Fleet escort cuts impending as UK’s frigate maths fails to add up
The clearest indication yet that the UK RN will see a drop in fleet escort numbers in the coming years has come to light, as the build schedule for the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates struggles to keep pace with the planned out-of-service dates of the ageing Type 23 class.
Hull numbers have been a growing contention for naval defence chiefs, who have seen consistent cuts to the fleet over the past generation.
Perhaps one of the most damaging took place in 2010 when the Conservative government in the UK moved to decommission four Type 22 frigates and begin
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