All five British Astute-class submarines are out of commission and stuck in port, waiting for maintenance and repairs. Former submarine captain Ryan Remski told The Telegraph that this makes the UK "toothless" in the eyes of Russia, which has ramped up its naval activity in British waters by a third over the past year.
"We look powerless. The Russians know we can't get subs out to sea… This issue has been swept under the rug for decades. Everyone knew this would happen, but it was passed on to the next person in charge," he noted.
The Astute submarines play a vital role in countering Russian stealth subs. They also play a key role in protecting the UK's Vanguard-class subs armed with Trident nuclear missiles and two British aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, at sea.
These subs, with a total value of £12.2 billion, are considered the most advanced strike submarines in the world. It's claimed that Russian subs have never detected them using sonar.
Yet with a fleet consisting of five active submarines and two more yet to be commissioned, a number of problems have arisen. For instance, the HMS Astute ran aground during trials off the Isle of Skye in 2010.
Sources in the Navy confirmed that all five submarines of the current fleet have not been deployed due to maintenance and issues with HMS Anson, which recently returned to the UK after several months at sea during a trip to Australia.
However, the issue might run deeper than just a shortage of available subs, warned Commander Ramsey, adding that limited time at sea could affect crew training.
"You might lose vital skills if you aren't operating at sea," he added. "If I were the captain of a sub that's been docked for maybe two years, I would be deeply concerned."