HMS Protector towed home after propulsion defects

The Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Protector was towed from Teesside to Devonport in October 2026 because propulsion faults prevented the vessel from making the passage under its own power. A parliamentary response confirmed that engineers would carry out further technical work at Devonport before officials determined the best course of action. Protector had already missed the 2025–26 Antarctic summer deployment while undergoing prolonged essential maintenance intended to sustain the ship’s future availability. The vessel is the Royal Navy’s only dedicated ice patrol ship, supporting British survey and inspection obligations in Antarctica; no repair completion date was provided.