MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2022) British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday he had canceled the construction of a new royal yacht that was meant to project the United Kingdom's image as an independent maritime trading nation.
The minister said in parliament that he was prioritizing the procurement of a multirole ocean surveillance ship (MROSS) over the 200-million-pound ($230 million) boat, criticized as a "vanity project" by the opposition.
That means "the termination of the national flagship competition with immediate effect to bring forward the first MROSS ship in its place," Wallace told lawmakers.
He said the UK was right to prioritize "delivering capabilities which safeguard our national infrastructure" in light of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last year the plan to build a new national flagship to replace the Royal Yacht Britannia, which had been the British monarchy's yacht and is currently a tourist attraction in Edinburgh. It was to be named after the late Prince Philip.
