Le Humiliation: Once-mighty Navy faces begging French fleet for help to patrol our OWN waters as PM is mocked for Chagos deal U-turn: 'We're relying on our oldest enemy'

Published: 00:23, 12 April 2026 | Updated: 00:49, 12 April 2026 The Royal Navy will be forced to ask the French for help intercepting Russian vessels in British waters because the UK fleet is struggling to meet 'operational commitments', senior defence sources have revealed. With Vladimir Putin putting on increasingly brazen displays of Russian military might around the UK, naval planners have told The Mail on Sunday they 'need help' from Paris to deal with the threat. It was revealed last week that the Kremlin had sent three submarines into waters north of the UK as part of a plot to sabotage British undersea cables while HMS Dragon, Britain's only available destroyer, was in the eastern Mediterranean. The Russian President also defied Sir Keir Starmer's threat to seize sanctioned Russian vessels by sending the Admiral Grigorovich warship to escort a pair of his 'ghost fleet' ships through the Channel.  The Navy is understood to have just one submarine and two frigates available for immediate operations. Earlier this year the German navy was forced to step in and replace HMS Dragon as the flagship of a Nato task force after the destroyer was sent to the Mediterranean. On Saturday night, the Ministry of Defence denied Britain needed France's help, saying: 'UK waters remain protected and monitored 24/7, and we have the resources needed to keep the UK safe.' But this newspaper understands that naval staff officers at Navy Command Headquarters at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth have been working on contingency plans to counter Russian shadow fleet tankers since the Prime Minister announced last month that the UK would interdict (board and seize) them.  The Royal Navy will be forced to ask the French for help intercepting Russian vessels in British waters because the UK fleet is struggling to meet 'operational commitments', sources say. Pictured: HMS Somerset, HMS St Albans and a Merlin helicopter track a Russian vessel Russia has thumbed its nose at Sir Keir Starmer's threats to seize its sanctioned vessels by giving them naval escorts. PIctured: The PM takes a call during the Arsenal match on Saturday French President Emmanuel Macron. The UK faces asking the French for assistance in protecting British waters They have concluded they need the French to help with potential boarding operations by Royal Marines and 'overwatch' by surface fleet vessels. There are around 120 ships in the French Navy – some 45 more than the British have. France also has more frigates and destroyers – 25 – all of which can carry helicopters and are more modern than the British ones. A senior military source said: 'We would have to ask our oldest enemy for help in the Channel.  'We simply don't have enough warship capability to secure the coastline without the support of the French. 'If politicians say we can do it on our own they are mistaken. We need help. Frankly, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see the fleet is struggling to meet operational commitments.' They added: 'We have been working on a plan to use French assets to boost intelligence and raise security in our waters. It would be based on the framework we have seen with the Joint Expeditionary Force, in which nations such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway share resources and intelligence to provide legal, political and military strength to harass these ships. 'We are short of frigates, destroyers and submarines – sadly that is a fact. Having said that, we plan and prepare – it is up to Downing Street to approve and direct us to carry out political policy.' The news comes after Sir Keir suffered the embarrassment of being forced to shelve a deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after Donald Trump withdrew his support for the plan. The British territory includes a joint UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia, which has been a source of contention between London and Washington over its potential use to launch bombing raids against Iran. On Saturday night, Reform leader Nigel Farage said asking the French for military help was 'an act of national humiliation', while former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood said the UK needed 'a whole new approach to maritime defence – not a Nineties tribute band'. Kemi Badenoch also accused the government of prioritising 'benefits over bullets' and said it was a 'national scandal' that plans on future defence funding have still not been published. In a speech, the Tory leader claimed the government was 'woefully unprepared' to defend the UK and that the war in the Gulf 'must act as a wake-up call'. She added: 'We have grown fat on welfare, prioritising benefits over bullets. Britain has overspent the peace dividend that followed the Cold War and politicians of all colours, as well as the electorate, prioritised day-to-day concerns over defence.' Amid mounting alarm, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, admitted last week that he would like more money from the Treasury.  'Would I like more resources? Yes, I would,' he said. 'Every Defence Secretary would. Those [resources] will increase.' But he failed to provide a deadline for when ministers will publish the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, a blueprint for military spending over the next ten years.  The MoD has denied it needs French help to protect British waters. Pictured: A submarine bearing the ensign of the Russian navy Russian president Vladimir Putin has been behind increasingly brazen displays of Russian military might around the UK It was supposed to be unveiled last year following the release of the Strategic Defence Review. The Mail has exposed shortages in defence provisions as part of its Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign. A French navy source told the MoS that it 'currently has one of the most formidable forward naval presences in Europe'.  They added: 'If the British need more help against the Russians, then France certainly has the capability to help.' A senior source at the Armed Forces Ministry in Paris said France and Britain were already sharing intelligence to assist in the surveillance of Russian vessels.  However, international law, and a fear of provoking Russia, has prevented them from adopting more aggressive tactics – until now. Sir Keir stated at last month's Helsinki Summit that he was stepping up the pressure on Moscow's shadow fleet of 'unregistered' oil tankers and announced that Britain would board sanctioned ships transiting UK waters. Moscow's shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than 1,000 ageing tankers. They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'These claims are incorrect. UK waters remain protected and monitored 24/7, and we have the resources needed to keep the UK safe. Just this week, we exposed the details of a covert Russian submarine operation, which failed thanks to the work of the UK's Armed Forces. 'We continue to enhance plans to protect our cables and pipelines. We're providing an extra £100 million for vital P8 submarine-hunting aircraft and we've launched the Atlantic Bastion programme to combine the latest autonomous technologies with the very best warships and aircraft to create a British-built hybrid naval force.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 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