United Kingdom will retire some ot its platforms to economy its defence spending. The budget cuts coincide with Russian- Ukrainian war.
Speaking in the British Parliament, the country's Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, announced a series of withdrawals of weapons systems aimed at saving around £500 million over the next five years.
Healey believes that the withdrawal of these systems (ships, UAVs and helicopters) is done with the agreement of the Staffs and does not affect the operational capabilities of the British Armed Forces, however the opposition criticized the decision.
The withdrawals concern five ships, 46 UAVs and 31 helicopters. In the ship category, the two amphibious assault ships HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' will be retired by the end of the year. As John Healey said the ships had been withdrawn, by decisions of previous Ministers, but for some reason they continued to serve. Their withdrawal will save £9m a year. Also, the frigate HMS 'Northumberland' (Type-23 class) will be retired, as it has serious structural damage that is not economically viable to repair.
The two 'Wave' class General Support Ships (GSL) (HMS 'Wave Knight' and HMS 'Wave Ruler'), which entered service in 2003, will be retired.
These reforms are part of the UK's overall policy to evaluate defence spending in the face of rising costs and changed priorities. However, critics warn that these retirements may leave holes in the UK's amphibious and naval capabilities, particularly given the turbulent international security situation.
