List of active Royal Navy ships

The Royal Navy is the principal naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. As of January 2021, there are 79 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy.

For a list of ships no longer in service with the Royal Navy, see List of ship names of the Royal Navy.
Her Majesty's
Naval Service
of the British Armed Forces
Components
History and future
Ships
Personnel
Auxiliary services

Of the commissioned vessels, twenty-three are major surface combatants (six guided missile destroyers, thirteen frigates, two amphibious transport docks and two aircraft carriers), and eleven are nuclear-powered submarines (four ballistic missile submarines and seven fleet submarines). In addition the Navy possesses thirteen mine countermeasures vessels, twenty-six patrol vessels, four survey vessels, one icebreaker and one historic warship, Victory. The total displacement of the Royal Navy is approximately 445,200 tonnes.

The Royal Navy operates four bases where commissioned ships are based: HMNB Portsmouth, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde and the Royal Navy's newest base, HMS Jufair in Bahrain.[1] In addition, a number of commissioned vessels belonging to the University Royal Naval Units (URNU) are stationed at various locations around the United Kingdom, and two patrol vessels form part of the Gibraltar Squadron and are permanently based there.

Besides the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and the Royal Marines operate their own flotillas of naval vessels which complement the assets of the Royal Navy, however they are not included in this list or the above figures (the Royal Navy and RFA combined have 92 vessels with a total displacement in excess of 821,200 tonnes). In addition, the naval training vessels Brecon and Cromer can be found based at the Royal Navy shore establishment HMS Raleigh and the Britannia Royal Naval College, respectively, along with a number of P1000's and Motor Whalers.[2][3] As a supporting contingent of Her Majesty's Naval Service, the civilian Marine Services operate many auxiliary ships (including coastal logistics, tugs and research vessels) in support of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary operations.[4]

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 vessels of the Royal Navy bear the ship prefix "HMS", for Her Majesty's Ship or Her Majesty's Submarine.

