The British Ministry of Defense is developing a plan to restore maintenance of submarines after reports emerged that the entire available fleet of attack submarines of the Royal Navy is out of service, PA media and DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The "Mail on Sunday" newspaper reported that all five "Astute" class submarines; – which are used to protect the "Vanguard" class submarines carrying "Trident" nuclear missiles– are out of service while they undergo maintenance and repairs.
Admiral Gwynne Jenkins has ordered a plan to be developed to prevent maintenance cost overruns and increase the capacity to achieve combat readiness.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Strengthening and sustaining our submarine force is a top priority and we are taking decisive action to ensure their long-term sustainability."
"We do not routinely comment on specific submarine operations and their availability, but British waters are always protected by a range of assets, including warships, patrol aircraft and submarines," the spokesman added.
The Mail newspaper quoted a Navy source as saying that "the lack of investment over decades in providing the back-up infrastructure to keep them (the submarines) safe" has contributed to the current problem.
This is the second time in as many days that the condition of Royal Navy ships has been called into question.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence announced that a technical problem had been discovered on the UK's largest warship, which is docked in a port in Norway.
Earlier this month, the aircraft carrier "Prince of Wales" sailed from Scotland for Scandinavian waters to provide security in the Atlantic Ocean and the High North.
"A minor technical problem" was discovered on the Royal Navy's most powerful ship during its latest port call in Stavanger, a port city in southwestern Norway, the Ministry of Defence said.
The aircraft carrier is expected to set sail in the coming days.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ""The Prince of Wales" is currently visiting the port of Stavanger as part of a North Atlantic and Arctic carrier group deployment, and we expect it to set sail in the coming days."
Earlier this year, former fleet commander Admiral West said the Royal Navy was in "the most critical state" it had been in for 60 years and was not "delivering what the nation needs".