Isn't this just based on the odd quote from Liam Fox and little snippets in the press here and there? In truth we really know nothing about which direction the government will go.
The only factual thing we know is that the new governments foreign policy is not to retreat from the world and that although economics must be taken into account the SDR will be foreign policy led.
We're yet to see the full propaganda pitch by each service chief that will no doubt make its way into the press via their friends in the media who each have their own agenda.
Completely agree I don't see much reassurance in any statements made. We face very tough challenges and the immediate need for cuts and the fact there appears to be little planning/creativity coming out of the MOD does not bode well.
I do think the RN does have recognition in the Government, but I can't see this will help much, the war (doesn't seem to be referred to as a conflict anymore) in Afghanistan limits options. I can see the RN having the Astutes capped at 6, T22 going early. I can see F35s cut but as has been pointed out here before, this will not help until much later.
There has to be a serious review of the T26, if they continue they have to spread out the construction over a longer period, from the start (mind how much has been spent on FSC already does it rival FRES?). A learning from the T45, they could have been spread out over 18-20 years not the 10 currently. The same is true of the Astutes and of course the CVFs which have been by default and at a wasteful cost. This would have help with budgets and maybe resulted in greater numbers.
The T45 seem to be averaging 34 months from steel being cut to launch, 8-9 ships laid down one after the other would have taken 24-27 years, covering the full life/industrial cycle. All we have achieved by this haste, is the UK ship building industry rushing to it's own funeral. Of course 3 exports to Australia would have been great, lets hope the T26 if built, is really designed to appeal to the export market.
