List of active Royal Navy ships

The Royal Navy is the principal naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Its assets include both commissioned warships and non-commissioned vessels. As of April 2023, there are 70 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy.

United Kingdom
His Majesty's
Naval Service
of the British Armed Forces
Components
  • Special Forces
History and future
Ships
Personnel
Auxiliary services

Of the commissioned vessels, twenty-one are major surface combatants (two aircraft carriers, six guided missile destroyers, eleven frigates and two amphibious transport docks) and ten are nuclear-powered submarines (four ballistic missile submarines and six fleet submarines). In addition the Navy possesses nine mine countermeasures vessels, twenty-six patrol vessels, two survey vessels, one icebreaker and one historic warship, Victory. The total displacement of the Royal Navy's commissioned ships is approximately 422,400 tonnes.

The Royal Navy also includes a number of smaller non-commissioned assets. The naval training vessels Brecon and Hindostan can be found based at the Royal Navy stone frigates HMS Raleigh and the Britannia Royal Naval College, respectively. Non-commissioned Sea-class workboats, procured under Project Vahana, are operated by the Royal Navy in various support, survey and training roles, replacing previous P1000 Class Picket Boat vessels.[1][2][3] This class of vessel also incorporates an autonomous minehunting variant,[4] while another autonomous vessel, XV Madfox, is employed in varied roles including as a testbed for autonomous combat operations.[5] XV Madfox and other experimental vessels, including XV Patrick Blackett and APAC-24 (a crewless Pacific 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boat), are operated by NavyX, a unit of the Royal Navy dedicated to developing, testing and accelerating the use of new high technologies.[6]

Besides the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and the Royal Marines operate their own flotillas of vessels which complement the assets of the Royal Navy. These vessels are not included in this list or the above figures. Nevertheless, combined, the Royal Navy and RFA have 83 vessels with a total displacement in excess of 763,400 tonnes, with the Royal Marine's principal landing craft having an additional combined displacement of about 2,200 tonnes.

As a supporting contingent of His Majesty's Naval Service, the civilian Marine Services operate nearly 100 auxiliary ships (including coastal logistics, tugs and research vessels) in support of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary operations.[7][8]

In the United Kingdom, the Royal Navy operates three main bases where commissioned ships are based: HMNB Portsmouth, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde. A number of commissioned vessels, belonging to the University Royal Naval Units (URNU), are stationed at various other locations around the United Kingdom.

In terms of overseas units, the Royal Navy's principal overseas base is HMS Jufair in Bahrain.[9] A general-purpose frigate and vessels belonging to the navy's 9th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron are forward-deployed there. Two fast patrol boats, together with a forward-deployed River-class offshore patrol vessel, normally form part of the Gibraltar Squadron and are permanently based there. Four other River-class vessels are also forward-deployed: one in the Falkland Islands, one in the Caribbean and two in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, the United Kingdom maintains a Joint Logistics Support Base in Duqm, Oman which hosts the Littoral Response Group (South) composed of two ships from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, though also supported by Royal Navy assets as may be available and required.[10]

All ships and submarines currently in commission with the Royal Navy were built in the United Kingdom, with the exceptions of icebreaker Protector which was built in Norway and survey vessel Magpie which was substantially built in Ireland. All commissioned vessels of the Royal Navy bear the ship prefix "HMS", for His Majesty's Ship or His Majesty's Submarine.

Ceremonial/Historic ship
Flagship of the First Sea Lord
Classic first-rate
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Ship of the line HMS Victory—1778[N 1]3,556 tonnesFirst-rate ship of the linePortsmouth[11]

Submarine service
Submarine service
Strategic
Class Boat No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Vanguard class HMS VanguardS28199315,900 tonnesBallistic missile submarineClyde[12]
HMS VictoriousS291995[13]
HMS VigilantS301996[14]
HMS VengeanceS311999[15]
Fleet
Class Boat Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Astute class HMS AstuteS11920107,400 tonnesFleet submarineClyde[16]
HMS AmbushS1202013[17]
HMS ArtfulS1212016[18]
HMS AudaciousS1222021[19][20]
HMS AnsonS1232022[21]
Trafalgar class HMS TriumphS9319915,300 tonnesDevonport[22]

