After World War II the Royal Navy was replaced by the U.S. Navy as the world's foremost naval power. During the Cold War it was transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force , hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap . With the collapse of the Soviet Union , its role for the 21st century has returned to focus on glodal expeditionary operations.
The Royal Navy operates an array of technologically sophisticated ships including an aircraft carrier , a helicopter carrier , landing platform docks , ballistic missile submarines (which maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent ), nuclear fleet submarines , guided missile destroyers , frigates , mine-coutermeasure vessels and patrol vessels . As of October 2011, there were 79 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy, plus 19 commissioned ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) which also contribute to the Royal Navy's available sea-going assets. The RFA primarily serves to replenish Royal Navy warships at sea, and also augments the Royal Navy's amphibious warfare capabilities through its three Bay-class landing ship dock vessels.
The Royal Navy is part of the Naval Service , which also comprises the Royal Marines , Royal Fleet Auxiliary , Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marimes Reserve . The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Load , an Admiral and member of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom . The Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board , chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence .
Today
As of 1 November 2011, the Royal Navy numbered 36,640 personnel and 2,300 Royal Naval Reserve (Volunteer Reserve).Both of these figures include the Royal Marines and Royal Marines Reserve . In addition there were 19,600 Regular Reserves.HMS Raleigh at Torpoint , Cornwall is the basic training facility for newly enlisted personnel.Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment for the navy, located at Dartmouth Devon .
Surface Fleet
In the 1990s the navy began a series of projects to modernise the fleet and convert it from a North Atlantic-based anti-submarine force to an expeditionary force. This has involved the replacement of much of the Fleet and has seen a number of large procurement projects.Large fleet units – amphibious and carriers
Two Queen Elizabeth-class supercarriers have been ordered and are to be a new generation of aircraft carrier to replace the three Invincible-class aircraft carriers. The two vessels are expected to cost pounds 3.9 billion, will displace 65,000 tons and, although as of 2010[update] somewhat delayed, are planned to enter service from around 2016. The initial decision was that both would operate the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II , however following the Strategic Defence and Security Review ordered by the Coalition Government in June 2010, it was announced that the first of the carriers will be fitted with catapults to operate the F-35C CTOL carrier variant. The second carrier will be placed in extended readiness after its introduction to service. This leaves open the options to rotate them, to ensure a continuous UK carrier-strike capability; to re-generate more quickly a two-carrier strike capability, or to sell one of the carriers which would result in the UK relying on cooperation with a close ally to provide continuous carrier-strike capability. In addition to this, a dedicated helicopter carrier , HMS Ocean and two amphibious assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark (the present flagship of the fleet) complement the aircraft carrier force.HMS Illustrious is the sole remaining Invincible-class carrier and will replace Ocean as a helicopter carrier until Illustrious' final withdrawal in 2014.
The introduction of the four vessels of the Bay class of landing ship dock into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2006 and 2007, and the two Albion-class landing platform docks gave the Royal Navy a significantly enhanced amphibious capability. In November 2006 First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band said, "These ships represent a major uplift in the Royal Navy's war fighting capability."One Bay-class ship was sold to Australia in 2011.
Escort units
The escort fleet, in the form of frigates and destroyers, are the traditional workhorse of the Navy, and is also being updated. The fleet of Type 42 destroyers are being replaced with the much larger Type 45 destroyer .
Six Type 45 destroyers are planned, of which 3 are in service, 1 is waiting to enter service and 2 are under construction as of 2011[update].Under the terms of the original contract the Navy was to have ordered twelve vessels, but following cut backs only six will now be constructed.The primary role of the Type 45 destroyer is anti-air warfare; in order to fulfil this role, it is equipped with the Sea Viper (formerly known as PAAMS) integrated anti-aircraft system which can fire Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles. The Type 45 operates the highly sophisticated Sampson radar system, fully integrated into the PAAMS system.
As soon as possible after 2020 the Type 23 will be replaced by Type 26 frigates, designed to be easily adapted to change roles and capabilities depending on the strategic circumstances.
The latest frigate to enter service was the Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans in 2002. On 21 July 2004, in the Delivering Security in a Chandind World review of defence spending, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced that three frigates of the fleet of sixteen would be paid off as part of a continuous cost-cutting strategy, and these were subsequently sold to Chile. Several designs have been proposed for a new generation frigate, including the Future Surface Combatant , which is now planned to enter service as the Type 26 frigate . The Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010 stated "As soon as possible after 2020 the Type 23 will be replaced by Type 26 frigates, designed to be easily adapted to change roles and capabilities depending on the strategic circumstances". It proposed a total surface escort fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers; there are 6 Type 45 destroyers in the fleet. It was announced in December 2010 that the remaining fleet of four batch 3 Type 22 frigates would be withdrawn from service by the end of April 2011.
Mine countermeasure, Patrol and Survey vessels
At the beginning of the 1990s the Royal Navy had two classes of offshore patrol vessel, the Island class , and the larger Castle class . However, in 1997 a decision was taken to replace them. An order for three much larger offshore patrol vessels, the River class was placed in 2001. Unusually, the three River-class ships are owned by Vosper Thorneycroft , and leased to the Royal Navy until 2013. This relationship is defined by a ground-breaking Contractor Logistic Support contract which contracts the ships' availability to the RN, including technical and stores support. A modified River-class vessel, HMS Clyde , was commissioned in July 2007 and became the Falkland Islands guardship. The Royal Navy also has the Sandown-class minehunter and Hunt-class mine coutermeasere vessel . The Hunt class of 8 vessels are mine countermeasure vessels that combine the separate role of the traditional minesweeper and that of the active minehunter in one hull. If required, they can take on the role of offshore patrol vessels. The Royal Navy has a mandate to provide support to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which comes in the form of the dedicated Antarctic Patrol Ship HMS Endurance . The four Hecla-class vessels were replaced by the survey vessel HMS Scott which surveys the deep ocean. The other survey vessels of the Royal Navy are the two multi-role ships of the Echo class which came into service in 2002 and 2003.
Submarines
