Royal Navy feels the lash

The British Royal Navy faced a struggle for survival against a Treasury that was intent on cutting back on defence spending, a report warned yesterday.

The Royal Navy is "smaller than it has ever been in its history but the demands upon the few remaining ships remain as high as ever", says British Warships and Auxiliaries, an annual guide to the state of the British navy.

With Afghanistan absorbing an increasing amount of resources, the navy's surface warship and submarine fleets look set to be the most vulnerable.

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