Surface fleet
Surface fleet
Aircraft carriers
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Queen Elizabeth class HMS Queen ElizabethR08201765,000 tonnesAircraft carrierPortsmouth[23][24][N 2]
HMS Prince of WalesR092019[25]
Amphibious warfare
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Albion class HMS AlbionL14200319,560 tonnesAmphibious transport dockDevonport[26][N 3]
HMS BulwarkL152004[28][N 4]
Destroyers
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Type 45 (Daring class) HMS DaringD3220098,500 tonnesAnti Air Guided Missile DestroyerPortsmouth[29][30]
HMS DauntlessD332010[31]
HMS DiamondD342011[32]
HMS DragonD352012[33]
HMS DefenderD362013[34]
HMS DuncanD372013[35]
Frigates
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Type 23 (Duke class) HMS ArgyllF23119914,900 tonnesGuided missile frigatePortsmouth[36][37]
HMS LancasterF2291992Portsmouth[38][N 5]
HMS Iron DukeF2341993Portsmouth[39]
HMS WestminsterF2371994Portsmouth[40][N 6]
HMS NorthumberlandF2381994Devonport[42]
HMS RichmondF2391995Devonport[43]
HMS SomersetF821996Devonport[44]
HMS SutherlandF811997Devonport[45]
HMS KentF782000Devonport[46][47]
HMS PortlandF792001Devonport[48]
HMS St AlbansF832002Devonport[49]
Offshore patrol
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
River class HMS TyneP28120031,700 tonnesOffshore patrol vesselPortsmouth[50]
HMS SevernP2822003 and 2021[51]
HMS MerseyP2832003[52]
HMS ForthP22220182,000 tonnes[53][N 7]
HMS MedwayP2232019[54][N 8]
HMS TrentP2242020[55][N 9]
HMS TamarP2332020[56][N 10]
HMS SpeyP2342021[57][N 11]
Mine countermeasures
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Hunt class HMS LedburyM301981750 tonnesMinehunterPortsmouth [58]
HMS CattistockM311982[59]
HMS BrocklesbyM331983[60]
HMS MiddletonM341984[61][N 12]
HMS ChiddingfoldM371984[62][N 13]
HMS HurworthM391985[63]
Sandown class HMS PenzanceM1061998600 tonnesClyde[64]
HMS PembrokeM1071998[65]To be decommissioned.[66]
HMS BangorM1092000[67][N 14]
Coastal & Fast patrol
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Archer class HMS ArcherP264198554 tonnesPatrol boat, University Royal Naval UnitsEdinburgh[68]
HMS BiterP2701986Liverpool[69]
HMS SmiterP2721988Portsmouth[70]
HMS PursuerP2731988Glasgow[71]
HMS BlazerP2791988Portsmouth[72]
HMS DasherP2801988Portsmouth [73]
HMS PuncherP2911988Portsmouth[74]
HMS ChargerP2921988Liverpool[75]
HMS RangerP2931988Portsmouth[76]
HMS TrumpeterP2941988Ipswich[77]
HMS ExpressP1631988Cardiff[78]
HMS ExampleP1651985Gateshead[79]
HMS ExplorerP1641986Hull[80]
HMS ExploitP1671988Portsmouth[81]
HMS TrackerP2741998Patrol boatClyde[82][N 15]
HMS RaiderP2751998[83][N 16]
Cutlass class HMS CutlassP295202235 tonnesPatrol boatGibraltar[84][N 17]
HMS DaggerP2962022[85][86][N 18]

Auxiliary vessels

Not to be confused with Royal Fleet Auxiliary and vessels operated by Serco Marine Services

RN auxiliary ships
Survey
Class Ship No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
— HMS ScottH131199713,500 tonnesOcean surveyDevonport[87]
— HMS ProtectorA17320115,000 tonnesIcebreaker & survey[88][N 19]
Sea class 18 m variant HMS MagpieH130201837 tonnesSurvey motor launch[90]
Non-commissioned vessels
Class Ship No. In service Displacement Type Homeport Note
— XV Patrick BlackettX012022270 tonnesExperimental vesselPortsmouth[91]
— XV MadfoxN/A2021c. 20 tonnesAutonomous surface vesselPortsmouth[92][93]
Hunt class BreconM291979 750 tonnes Static Training Ship HMS Raleigh [94]
Sandown class Hindostan (ex-Cromer)M1031992 600 tonnes Britannia Royal Naval College [95]
Sea class c. 33 vessels:
* 8 x 15 m Officer Training Units;
* 6 x 15 m Diver Training/Support Boats;
* 10 x 11 m Standard Workboats;
* 3 x 13.8 m Passenger Transfer Boats (PTBs);
* 3 x 15 m Survey Modules;
* 3 x 11 m Small Survey Modules		—2018 to 202315 to 23 tonnesWorkboats—[N 20][96][97][98]
ALN-139 class Sea Harrier
Buccaneer
Sea Vixen
Swordfish		—2017c. 15 - 20 tonnes—[N 21][99]
Sea class autonomous variants RNMB Hussar — 2021 to 2023 11 tonnes (five units); 15 tonnes (Hebe)[100] Autonomous minehunting Clyde [101][102][103]
RNMB Hazard
RNMB Hebe
RNMB Halcyon
RNMB Harrier
RNMB Hydra
— RNMB Apollo
RNMB Artemis		N/A2021c. 10 tonnesN/A[N 22][104][105]

Silhouettes

Silhouettes of major fleet units:

See also
Lists of ships operated by or in support of His Majesty's Naval Service
Related articles

Footnotes
  1. Launched in 1765 and commissioned in 1778, making Victory the world's oldest warship still in commission.
  2. Queen Elizabeth is the current Fleet Flagship as of 2021.
  3. Albion entered 'reduced readiness' (skeleton crew for ship maintenance) in mid-2023.[27]
  4. Bulwark entered 'extended readiness' (uncrewed reserve) in late 2016. In refit to reactivate in 2024.
  5. HMS Lancaster is forward deployed, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  6. HMS Westminster reported inactive as of 2023 with planned refit suspended.[41]
  7. HMS Forth is forward deployed as guardship in the Falkland Islands.
  8. HMS Medway is forward deployed as Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North) guardship in the Caribbean.
  9. HMS Trent is forward deployed to Gibraltar for regional operations in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Guinea.
  10. HMS Tamar is forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region
  11. HMS Spey is forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region
  12. HMS Middleton is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  13. HMS Chiddingfold is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  14. HMS Bangor is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  15. Forms part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron providing security to nuclear submarines entering and leaving the waters in and around HMNB Clyde.
  16. Forms part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron providing security to nuclear submarines entering and leaving the waters in and around HMNB Clyde.
  17. Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  18. Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  19. Deployed in Antarctic waters during the regional summer. Official role to: "patrol and survey in the Antarctic and South Atlantic, maintaining UK sovereign presence with wider regional engagement".[89]
  20. Officer training units assigned to Britannia Royal Naval College; Diver support boats at HMNB Portsmouth (three units), Devonport, Clyde and Gibraltar (one unit each); Passenger Transfer units to HMS Prince of Wales; and two or more small survey modules to HMS Protector and HMS Scott.
  21. Three assigned as passenger transfer vessels to HMS Queen Elizabeth
  22. Pre-production units within joint UK-France MCM programme

References
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