The Royal Navy has traditionally been the mainstay of Britain’s military power on the global stage. It is approaching its 500th anniversary, when Henry VIII established the ‘Navy Royal’ in 1546, a standing maritime force with its own dockyards and secretariat, the Navy Board. As this year’s Strategic Defence Review made clear, it remains vital for the protection of the United Kingdom, the defence of the wider Euro-Atlantic area and Britain’s ability to project power across the globe.

To do that, the Royal Navy has to be strengthened and modernised. On Monday, the First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins – the first Royal Marines officer to serve as professional head of the navy – gave a speech at the International Sea Power Conference in which he announced an ambitious high-tech programme, Atlantic Bastion. This will integrate autonomous vessels (maritime drones, in other words) and AI with the Royal Navy’s conventional warships in a ‘highly advanced hybrid force’ to protect British interests and infrastructure in the North Atlantic.

It might be true to say we are not currently at war with Russia, but we are not at peace either, and it is Russia which is clearly and explicitly identified as the principal threat in the North Atlantic. A great deal of attention has been focused recently on the undersea pipelines and........

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