Seaforth World Naval Review 2025

192 pages

John Roberts

Seaforth’s authoritative World Naval Review continues (16th edition) to provide an excellent overall view of the world naval scene. It is, as usual, absolutely crammed with a mass of detail, making it an ideal companion to the Naval Review. Continuing with its impressive group of international contributors, the format is unchanged, with four sections: overview, brief summaries of the main navies, focus on three ‘significant ships’, and technological reviews.

Conrad Waters’ insightful overview, signed off in June last year (pre-Trump & Starmer), inevitably suffers from some time lag, particularly as the geopolitical world appears to be changing ever more rapidly with spanners being hurled into the mechanics of the world’s economies and rules-based order. Nevertheless, there is a great deal, which is very relevant. He highlights the 6.8% ($2.44bn) increase in world military expenditure, pointing out that increases in the west are more focused on land-based forces and conflict in Europe, whilst in the Indo-Pacific region the emphasis is more on naval investment. He includes an illuminating table of major fleet strengths 2009-2024 illustrating the eastward shift in naval power.

Section 1 includes ‘Naval Lessons of the Ukraine Conflict’, explaining how, despite overwhelming strength the Russian Black Sea Fleet has failed, lost expensive ships and become strategically impotent, unable to interdict shipping, but stuck in port and requiring protection. The conflict is clearly demonstrating the vulnerability of shipping to littoral sensors and weapons, including large numbers of uncrewed land-based systems, though the US Navy is successfully minimising such threats in the Red Sea.

Section 2 reviews the world’s fleets in four regional groupings with two individual fleet reviews, (the Philippine and Portuguese Navies). The eight navies of the North and South America region concentrate on the US Navy, which has been struggling to prioritise projects due to the very severe budget restraints of the FRA (Fiscal Responsibility Act) which reduced real defence spending and also the underperformance of the US shipbuilding sector.  The US Navy front line ‘battle force’ still remains at 298 warships, (down from 381 in 2023) with withdrawals of Ticonderogas (CGs) and older Littoral Combat Ships balanced by incremental growth of other battle units, such as two Arleigh Burkes (DDGs) a year. For the carriers, John F Kennedy (CVN-79) is to be delivered in July, replacing Nimitz. Enterprise (CVN-80) is delayed to September 2029, with a knock-on effect on Doris Miller (CVN-81) and a two-year delay to CVN-82 to FY2030. As regards SSBNs, the new District of Colombia (SSBN-826) has been further delayed, impacting on the new Virginia class SSNs.

The Asia Pacific region reflects the enormous progress of the Chinese PLAN, with over 150 major combat ships, the third carrier Fujian (Type 003) is currently undergoing sea trials, and will join Liaoning (T 001) and Shandong (T002), and 60 submarines in service. In addition, the Type 004, possibly nuclear, is reportedly already under construction. The Japanese forces are undergoing a major period of investment and the JMSDF will grow to four carrier like DDH destroyers (two CVs and two CVHs), 50 DDG/FFG and 22 submarines.

The Royal Navy, with a continued reduction in capability (one (one) CV, six DDG, nine FFG, four SSBN, six SSN, five LPD/LSD) is suffering ‘considerable overstretch’, meeting the worsening security situation in Europe and additional missions towards Asia and the Pacific. A personnel crisis has resulted in premature retirement of ships and long-term laying up of others. Prince of Wales took over as ‘ready’ carrier and neither amphibious assault ship is available. The new MRSS programme, with six ships planned to replace Argus and the Albion and Bay classes, completed the concept development phase. Section 4.3 provides a detailed eight page overview of the Type 26 and Type 31 frigate programmes, optimistically entitled ‘The Royal Navy’s Rejuvenation’, the largest recapitalisation of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet since the ned of the Cold War. Responsibility for the programme is NSDG (Naval Ship Delivery Group), with implementation in the hands of the prime contractors (BAE for the T 26 and Babcock for the T 31). A fundamental cause of delay has been the lack of government and industry commitment to UK shipbuilding since the end of the Cold War and progress will depend on revitalising British shipbuilding. Section 2 concludes with a detailed review of the Portuguese Fleet (five FFG, two corvettes, eight PVs & two SSKs), which post-Cold War had suffered serious under investment with many ships in need of replacement, nevertheless a large multi-role ‘drone carrier’ has been ordered.

Section 3 (‘Significant Ships’), covers: 3.1 the USNS John Lewis (T-AO-2025), first of class fleet replenishment oilers, modernising the US Navy fleet support capabilities. Based in San Diego, this 49,850 tonne fleet oiler supports the Pacific Fleet. Replacing the AOL USNS Henry J Kaiser (TA-AO-187), they carry less fuels but more dry stores and are operated by the Military Sealift Command. 3.2 The Italian Navy’s new PPA Project – seven ship ( five ‘Light’ & two ‘Full’ versions) 6,200 tonne Paolo Thaon Di Revel-class multi-purpose frigates. Fast, handsome, state-of-the-art ships, the first three are now in service. 3.3 Covers the new-generation French 5,300 tonne SSN Suffren-class, replacing the last three, aged 2,700 tonne SSN Rubis class. Unlike British and American SSNs, the Suffren’s K15 reactors use ‘civil grade’ low-enriched uranium, to utilise the French civil nuclear fuel chain but has the drawback of needing to refuel the reactor periodically.

Section 4 ‘Technological Reviews’ include David Hobbs detailed analysis of ‘World Naval Aviation’, highlighting the significance of UAVs (uncrewed aerial vehicles) especially uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAVs) as primary offensive weapons across the Middle East as well as Ukraine. 4.2 Covered the US Navy’s new Scalable radar family (A/NSPY-6(V) radar engineered to take developing technology and now fitted into DDG-125 USS Jack H Lucas. It provides greater detection range, sensitivity and target discrimination and will be integrated into 60 US Navy ships. Finally in 4.4, Norman Friedman gives an excellent overview of Post-Cold War Naval evolution, which has concentrated on expeditionary warfare and is only now turning back to great power conflict.

Superbly presented with many data tables, summary boxes, splendid photographs and John Jordan’s excellent drawings. It is most strongly recommended.