The 1997 Royal Navy force baseline

The 1997 fleet included 12 attack submarines, three carriers, 12 destroyers and 23 frigates, supported by amphibious ships and auxiliaries. The 12-submarine example divides the force into roughly four operational boats, four working up or in lighter maintenance, and four in deeper refit. About two boats in the middle group could usually reinforce the operational force at short notice. Four operational boats could cover a carrier group, the Arctic and the Falklands while leaving another available elsewhere. Three carriers normally provided one available ship, while 12 destroyers allowed escorts for a carrier group alongside other tasks. The supporting fleet included nine tankers, five replenishment ships and five landing ships, with survey, aviation-training and repair capabilities as well. Fleet depth sustained deployments while preserving the training cycles and dockyard work needed to keep the force available.