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Why can’t Britain build warships on time?

November 3, 2026 · 18 min

Show notes

The Ministry of Defence has committed billions of pounds to building a new generation of warships. But there's a problem.

Older vessels are being retired, their replacements are taking years to arrive, and concerns are growing about the Navy's ability to meet its commitments. So why aren't we building more ships, more quickly?

It's about money, a lack of skilled workers, and decades of decisions that have left Britain's shipbuilding industry struggling to keep up.

Sky's military analyst Robert Clark joins Niall Paterson to help us understand why.

Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: [email protected]. You can also watch This Is Why on the Sky News app, and on YouTube.

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