AN EX-Nato commander has blasted woke Navy chiefs for renaming a submarine to avoid upsetting the French. HMS Agincourt is the fleet’s sixth vessel and was named after the 1415 victory by

Royal Navy chiefs have come under fire for dropping plans to name a new attack submarine after a battle in which England defeated France.

The Royal Navy has been accused of renaming new attack submarine HMS Agincourt to avoid upsetting the French. The seventh Astute Class boat was due to become the sixth vessel to be named after the 1415 battle, where Henry V routed the forces of France with the help of his legendary archers.

Dr Chris Parry has condemned the decision to scrap the planned patriotic branding of Britain's latest submarine.

On Sunday, the Royal Navy said the submarine would instead be named HMS Achilles and that the change had been under discussion for more than a year. A spokesperson said Achilles was particularly appropriate as the world prepares to mark the 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan days - both of which take place this year.

A decision to rename nuclear-powered submarine HMS Agincourt is “woke nonsense”, a former defence secretary said. The Astute-class attack submarine, which is still under construction, was due to be named in honour of Henry V’s 1415 victory over the French.

Defence Secretary John Healey is seeking the King's approval to rename HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, in a move that has sparked controversy over concerns about offending the French. The decision to rebrand the under-construction hunter-killer submarine represents a significant U-turn in naval policy.