List of ships
Flagship of the First Sea Lord
Classic First-rate
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Ship of the Line HMS Victory—1778[N 1]3,556 tonnesFirst-rate ship of the linePortsmouth[5]
Submarine Service
Strategic
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Vanguard class HMS VanguardS28199315,900 tonnesBallistic missile submarineClyde[6]
HMS VictoriousS291995[7]
HMS VigilantS301996[8]
HMS VengeanceS311999[9]
Fleet
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Astute class HMS AstuteS11920107,400 tonnesFleet submarineClyde[10]
HMS AmbushS1202013[11]
HMS ArtfulS1212016[12]
HMS AudaciousS1222020[13]
Trafalgar class HMS TrenchantS9119895,300 tonnesDevonport[14]
HMS TalentS921990Clyde[15]
HMS TriumphS931991Devonport[16]
Surface Fleet
Aircraft Carriers
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Queen Elizabeth class HMS Queen ElizabethR08201765,000 tonnesAircraft carrierPortsmouth[17][18][N 2]
HMS Prince of WalesR092019[19]
Amphibious Warfare
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Albion class HMS AlbionL14200319,560 tonnesAmphibious transport dockDevonport[20]
HMS BulwarkL152004[21][N 3]
Destroyers
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Type 45 or Daring class HMS DaringD3220098,500 tonnesGuided missile destroyerPortsmouth[22][N 4]
HMS DauntlessD332010[23]
HMS DiamondD342011[24]
HMS DragonD352012[25]
HMS DefenderD362013[26]
HMS DuncanD372013[27]
Frigates
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Type 23 or Duke class HMS ArgyllF23119914,900 tonnesGuided missile frigateDevonport[28]
HMS LancasterF2291992Portsmouth[29]
HMS Iron DukeF2341993Portsmouth[30]
HMS MonmouthF2351993Devonport[31]
HMS MontroseF2361994Devonport, forward deployed to Bahrain 2019–2023 [32][N 5]
HMS WestminsterF2371994Portsmouth[33]
HMS NorthumberlandF2381994Devonport[34]
HMS RichmondF2391995Devonport[35]
HMS SomersetF821996Devonport[36]
HMS SutherlandF811997Devonport[37]
HMS KentF782000Portsmouth[38]
HMS PortlandF792001Devonport[39]
HMS St AlbansF832002Devonport[40]
Offshore Patrol
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
River class HMS TyneP2812003 and 20181,700 tonnesOffshore patrol vesselPortsmouth[41]
HMS SevernP2822003 and 2020[42]
HMS MerseyP2832003[43]
HMS ForthP22220182,000 tonnes[44][N 6]
HMS MedwayP2232019[45][N 7]
HMS TrentP2242020[46][47][N 8]
HMS TamarP2332020[48]
HMS SpeyP2342021[49]
Mine countermeasures
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Hunt class HMS LedburyM301981750 tonnesMinehunterPortsmouth [50]
HMS CattistockM311982[51]
HMS BrocklesbyM331983[52][N 9]
HMS MiddletonM341984[53]
HMS ChiddingfoldM371984[54][N 10]
HMS HurworthM391985[55]
Sandown class HMS PenzanceM1061998600 tonnesClyde[56][N 11]
HMS PembrokeM1071998[57]
HMS GrimsbyM1081999[58]
HMS BangorM1092000[59]
HMS RamseyM1102000[60]
HMS BlythM1112001[61]
HMS ShorehamM1122001[62][N 12]
Fast Patrol
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
P2000 or Archer class HMS ArcherP264198554 tonnesPatrol boat/URNUEdinburgh[63]
HMS BiterP2701986Eaglet[64]
HMS SmiterP2721988Portsmouth[65]
HMS PursuerP2731988Gibraltar[66][N 13]
HMS BlazerP2791988Portsmouth[67]
HMS DasherP2801988Gibraltar[68][N 14]
HMS PuncherP2911988Portsmouth[69]
HMS ChargerP2921988Eaglet[70]
HMS RangerP2931988Portsmouth[71]
HMS TrumpeterP2941988Ipswich[72]
HMS ExpressP1631988Cardiff[73]
HMS ExampleP1651985Gateshead[74]
HMS ExplorerP1641986Hull[75]
HMS ExploitP1671988Portsmouth[76]
HMS TrackerP2741998Patrol boatClyde[77][N 15]
HMS RaiderP2751998[78][N 16]
Scimitar class HMS ScimitarP284200324 tonnesPatrol boatPortsmouth[79][N 17]
HMS SabreP2852003[80][N 18]
Survey
Class Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Displacement Type Homeport Note
Echo class HMS EchoH8720033,740 tonnesMulti-purpose surveyDevonport[81]
HMS EnterpriseH882003[82]
— HMS ScottH131199713,500 tonnesOcean survey[83]
— HMS ProtectorA17320115,000 tonnesIcebreaker & survey[84]
— HMS MagpieH130201837 tonnesSurvey motor launch[85]

Flagship of the First Sea Lord
Further information: First Sea Lord

Classic first-rate

Submarine service
Further information: Royal Navy Submarine Service

Strategic

Fleet

Surface fleet
Further information: Royal Navy Surface Fleet

Aircraft carriers

Amphibious warfare
  • Albion (Albion class)

Destroyers and Frigates

Offshore patrol
  • Forth (River class)

Mine countermeasures
  • Hurworth (Hunt class)
  • Ramsey (Sandown class)

Fast patrol

The Royal Marines operate three Island-class fast patrol boats (Mull, Rona and Eorsa) from HMNB Clyde.

  • Raider (Archer class)
  • Sabre (Scimitar class)

Survey

The British Antarctic Survey operates two Royal Research Ships which work in conjunction with Protector.

  • Echo (Echo class)
  • Scott
  • Protector
  • Magpie

HMS Excellent
Further information: HMS Excellent (shore establishment)
  • Excellent

Silhouettes

Silhouettes of major fleet units:


