Royal Navy scrambles for brand spanking new recruits after experiences of important sailor scarcity

Grant Shapps insists the UK can proceed naval motion within the Red Sea amid claims of a sailor scarcity.

The Defence Secretary mentioned he’s “confident” operations will be capable of proceed or enhance within the battle to guard service provider vessels from Houthi rebels. 

His remarks got here after it emerged the Royal Navy is affected by a drastic decline within the variety of sailors.

MoD figures have revealed the navy is the worst-performing of Britain’s armed forces for recruitment, having simply 29,000 full-time recruits.

But Mr Shapps instructed MPs there’s a “very tight” labour market however mentioned the federal government is ”redoubling” recruitment efforts.

Defence minister James Cartlidge assured MPs no ultimate choice has been made after experiences that two assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, could possibly be retired to release sailors for different vessels amid the recruitment disaster.

Mr Cartlidge instructed MPs: “What I would say is no final decision has been made on these platforms. I know there has been a lot of coverage in the press and a lot of chatter inevitably. I know how important they are to our service personnel but I want to reassure him that we are looking at this in the round.”

Meanwhile, Mr Shapps insisted the Red Sea delivery disaster has not escalated amid plans to ship a brand new warship to the area, whereas additionally taking part in down recruitment points within the Royal Navy.

He instructed the Commons that HMS Richmond, a sort 23 frigate, is barely being deployed to the Gulf area to interchange British vessels already patrolling the area.

The UK has already despatched HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster to the area to guard container ships from assaults by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group from Yemen which has disrupted and attacked commerce vessels attempting to cross by the area in latest weeks.

A US-led coalition, Operation Prosperity Guardian, has been defending commerce ships as they journey by the area and in direction of the Suez Canal and Europe.