Speaking in 2020, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to make the UK the 'foremost naval power' in Europe. The statement came with a pledge to build a new class of Type 32 frigates that would finally see the RN's escort fleet grow after years of decline.
Going into the Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific tilt that came with it, much was said of the importance of free trade – most of which the UK conducts via sea, the international rules-based order and undersea critical national infrastructure.
Emerging from the Integrated Review, it seemed the RN was well