Royal Navy recruits no longer need to prove they can swim

Royal Navy recruits are no longer required to prove they can swim in a move which has been blasted as a 'desperate' relaxing of standards.

According to an insider source, applicants in the future will be able to 'self-declare' if they can swim. 

It comes after the Royal Navy were forced to turn to social media in January to recruit for a top commander role amid a serious drop in recruitment figures in the last year.

'In a sign of true desperation to increase recruitment numbers, being able to swim will no longer be an entry requirement to join the Royal Navy,' the anonymous source told Sky News.

'I absolutely get that there is a growing issue around young people being able to swim and therefore, maintaining the swim test could be seen as reducing the 'pool of eligible candidates', but at what point do we say enough is enough?'

A Royal Navy spokesperson, however, has pushed back on the criticism saying all recruits would still be required to pass a swim test during training.

The statement read: 'All Royal Navy and Royal Marine candidates are required to successfully pass the swim test prior to be able to pass out of Phase 1 training and level of swimming ability required has not changed.

'Recruitment and retention are absolute priorities, which is why we are introducing a range of measures to speed up recruitment.

'These changes are to reduce the delay for candidates that are eligible to join, while retaining the same level of swimming ability.'

Recent reports have suggested that the Navy has been forced to decommission two of its warships due to a shortage of sailors. 

An official report revealed that in 2022 the number leaving the Navy rose by 16.4 per cent while the number joining fell by 19.7 per cent. 

Earlier this week, commanders of Royal Navy supply ships are set to strike for the first time and it has prompted fears sailors could be stranded abroad.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) officers can take industrial action, as they are classified as civilians, but only if they are not part of operations, if their ship is in port or when they are not in a critical role concerning safety - while Royal Navy sailors cannot strike.

Officers rejected a 4.5% pay rise and instead voted in favour of strike action - for the first time - by four to one, The Sun reported.

This was after Nautilus union revealed that sailors for the RFA had taken a 30% cut in their pay from 2010.