• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

2010 Strategic Defence Review (SDR)

The October 2010 Strategic Defense Review stated that in the maritime environment, Future Force 2020 will be able to provide: nuclear Continuous At Sea Deterrence; maritime defence of the UK and its South Atlantic Overseas Territories; an enduring presence within priority regions of the world to contribute to conventional deterrence and containment; powerful intervention capabilities from our surface and submarine fleets; the ability to land forces from the sea by helicopter and over-the-beach with protective vehicles and supplies from specialist ships; and the ability to command UK and allied naval forces at up to Task Force level. Capabilities will include:

• the Trident force and its supporting elements;
• the seven new Astute-class nuclear hunter-killer submarines (SSNs), able to deploy rapidly from the UK to operational areas, fuelled for 25 years and limited in endurance only by the food they can carry. Capable of operating in secret across the world's oceans, they will contribute to the protection of the nuclear deterrent and maritime Task Groups and provide global strategic intelligence and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile strike capability. They are designed to be adaptable throughout their operational lives, with modular systems to reduce the costs of future upgrades;
• carrier-strike based around a single new operational carrier with the second planned to be kept at extended readiness. The carrier will embark Joint Strike Fighters and helicopters;
• a surface fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers, providing military flexibility across a variety of operations, from full-scale naval warfare, to providing maritime security (for example protecting trade and energy supplies) and projecting UK influence (for example through their visible presence or supporting building the capacity of regional partners). These will include six Type 45 destroyers, a highly capable air defence destroyer whose missile system can protect both naval forces and UK sovereign territory, and the current Type 23 frigates. Both ship types operate the Merlin helicopter and the Type 45 can also operate the Chinook helicopter. As soon as possible after 2020 the Type 23 will be replaced by Type 26 frigates, designed to be easily adapted to change roles and capabilities depending on the strategic circumstances;
• the Royal Marines, whose 3 Commando Brigade will provide one key element of our high readiness Response Force. They will be able to land and sustain a commando group of up to 1,800 personnel from the sea from a helicopter platform and protective vehicles, logistics and command and control support from specialist ships, including landing and command ship. It would allow the UK to conduct an operation such as Sierra Leone in 2000;
• a maritime helicopter force based around Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, with numbers aligned to the overall size of the future maritime force structure. These will be capable of locating and attacking enemy forces in both antisubmarine and anti-surface warfare;
• 14 mine counter-measures vessels, based on existing Hunt and Sandown class ships with a replacement program which will also have the flexibility to be used for other roles such as hydrography or offshore patrol. This capability provides a significant level of security and protection of the UK's nuclear deterrent;
• a global oceanographic survey capability and an ice patrol ship;
• a fleet of resupply and refuelling vessels scaled to meet the Royal Navy's requirements;
• maritime strategic transport provided by six roll-on, roll-off ferries;