The Royal Navy’s HMS Spey is one of two offshore patrol vessels currently deployed by the UK to the Indo-Pacific region (HMS Spey on X)
BELFAST — A new report from the UK’s Defence Committee criticizes Britain’s Indo-Pacific military presence, judging it “limited” and the UK’s strategy “unclear” in the face of a potential conflict with China over Taiwan.
The UK will be unable to play a major role in the region without a “major commitment” of new defense spending, equipment and personnel or “potentially rebalancing existing resources,” according to the document, published on Monday.
It added that “with only a modest presence compared to allies, little to no fighting force in the region, and little by way of regular activity, UK Defence’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific is far from being achieved,” despite the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh (IRR) of defense policy claiming otherwise.
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The IRR committed Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Spey and HMS Tamar to continued deployment in the Indo-Pacific, having been first sent to the region in 2021, while the UK’s carrier strike group will return to the region in 2025 after a maiden deployment two years ago.
In spite of those commitments, the report by the Defence Committee, a cross-party group of lawmakers, exposes difficulties faced by the UK in the region.
“With conflict over Taiwan potentially only years away, the Government and the UK Armed Forces must ensure that they have plans for the UK’s response, as currently, the UK’s regional military presence in the Indo-Pacific remains limited and the strategy to which it contributes is unclear,” the report stated.
The lawmakers suggested that in the near term, China “appears” to want to “confront Taiwan” through conventional military means or grey zone attacks. By way of response, they call on the government to develop a “cross-government” Indo-Pacific strategy that should include plans drawn up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a “comprehensive defence and diplomatic response” to deal with China’s growing military threat.
Moves by the British government, including involvement in SSN AUKUS and building stronger relationships with India and Japan, are supported by the Committee, but they said a “commitment” to Southeast Asian and Pacific countries “should” also be reinforced.
Despite welcoming the SSN-AUKUS decision, which falls under Pillar 1 of the sprawling security arrangement and which will see a British nuclear-powered submarine design eventually used to meet Australian and British requirements, the Committee voiced concerns around a “lack of clarity about how many submarines will ultimately be built, the cost, and the availability of a skilled workforce,” urging London to deliver a “detailed plan” outlining answers to those three key issues.
It also recommends expansion of AUKUS Pillar 2, which currently covers advanced technologies like hypersonic missile technology and quantum computing, to “secure and diversify supply chains for munitions and critical minerals.”
On Pillar 2, the report also advises the UK to “consider opportunities” for additional partner nations to join the program, though only “if this can be achieved without compromising the strong relationships developed between the three AUKUS partners.”
