France has offered to lend Britain its amphibious landing craft if the UK scraps the Royal Navy’s own ships as part of sweeping defence cuts.
Britain is considering axing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark – assault vessels which allow the UK to attack enemy-held beaches – under cost-cutting plans.
And it has emerged France has put forward proposals to let the UK’s elite commando unit train and run joint deployments from their three amphibious landing ships.
But Tory MPs warned it would be a ‘national embarrassment’ if the UK had to go ‘begging’ to its neighbours for its defence.
Tory MP Andrew Bowie, who served in the Royal Navy before being elected to Parliament, told Mail Online: ‘The British and French navies, as close allies have cooperated for many years and I’m sure their offer comes in good faith.
‘But it really does stick in the craw.
‘To see the Royal Navy, once the most powerful and feared navy in the word, begging and borrowing from our neighbours across the Channel would be a national embarrassment and would demean us in the eyes of our allies and partners.
‘I hope the Government can put this to bed once and for all and guarantee the future of our amphibious capability, independent of other nations.’
HMS Bulwark (pictured) and HMS Albion – assault vessels which allow the UK to attack enemy-held beaches – could be ditched under defence cost-cutting plans
Proposals to axe Britain’s two amphibious craft are among the proposals for cuts being considered by the Government in the strategic defence review.
Ministers are also considering getting rid of 1,000 Marines under sweeping cost-cutting plans.
Defence chiefs have warned that any move to strip the Royal Navy of its ability to attack enemy-held beaches would harm Britain’s defence.
And Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson face a brewing Tory backbench rebellion over the possible looming cuts.
The proposal is still in its early stages and has not been put to British commanders yet, according to a report in the Financial Times.
British and French naval chiefs are reportedly due to meet in the coming weeks to talk about closer cooperation ahead of a joint summit early next year.
![Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, pictured visiting RAF Coninsgby, Lincolnshire, last Thursday, is facing a brewing backbench rebellion over proposals to axe Britain's amphibious landing vessels. HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion could be ditched under cost-cutting plans](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/09/46D84D9100000578-0-image-a-1_1512380795582.jpg)
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, pictured visiting RAF Coninsgby, Lincolnshire, last Thursday, is facing a brewing backbench rebellion over proposals to axe Britain’s amphibious landing vessels. HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion could be ditched under cost-cutting plans
![Julian Lewis, Tory MP and chairman of the defence select committee, said that while the offer might be helpful he warned it could be part of a wider push from Paris to build a European defence force](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/09/46F799BB00000578-0-image-a-4_1512381023399.jpg)
![Tory MP Andrew Bowie: 'To see the Royal Navy, once the most powerful and feared navy in the word, begging and borrowing from our neighbours across the Channel would be a national embarrassment and would demean us in the eyes of our allies and partners.'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/09/46F799C700000578-0-image-a-3_1512381023355.jpg)
Tory MPs Julian Lewis and Andrew Bowie hit out at any move which would leave Britain reliant on its neighbours for its defence capabilities
A French official told the newspaper: ‘We have three very capable ships.
‘The idea is that in the case of one of the two countries having to reduce certain capabilities because of budgetary constraints we could mitigate the consequences by standing shoulder to shoulder.’
Julian Lewis, Tory MP and chairman of the defence select committee, said that while the offer might be helpful he warned it could be part of a wider push from Paris to build a European defence force.
He said: ‘It’s fine we should align our sea-based forces.
‘It’s another matter to abandon our own ability to send land forces from the sea. The idea the UK should lose that capability is totally unacceptable.
The Ministry of Defence said no decisions had been made yet.
A spokesman said: ‘In the face of intensifying threats we are contributing to the cross-government review of national security capabilities and looking at how we best spend our rising defence budget.’