Reference News Network, December 21 report: According to the UK's Daily Telegraph website, on December 18, the UK spent 72 million pounds to renovate a Royal Navy ship and then sold it to Brazil at an extremely low price.

Last November, the UK Labour government decided to retire the "Fortress" and "Hermes" dock landing ships. The current fate of the "Hermes" is still unclear, while the "Fortress" has been sold to Brazil for an estimated 20 million pounds, expected to arrive in the country next year.

Critics have described this deal as a "disaster," leaving taxpayers "extremely angry," and suggesting it is an indication of broader failures in the UK's military spending plan.

UK Prime Minister Starmer has pledged to increase defense spending from 2.3% of GDP to 2.6% by 2027. This is part of the UK's efforts to re-arm itself in the context of potential conflict with Russia.

The Daily Telegraph revealed in October that the Ministry of Defence needs to cut more than 2 billion pounds this year to avoid overspending.

The retirement of the "Fortress" and "Hermes" created a significant gap in the navy's amphibious warfare capabilities, which are still struggling to recover.

The Royal Navy's logistics fleet, a supporting force, was supposed to make up for this loss. However, due to poor ship conditions and a lack of crew, most of this "dilapidated" fleet has been moored in ports, severely limiting the UK's combat capability.

Meanwhile, according to defense analysts, the UK's six "Astute"-class nuclear submarines have been largely out of service, with the "Serpent" having been moored in port for 1,222 days - over three years.

The backbone of the UK fleet, the 23rd frigates, have long exceeded their service life, with many of these ships being over 20 years old. Earlier this month, the UK naval "Lancaster" frigate, stationed in the Gulf, retired, leaving no large warships available for the UK in the Middle East.

The current state of the fleet has raised concerns among the First Sea Lord, Gwyn Jenkins. He warned last week that the UK is increasingly struggling to cope with the growing number of Russian warships, and if investment is not increased, the UK may lose control of the Atlantic.

He said, "We're barely keeping afloat, but the situation isn't optimistic. We have nothing to be complacent about. Our potential adversaries are investing heavily. We must accelerate our pace, or we will lose our advantage."

Regarding the "Fortress", a Royal Navy source denied the 20 million pound offer: "The price is much higher. Selling it for 20 million pounds would be giving it away for free." However, the source declined to reveal the actual amount, citing "commercial sensitivity".

As a dock landing ship, the "Fortress" was designed for large-scale amphibious operations, and unlike small patrol vessels, it does not conduct routine drug enforcement patrols.

The retirement of the "Fortress" and "Hermes" caused strong dissatisfaction among Conservative Party members, who accused Starmer of wasting millions of pounds. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7586197480665006632/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.