It pointed out that 95 per cent of British trade by volume and 90 per cent by value was carried out by sea.One former naval officer notes that most of the work is done by helicopters, anyway. No report how he suggests the helicopters get out to sea to do their work.
But the Navy's policing role risked being undermined if it did not receive extra funding, they argued. The article added that it would be a "grave failure" if the review "attended principally – or worse, exclusively" to the financial squeeze from the Government and political pressure over Afghanistan.
"No one associates the full supermarket shelves, the availability of a range of other goods and the supply of fuels to power our homes, cars and industry with the free flow of sea trade."
The report said future orders should be "seriously cost-constrained" so ships were more basic and more could be bought. The MoD has said one of its long-term aims will be to use less specialised, cheaper ships that are easier to sell abroad.
So much for Rule Britannia:
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves:It is an island, after all.
Britons never will be slaves.
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,Of course, maybe they could work a deal with the Danes. That's a Danish design up at the top.
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1
There won't be enough room in the bed for Winston Churchill and Chester Nimitz to roll over and groan over their replacements.
ReplyDeleteThe Scandinavian nations make some pretty nice ships, cause they treat frigates as very important. If you mated Scandinavian designs with British industrial strength, you could end up with a very impressive navy.
ReplyDeleteI say scrap the two carrier for now (or perhaps work up a deal with India or Brazil.) Focus on frigates and destroyers, and then potentially build something like the Juan Carlos/Canberra or the Cavour. It would be much less expensive, and Britain will end up buying the F-35's anyways now that that project is under control again.