Whilst news on the surface appears very, very grim with Nelson spinning in his grave, there are a few bright lights in the darkness. The current SDR is basically geared to maintaining and enhancing the UK's current A-Stan adventure up to 2015. The Conservatives don't want to repeat the mistake of a hasty withdrawal from Iraq courtesy of a bunch of back-stabbing Labour politicians. Post 2015, we may see funds diverted back to the Navy and with a switch to F35C, the future FAA should hopefully be regenerated to a footing not seen since the loss of Phantom and Buccaneer.
The UK in the short term has signalled (quite rightly IMHO) a switch to improving SF, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Forces with intention of building/re-equipping and dovetailing civilian, police and military units to better deal with a Mumbai scenario at home. With the Olympic's coming up they would be fools not to make this a priority. This runs parallel with the importance of keeping the A-Stan mission on track. I would like to see a para-military police force created, which can deploy overseas the same way the Portuguese deployed units to East Timor. Dealing with failed states you need a combination of hard military power and less in-your-face para-military units with a robust means of defending themselves.
Comments about not being able to undertake a another Sierra Leone mission is clap trap, that was largely achieved using OCEAN and helo assets (Lynx & Chinook). If the UK ends up with Just Lusty, 1 x active Albion and 2 x Active Bays they can still undertake humanitarian missions and deal with policing actions against a foe with zero CAP/CAS. A Falklands retake will be an impossibility, but that should not worry the General's because the place can be reinforced in 24 hours and have the existing infrastructure to transform itself in to a static aircraft carrier. I would ship a load of bulldogs over there right now for use by te resident Infantry Company, practically brand new following the recent refit. Any increase in tension all the UK has to do is elude to the fact there's an SSN in the vicinity and fly in the high readiness battalion by C17, which is on stand-by 24-7 (Para or RM).
The one area of concern, which others have alluded to, is the F35 factor, and when the final order is likely to be confirmed. This will be a 'white elephant moment', cancellation and the carriers will definitely die an inglorious death and be sold off, the excuse being they kept the yards active until T26 (or similar) were ordered. I understand the final commitment on numbers will be 2015? Unfortunately there is a growing cadre amongst not just the UK armed services and military thinkers, but other nations, that the aircraft carrier is the new battleship post 1940. It's basically obsolete because it's simply too vulnerable to SSK/SSN's, modern sea skimmers, future ballistic threats (PRC) and more worrying cheap swarm attacks by inexpensive fast boats loaded with explosives driven by ideological nutters. This coupled with the huge expense of funding assets to protect it (DDG's and Frigates) and the value simply doesn't offset the cost unless you are the USA will endless assets at your disposal. I only hope this argument doesn't win the day and RAF don't start a black ops campaign for F35A and the scrapping of the QE's.
One area I'm very happy about is firm confirmation on seven Astute's (I seriously thought the order would be reduced to six). They represent the most important, powerful and versatile strategic enabler in the RN's armoury. Only tier one nations have the ability to deal with SSN's, the threat of just one in the near vacinity will keep all but the most sophisticated Navies in port. It also appears clear the Trident replacement will have only eight missile tubes sustained by a stock of only 120 warheads. Basically a stretched Astute.
The UK in the short term has signalled (quite rightly IMHO) a switch to improving SF, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Forces with intention of building/re-equipping and dovetailing civilian, police and military units to better deal with a Mumbai scenario at home. With the Olympic's coming up they would be fools not to make this a priority. This runs parallel with the importance of keeping the A-Stan mission on track. I would like to see a para-military police force created, which can deploy overseas the same way the Portuguese deployed units to East Timor. Dealing with failed states you need a combination of hard military power and less in-your-face para-military units with a robust means of defending themselves.
Comments about not being able to undertake a another Sierra Leone mission is clap trap, that was largely achieved using OCEAN and helo assets (Lynx & Chinook). If the UK ends up with Just Lusty, 1 x active Albion and 2 x Active Bays they can still undertake humanitarian missions and deal with policing actions against a foe with zero CAP/CAS. A Falklands retake will be an impossibility, but that should not worry the General's because the place can be reinforced in 24 hours and have the existing infrastructure to transform itself in to a static aircraft carrier. I would ship a load of bulldogs over there right now for use by te resident Infantry Company, practically brand new following the recent refit. Any increase in tension all the UK has to do is elude to the fact there's an SSN in the vicinity and fly in the high readiness battalion by C17, which is on stand-by 24-7 (Para or RM).
The one area of concern, which others have alluded to, is the F35 factor, and when the final order is likely to be confirmed. This will be a 'white elephant moment', cancellation and the carriers will definitely die an inglorious death and be sold off, the excuse being they kept the yards active until T26 (or similar) were ordered. I understand the final commitment on numbers will be 2015? Unfortunately there is a growing cadre amongst not just the UK armed services and military thinkers, but other nations, that the aircraft carrier is the new battleship post 1940. It's basically obsolete because it's simply too vulnerable to SSK/SSN's, modern sea skimmers, future ballistic threats (PRC) and more worrying cheap swarm attacks by inexpensive fast boats loaded with explosives driven by ideological nutters. This coupled with the huge expense of funding assets to protect it (DDG's and Frigates) and the value simply doesn't offset the cost unless you are the USA will endless assets at your disposal. I only hope this argument doesn't win the day and RAF don't start a black ops campaign for F35A and the scrapping of the QE's.
One area I'm very happy about is firm confirmation on seven Astute's (I seriously thought the order would be reduced to six). They represent the most important, powerful and versatile strategic enabler in the RN's armoury. Only tier one nations have the ability to deal with SSN's, the threat of just one in the near vacinity will keep all but the most sophisticated Navies in port. It also appears clear the Trident replacement will have only eight missile tubes sustained by a stock of only 120 warheads. Basically a stretched Astute.
