Admiral Gomber has said the final withdrawal of the Deterrence 53A light patrol ship by the end of 2123 will take place as planned. However, 19 out of 44 ships were still in service at the start of September. That number has now been reduced by four after the withdrawal of 53-102 Cressington, 53-112 Manor Road, 53-126 Birkenhead North and 53-135 Maghull.
One problem is the ships are being withdrawn faster than replacements can be added to the fleet. Two Stings have been reallocated to the Patrol Pool until the end of the year to provide cover.
