According to foreign media reports, recently, the British government issued an evaluation report, praising the overall combat effectiveness of the Navy, saying that the British navy is in "the worst stage in history". At the same time, negative news from the British Navy frequently triggered widespread criticism. Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier carrying F-35B carrier aircraft Official bad mouthing of overall combat effectiveness On December 14, the Defense Committee of the British Parliament issued an evaluation report, saying that the British navy is in the "worst stage in history", and there are great hidden worries about its overall capability and scale structure. The report compares British warships to "porcupines", saying they are a group of "herbivores" with good defense and limited attack power. On the one hand, the comprehensive strength is weak. The report said that at present, the British navy has a small number of ships, limited offensive capability and unclear future combat application of F-35B carrier aircraft. The British navy has only 18 surface combat ships in active service, the lowest level in history. This includes ships in maintenance or overhaul status, and the actual number of ships available is less. According to the report, even if the construction plan of Britain's new fleet is completed and five type 31 general frigates and eight type 26 anti submarine frigates are in service, it can only fill the vacancy after the retirement of type 23 frigates, and it is difficult to increase the total number of surface ships of the British Navy. On the other hand, operational weaknesses are prominent. The report said that the slow maintenance speed, too partial to the British Shipbuilding Industry, the heavy reliance on the support of allies for combat effectiveness, and the reduction of support ships without any replacement plan are the weaknesses restricting the British navy. Although the British Ministry of defense has racked its brains to improve "ship availability", the tight budget for operation and maintenance may lead to more ships "lying down" in the port. According to the report, in July 2021, as the core of the British Navy's surface fleet, three of the six 45 destroyers were refitted, one was repaired, one encountered technical failure, and only one was able to sail. In addition, the harpoon anti-ship missile of the British navy will be retired in the next three years. If the new missile is not replaced in time, the combat capability of the British navy will further decline. Media expose internal problems While the British government released the evaluation report, various negative news of the British navy was exposed by the media, which seriously damaged its overall image. First, the future fleet plan was approved to "expose the status quo". Recently, the conceptual design of the British Navy's "future autonomous fleet" was exposed by the media. The plan introduces a large number of unmanned systems to change its combat mode in the next 50 years. British media believe that in recent years, the overall size and strength of the British navy have continued to shrink. After installing two new aircraft carriers, some surface ships are difficult to maintain in the face of limited resources, and plan to retire in advance. The introduction of the concept of "unmanned" into the "future autonomous fleet" has exposed the current situation of its lack of troops to a certain extent. Second, the aircraft salvage operation was criticized as "slow progress". On November 17, a British F-35B carrier plane crashed into the eastern Mediterranean due to a low-level error after taking off from the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth. Britain has coordinated with the United States, Italy and other countries to help salvage the wreckage of the fighter plane, so as to avoid "the threat caused by the wreckage of the fighter plane falling into the hands of other countries". It was not until December 8 that the British Ministry of defense confirmed that the wreckage of the fallen F-35B carrier aircraft had been picked up. British media criticized the salvage operation as "slow progress". The development prospect is not optimistic Whether it is the decline of the British government or the exposure of the British media, it reflects the deep-seated problems and embarrassing development situation faced by the British Navy construction. The development prospect of the British navy is not optimistic and faces many constraints. First, it is difficult to achieve strategic objectives. The report believes that the British navy will "not be able to achieve all the predetermined goals" in the future. If the British government continues to reduce military spending, the British navy will have to "maintain operation" with old ships in the next five years. At that time, the British navy will not be able to deal with "a hostile world and unpredictable dangers". Second, it is difficult to promote global expansion. The British Navy continues to increase its force deployment in the Asia Pacific and the Arctic, declaring that it will normally deploy two warships in the Asia Pacific region and station naval forces in the Arctic Circle, so as to deal with regional security challenges and "global warming". Considering the overall strength, scale structure and possible future budget support of the British navy, the "expansion" development road is obviously not its best choice. British scholars commented that the British navy is addicted to an arrogant and militarily dangerous "imperial fantasy". If it persists, it may eat its own consequences. (outlook new era)