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Royal Navy chief warns: We risk losing Atlantic superiority to Russia

2025-12-11 20:15:54Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
A Royal Navy ship

The head of the Royal Navy has warned the government to "get ahead" and fund defence or risk losing the UK's superiority in the Atlantic to Russia.

If this happens, said General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, it would be the first time since the end of World War II that Britain's warships and submarines would not be the dominant force in its most vital sea corridors alongside its allies.

“We are resisting, but not by much,” he told a conference in London on Monday. “There is no room for complacency. Our potential adversaries are investing billions. We must make strides, or we will lose this advantage,” he said.

As a senior serving military officer, speaking publicly, he made no direct criticism of the speed of plans by Sir Keir Starmer's government to increase defence spending.

But Sky News reported that he and his chiefs held a "very difficult meeting" last month on how to fund plans to rebuild the armed forces amid fears of further cuts.

Defence sources told Sky News there was growing concern at the top of the armed forces about a gap between promises being made by the prime minister to fix the UK's weakened defences and the reality of the size of the defence budget, which is currently not seen as growing enough.

This means that either billions of extra pounds need to be found more quickly, or ambitions to modernise and transform the armed forces may have to be put on hold, despite warnings of growing threats from Russia and China, and pressure from Donald Trump on allies to spend more on their defence.

General Jenkins, the first Royal Marine to serve as First Sea Lord, used a speech at the Sea Power Conference to say that Russia is still investing billions in its naval capabilities – particularly in the Northern Fleet operating in the Atlantic – even as it wages war against Ukraine. There has been a 30% increase in Russian incursions into the North Atlantic in the past two years, he said.

This included the spy ship Yantar, which last month was spotted off the coast of Scotland and even pointed a laser at the pilots of a Royal Air Force reconnaissance plane that was tracking the ship.


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