Building a credible deterrence remains the Royal Navy's top priority. 

The UK’s new naval chief has defined his top strategic priorities for the Royal Navy (RN) in order to accelerate warfighting readiness.

In his first major UK address since becoming First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in May, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins stressed that his key mission is moving the RN to warfighting readiness within the next four years by building credible deterrence and defence against various and robust threats.

Delivering the UK’s nuclear deterrent is the First Sea Lord’s immediate strategic priority for achieving this. As part of its NATO membership, the RN maintains this deterrent as the ultimate security guarantee, Gen Jenkins continued.

“Nuclear deterrence is our top priority, requiring a ‘whole-force’ effort across submarines, infrastructure, and effective forces.”

While the RN’s work “remains fundamental….The way we do it is changing, and changing fast,” the First Sea Lord continued. Innovation – in both capabilities and working practices – will be key to keeping pace with this rapid technological change and ensuring warfighting readiness is realised, he stressed.

Leadership excellence is another priority, to inspire thriving teams while delivering results, while agility will enhance effectiveness and focus on key priorities.

The focus on warfighting readiness will be set out in a plan the navy will agree on within the next 100 days, to ensure credible progress towards this aim, including developing new ways to fight at scale, he added.

The navy’s current challenge has been compounded by fleet size reductions and consequent readiness impacts during post-Cold War platform cuts.

The RN is targeting longer-term numbers re-growth: yet current reality is different. “Our job is to be ready to fight with what we have now, not what we hope to have in the future,” said Gen Jenkins.

The various threats the UK faces, Gen Jenkins said, include: Russian aggression; strategic competition; proliferating technology transforming warfare; hostile state activity in and around the UK; and growing extremism. Against this context, the RN’s role in building the UK’s security and economy remains constant, he added: protecting the UK from seaborne attack and defending its interests globally; and maintaining security at sea to ensure food, energy, goods, and data arrive unimpeded in daily life.