BORIS Johnson signalled more ships for the Royal Navy as well as a bigger defence budget.

The new PM revealed the commitment after bitter criticism of the fleet’s diminished size during the Iran crisis.

3 Boris Johnson is keen to build more ships for the Royal Navy and increase the defence budget. Pictured, HMS Duncan in the Bosphorus on July 12 Credit: Reuters

It came after he was quizzed by Commons defence committee chair Dr Julian Lewis on how Forces cash has been repeatedly stripped back over two decades.

Mr Johnson told him: “I share with him a strong desire to increase defence spending, particularly on ship building”.

The MoD were forced to admit this week that the Royal Navy’s fleet has been slashed down to just 19 escort ships - or frigates and destroyers.

And only nine of them are currently at sea to cover the whole globe, with the remaining 10 stuck in refits.

The Government took bitter flak last week when the navy failed to protect two British-owned tankers being captured by Iran while passing through the bottleneck Straits of Hormuz.

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Just one British frigate is available for guard duties in the tinderbox region.

Boris’s Tory leadership rival Jeremy Hunt pledged a massive £15billion a year increase for the defence budget during the contest, delighting hard-up military chiefs.

But so far Boris has refused to match it.

3 Boris revealed his desire to increase defence spending following bitter criticism for failing to protect British-owned tankers from Iran attacks Credit: AFP or licensors

3 Boris ordered Royal Navy to protect British ships from Iran attacks through the Strait of Hormuz Credit: EPA

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