Following Germany, the United Kingdom also abandons the construction of a 10,000-ton destroyer

After Germany, the UK is also set to cancel its procurement plan for a 10,000-ton destroyer.

Recently, the BBC reported that the UK Ministry of Defence has decided to abandon the acquisition of the next-generation Type 83 destroyers for the Royal Navy, shifting focus instead toward a "hybrid distributed combat concept" combining unmanned vessels with manned ships.

In short, the Royal Navy intends to procure at least four types of unmanned combat vessels: the Type 91, functioning as a missile arsenal ship; the Type 92, designed for anti-submarine warfare; the Type 93, an unmanned underwater submarine for undersea operations; and the Type 94, an unmanned vessel capable of carrying drones.

These unmanned craft are said to be linked via data networks with the UK Navy’s future "General Purpose Combat Frigates," collectively forming a grid-based maritime combat system. The "General Purpose Combat Frigates" are scheduled to enter service in the 2030s and will serve as the "brain" within this system.

Although the UK Ministry of Defence claims the cancellation of the 10,000-ton destroyer program stems from lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict—arguing that future naval warfare hinges on distributed lethality rather than individual ship displacement—this explanation appears more like a carefully polished veneer masking deeper issues.

The real reason driving the Royal Navy to abandon the next-generation 10,000-ton destroyer is the continuous decline in the UK's industrial capacity, which can no longer sustain the construction of large warships. As a result, the navy must settle for smaller frigates and unmanned platforms.

Yet, given the UK’s current struggles—even failing repeatedly to build high-speed rail lines—and the navy’s own absurd situation where generals outnumber warships, this ambitious blueprint is unlikely to be fulfilled on time. More likely, it will face repeated cuts, ultimately leading to a scenario where “money is spent without ships being built.”

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869498527629444/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author