Queen Elizabeth
Prince of Wales

Albion
Bulwark

Daring
Dauntless
Diamond
Dragon
Defender
Duncan

Argyll
Lancaster
Iron Duke
Monmouth
Montrose
Westminster

Northumberland
Richmond
Somerset
Sutherland
Kent
Portland

St Albans

Vanguard
Victorious
Vigilant
Vengeance

Astute
Ambush
Artful
Audacious
Trenchant
Talent
Triumph

See also
Lists of ships operated by or in support of Her 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. Bulwark entered 'extended readiness' in late 2016.
  4. Daring is acting as a Harbour Training Ship.
  5. HMS Montrose is forward deployed, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  6. HMS Forth is forward deployed as guardship in the Falkland Islands.
  7. HMS Medway is forward deployed as Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North) guardship in the Caribbean.
  8. HMS Trent is semi-permanently deployed to the Mediterranean.
  9. HMS Brocklesby is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  10. HMS Chiddingfold is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  11. HMS Penzance is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  12. HMS Shoreham is forward deployed as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron, operating from HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
  13. Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  14. Permanently based in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Forms part of the Gibraltar Squadron.
  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. Returned to the U.K. from Gibraltar in 2020. In active service.
  18. Returned to the U.K. from Gibraltar in 2020. In active service.

References
  1. "Navy's new Gulf home almost ready for first sailors". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 119. ISBN 1904459552.
  3. "New lease of life for BRNC boats". Royal Navy. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. "Vessel Management". Serco Marine Services. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  5. Farmer, Ben (7 December 2017). "The Queen commissions the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier - HMS Queen Elizabeth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  6. "HMS Vanguard". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. "HMS Victorious". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. "HMS Vigilant". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  9. "HMS Vengeance". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  10. "HMS Astute". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  11. "HMS Ambush". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  12. "HMS Artful". Royal Navy. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  13. "HMS Audacious". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. "HMS Trenchant". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  15. "HMS Talent". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  16. "HMS Triumph". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  17. "Aircraft Carriers - Future Flagships". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  18. "HMS Queen Elizabeth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  19. "Commissioning day for HMS Prince of Wales". Royal Navy. Portsmouth. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  20. "HMS Albion". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  21. "HMS Bulwark". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  22. "HMS Daring". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  23. "HMS Dauntless". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  24. "HMS Diamond". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  25. "HMS Dragon". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  26. "HMS Defender". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  27. "HMS Duncan". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  28. "HMS Argyll". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  29. "HMS Lancaster". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  30. "HMS Iron Duke". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  31. "HMS Monmouth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  32. "HMS Montrose". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  33. "HMS Westminster". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  34. "HMS Northumberland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  35. "HMS Richmond". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  36. "HMS Somerset". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  37. "HMS Sutherland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  38. "HMS Kent". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  39. "HMS Portland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  40. "HMS St Albans". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  41. "HMS Tyne". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  42. "HMS Severn Re-Commissioned Into Royal Navy After Nearly Three Years". Forces news. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  43. "HMS Tyne returns to service after being paid off in May". Save the Royal Navy. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  44. "HMS Forth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  45. "HMS Medway". Royal Navy. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  46. "It's a big day for @HMSTrent with her commissioning ceremony this morning ..." Twitter. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  47. "HMS Trent Commissioned Into Royal Navy In Portsmouth". Forces News. Portsmouth. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  48. "HMS TAMAR RAISES HER FLAG ON HER OWN RIVER". Royal Navy. River Tamar. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  49. https://twitter.com/HMS_Spey
  50. "HMS Ledbury". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  51. "HMS Cattistock". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  52. "HMS Brocklesby". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  53. "HMS Middleton". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  54. "HMS Chiddingfold". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  55. "HMS Hurworth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  56. "HMS Penzance". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  57. "HMS Pembroke". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  58. "HMS Grimsby". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  59. "HMS Bangor". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  60. "HMS Ramsey". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  61. "HMS Blyth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  62. "HMS Shoreham". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  63. "HMS Archer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  64. "HMS Biter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  65. "HMS Smiter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  66. "HMS Pursuer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  67. "HMS Blazer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  68. "HMS Dasher". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  69. "HMS Puncher". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  70. "HMS Charger". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  71. "HMS Ranger". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  72. "HMS Trumpeter". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  73. "HMS Express". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  74. "HMS Example". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  75. "HMS Explorer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  76. "HMS Exploit". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  77. "HMS Tracker". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  78. "HMS Raider". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  79. "HMS Scimitar". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  80. "HMS Sabre". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  81. "HMS Echo". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  82. "HMS Enterprise". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  83. "HMS Scott". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  84. "HMS Protector". Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  85. "HMS Magpie". Royal Navy. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
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