021). "HMS Audacious commissioned in Faslane today. https://t.co/CiEgVDE7Er" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Twitter.
  21. [21]
    Edwards, Lucy (31 August 2022). "Boris Johnson visits BAE Systems in Barrow". CumbriaCrack.
  22. [22]
    "HMS Triumph". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  23. [23]
    "Aircraft Carriers - Future Flagships". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  24. [24]
    "HMS Queen Elizabeth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  25. [25]
    "Commissioning day for HMS Prince of Wales". Royal Navy. Portsmouth. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  26. [26]
    "HMS Albion". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  27. [27]
    West, Lisa (27 February 2024). "MOD confirm assault ships not to be 'scrapped or mothballed'". UK Defence Journal.
  28. [28]
    "Royal Navy LPD capability gapped as HMS Albion bows out before HMS Bulwark is available". Navy Lookout. 2 August 2023.
  29. [29]
    "HMS Bulwark". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  30. [30]
    Allison, George (19 March 2024). "HMS Bulwark unlikely to return to sea 'unless needed'". Navy Lookout.
  31. [31]
    "HMS Daring". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  32. [32]
    "A return to the old routine for 14 dock". Royal Navy. 24 June 2020.
  33. [33]
    "HMS Dauntless". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  34. [34]
    "HMS Diamond". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  35. [35]
    "HMS Dragon". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  36. [36]
    "HMS Defender". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  37. [37]
    "HMS Duncan". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  38. [38]
    "HMS Argyll". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  39. [39]
    "FOI(A) regarding the Royal Navy" (PDF). What do they know?. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  40. [40]
    "HMS Lancaster". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  41. [41]
    "HMS Iron Duke". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  42. [42]
    "HMS Westminster". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  43. [43]
    "HMS Westminster refit suspended and her return to service in doubt". Navy Lookout. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  44. [44]
    "HMS Northumberland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  45. [45]
    "HMS Richmond". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  46. [46]
    "HMS Somerset". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  47. [47]
    "HMS Sutherland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  48. [48]
    "HMS Kent". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  49. [49]
    "HMS Portland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  50. [50]
    "HMS St Albans". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  51. [51]
    "HMS Tyne". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  52. [52]
    "HMS Severn Re-Commissioned Into Royal Navy After Nearly Three Years". Forces News. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  53. [53]
    "HMS Tyne returns to service after being paid off in May". Save the Royal Navy. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  54. [54]
    "HMS Forth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  55. [55]
    "HMS Medway". Royal Navy. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  56. [56]
    "HMS Trent Commissioned Into Royal Navy In Portsmouth". Forces News. Portsmouth. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  57. [57]
    "HMS Tamar Raises Her Flag On Her Own River". Royal Navy. River Tamar. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  58. [58]
    Graham, Euan (19 October 2021). "Reflections on the Royal Navy's Indo-Pacific engagement". International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  59. [59]
    "@HMS_Spey" on Twitter
  60. [60]
    Graham, Euan (19 October 2021). "Reflections on the Royal Navy's Indo-Pacific engagement". International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  61. [61]
    "HMS Ledbury". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  62. [62]
    "HMS Cattistock". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  63. [63]
    "HMS Brocklesby". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  64. [64]
    "HMS Middleton". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  65. [65]
    "HMS Chiddingfold". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  66. [66]
    "HMS Hurworth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  67. [67]
    "HMS Bangor". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  68. [68]
    "HMS Archer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  69. [69]
    "HMS Biter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  70. [70]
    "HMS Smiter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  71. [71]
    "HMS Pursuer (P273) | Royal Navy".
  72. [72]
    "HMS Blazer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  73. [73]
    "HMS Dasher (P280) | Royal Navy".
  74. [74]
    "HMS Puncher". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  75. [75]
    "HMS Charger". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  76. [76]
    "HMS Ranger". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  77. [77]
    "HMS Trumpeter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  78. [78]
    "HMS Express". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  79. [79]
    "HMS Example". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  80. [80]
    "HMS Explorer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  81. [81]
    "HMS Exploit". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  82. [82]
    "HMS Tracker". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  83. [83]
    "HMS Raider". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  84. [84]
    @MODGibraltar (4 May 2022). "Today HMS Cutlass was officially commissioned at @RNGibSqn" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 May 2022 – via Twitter.
  85. [85]
    Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (13 June 2022). "Newly commissioned HMS Dagger keeps an eye on Spanish frigate Blas de Lezo..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  86. [86]
    "UK Royal Navy receives patrol boat HMS Dagger". Naval Technology.com. 4 April 2022.
  87. [87]
    "HMS Scott". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  88. [88]
    "HMS Protector". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  89. [89]
    "In focus: HMS Protector – the Royal Navy's Antarctic patrol ship". Navy Lookout. 7 May 2019.
  90. [90]
    "HMS Magpie". Royal Navy. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  91. [91]
    "Debut for UK Royal Navy's new experimental vessel". Jane's Information Group. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  92. [92]
    "Maritime Demonstrator for Operational eXperimentation (MADFOX) Uncrewed Surface Vessel, UK". Naval Technology. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  93. [93]
    "HMS Raleigh Training Establishment". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  94. [94]
    "Future of minehunting sails into Dartmouth | Royal Navy".
  95. [95]
    "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  96. [96]
    "The final of six new boats to improve support to Royal Navy divers has been delivered". Royal Navy. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  97. [97]
    "Passenger Transfer Boats for HMS Prince of Wales to be delivered this year". Navy Lookout. 15 July 2021.
  98. [98]
    "Royal Navy Fleet Poster p.21" (PDF). Navy News. February 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  99. [99]
    "Up close with RFA Stirling Castle – first of the navy's new motherships". Navy Lookout. 4 July 2023.
  100. [100]
    "Autonomous systems – the future of Royal Navy mine warfare | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 26 May 2021.
  101. [101]
    "Future mine hunting system comes to Clyde | Royal Navy".
  102. [102]
    "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK TO DELIVER A FURTHER AUTONOMOUS MINEHUNTING SYSTEM TO THE ROYAL NAVY". Atlas Elektronik. 1 February 2022.
  103. [103]
    "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
  104. [104]
    "A photo of RNMB HELLCAT conducting ROV missions yesterday taken by the crew of RNMB HEBE". Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  105. [105]
    "Thales' Uncrewed Surface Vessel passes a significant milestone in Automomous minehunting trials". Thales. 14 June 2023.
  106. [106]
    Felstead, Peter (15 June 2023). "Thales-Supplied USV Successfully Completes RN Assurance Trials". European Security and Defence.
  107. [107]
    Fish, Tim (December 2022). "Beating the Minefield with Autonomous Countermeasures". issuu.com.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article List_of_active_Royal_Navy_ships, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.