Eight Royal Navy warships 'are set to retire by 2031' - fuelling fresh fears of gaps in Britain's defences
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The Royal Navy is expected to retire eight warships over five years, fuelling fears of fresh gaps in Britain's maritime defences.
Three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), responsible for protecting Britain's coastline, will be withdrawn by 2028, followed by five minehunters by 2031.
The news comes despite the furore over the Royal Navy's sole ice patrol ship HMS Protector breaking down earlier this month and wider cuts to the fleet.
OPVs HMS Tyne, Severn and Mersey will have served for a quarter of a century by 2028.
The five Hunt-class minehunters, HMS Ledbury, Cattistock, Brocklesby, Middleton and Hurworth, entered service between 1981 and 1985.
A spokesman said: 'The Royal Navy is gradually phasing out its traditionally crewed and complex mine countermeasure vessels as modern autonomous systems are delivered.'
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has vowed that Armed Forces reservists would pay no tax on service earnings under a Reform government in a bid to boost recruitment.
Announcing the policy yesterday at a rally in Plymouth, the Reform leader added: 'There's also a complete underplaying of the essential role played by our reserve forces.'
OPVs HMS Tyne, Severn (pictured) and Mersey will have served for a quarter of a century by 2028 (file image)
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