The head of the Royal Navy has warned the government to "step up" and fund defence or risk losing the UK's superiority in the Atlantic to Russia.

Should that happen, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said it would be the first time since the end of the Second World War that Britain's warships and submarines were not the dominant force in their most vital sea lanes alongside their allies.

"We are holding on, but not by much," he told a conference in London on Monday.

"There is no room for complacency. Our would-be opponents are investing billions. We have to step up, or we will lose that advantage."

Image: King Charles III greets General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, now First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, back in 2022. Photo: PA

As a senior, serving military officer speaking publicly, h

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