The UK Navy is considering the possibility of divesting or early retirement of one of the Albion-class LPDs after HMS Ocean due to personnel and sustainment issues.
Many European navies are facing similar problems. There are personnel problems, and most navies have not developed doctrinal approaches appropriate to the post-cold war era, and therefore have inventory structures that are difficult to adapt to today's conditions. Below tier 1, medium-sized navies have also a terrible combat readiness problem.
Meanwhile, the Turkish navy is conducting simultaneous exercises in three seas with a +100-piece fleet, and is slowly sharing its platform plans for the next 30 years with the public.
France has a special position due to its naval policies and political interests, and we cannot ignore ambitious modernization plans like Italy. Of course, there are many naval projects that we follow with interest. However, the situation is that the economies of these countries do not have the huge gap against potential competitors in their spheres of influence as they did 30 years ago, and they have been slow to renew their strategies and planning in line with the changing world conditions. On top of all this, there is an aging population and human resource problems.
The world is in a period of change. In fact, it is certain that this will be one of the major nodes in the history of the world we are living in, which happens every few hundred years. It will not be limited to the transfer of assets, but will be characterized by the transfer of power, and this process will create new military powers, countries that seemed insignificant just a few decades ago will become important actors of the new era with the leverage of geopolitics.