*Yawn*

This story gets rolled out every few months, nothing new here.

Which doesn't make it any less true.

 

Where is the Royal Navy the people ask?... at the breakers yard.

Problem solved 

No, because your cheap but plentiful ships all get sunk and everyone dies.

If we genuinely could not afford the military technology and equipment needed to provide our servicemen with what they need to conduct their objectives, then we should not try to on our own, and we should look to regional bodies or collective defence such as through the EU or with the USA.  However the British public, and hence their representitive government, are obligated to provide our servicemen with the best equipment available if they expect for soldiers to put their life on the line.  Luckily we can afford to maintain forces suitable to high end warfighting.  Unfortunately the government is unwilling to act out their obligations.

 

The UK cannot afford a globe spanning 400 hull fleet.

We have two choices, either a coastal defence force made up of fast pickets to rescue people from drowning and police smuggling.

Or, a reasnobly sized high tech fleet capable of power projection based around two (ideally three) carriers, with associated escorts, subs and marines.

We can afford the latter.

Anything in between is a complete waste of money as it will be unable to project power against anyone who you would want to project power against, and it will be massively more expensive than a coastal defense force.

I know which of the two options above is the only one that makes any sense.

ht*p://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2221531,00.html


Labour though thinks otherwise, the above link suggests we will get 4 Astute, 6 T45, and no tranche 3 for Typhoon... and CVF will be "postponed".

Jam tomorrow for the RN has been the trick since the end of WW2, only for tomorrow to come round and no jam to be seen.

We will pay the price for this error.

That report from the Guardian is a joke, right?

As if the government is going to cut the defence budget nearly in half during a time of war, anytime for that matter.

 Who writes this stuff?  Besides being generally absurd - it states that the 7th & 8th Type 45s and that the next 4 Astutes will be cancelled. That's impossible, considering the fact that they haven't been ordered yet.

Armchair Private, from what I could see, no where did it say that the CVF would be postponed??

Very dodgy reporting if you ask me!!

cancelled probably means not ordered to the full level as the navy put on their wish list.

they don't need 8 T45s anway...   but if they are having cuts then they should take the astutes as most important.

We have two choices, either a coastal defence force made up of fast pickets to rescue people from drowning and police smuggling.

 

i thought the cork jackets had that department?

The story from the Guardian I think was written by a chimp, was interested in the article until I read Type 45 frigate, no defence hack would write that!

 

I believe that there has been an order for long lead items for numbers 5,6 & 7 Astute class submarines.

"Collective defense" is an oxymoron.

Well someone really should have told all those aliiances throughout history.

 

To quote Marshall Foch

"I used to have a high regard for the Emperor Napoleon as a soldier. But after trying to run an alliance, I've learned that any reasonably competent general can defeat a coalition-so I don't hold him in such high regard anymore."

To quote General Eisenhower 

"You asked me which military operation is the most difficult to execute? As Marshall Foch said, an allied operation, of course." 

Herald  

That report from the Guardian is a joke, right?

As if the government is going to cut the defence budget nearly in half during a time of war, anytime for that matter.

 Who writes this stuff?  Besides being generally absurd - it states that the 7th & 8th Type 45s and that the next 4 Astutes will be cancelled. That's impossible, considering the fact that they haven't been ordered yet.

Armchair Private, from what I could see, no where did it say that the CVF would be postponed??

That was referenced in the article that Essex Boy posted.

Very dodgy reporting if you ask me!!