Warships & Warriors
Published 10 Apr 2026When the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence faces a budget crisis, the rest of the world goes shopping. Welcome to Warships And Warriors! Today, we are exploring the global “Ghost Fleet” of the Royal Navy.
Through decades of cyclic Strategic Defence Reviews, the UK has repeatedly cut its fleet, selling off highly capable surface combatants, submarines, and massive amphibious assault ships decades before the end of their mechanical lifespans. In this video, we track down these decommissioned British warships to see how middle-power navies in South America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia have transformed them.
From Brazil snapping up the Royal Navy’s amphibious heavyweights like HMS Ocean (now the Atlântico) and HMS Bulwark, to Chile bolting advanced missile systems onto ex-British Type 22 and Type 23 frigates, we uncover how foreign navies are gaining massive frontline capabilities at bargain prices. We also look at the strategic transfers of Upholder-class submarines to Canada, armed patrol vessels in Bangladesh, and the legally complex deployment of Sandown-class minehunters in the Black Sea.
0:00 – The Royal Navy Fire Sale
01:16 – Chapter 1: The Amphibious Heavyweights (Brazil)
04:31 – Chapter 2: The Frigates (Brazil, Chile & Romania)
07:16 – Chapter 3: The Submarines (Canada)
08:36 – Chapter 4: The Offshore Upgrades (Bangladesh & Philippines)
10:27 – Chapter 5: Clearing the Minefields (Lithuania, Greece, Ukraine & Estonia)
13:01 – Chapter 6: Mapping the Deep (Bangladesh)
13:48 – The Wrap-Up & The Tragic Fate of the Type 22 Batch 3
This video includes imagery and footage sourced from:
-UK Ministry of Defence and Royal Navy Imagery Library (https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/) – used under the UK Open Government Licence v3.0 where applicable.
-Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons – licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA or equivalent), with appropriate attribution to original creators where required.
-Public Domain sources, including material released by the UK Government, NATO, and allied military agencies.
-US DoDAll media has been used in accordance with applicable licensing terms. Where possible, attribution is provided in-video or via image metadata.
For more on the UK Open Government Licence: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d…
For Creative Commons licenses: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/#RoyalNavy #Warships #NavalHistory #GhostFleet #BritishNavy #MilitarySurplus #HMSOcean #Type22Frigate #WarshipsAndWarriors #NavalPower
August 11, 2026
How the Royal Navy’s budget cuts built foreign navies
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