Wide Open To Terror

[BigGrecian]

I assume some of the readers of PPrune have read today's express article on how Britain is "Wide Open To Terror"

What do they want? Dad's army patrolling the cost waiting to catch journalists and any other would be pirates?

Don't think we could handle defending the nation as well as two other nations - yet alone trying to assist in the Tsumani incident in Asia!

(Haven't got a link to the article yet!)

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Yes, I saw the story two. I bought the paper as the headline intrigued me.

Under the cuts announced in July, three Hunt class MCMVs (currently used as the Northern Ireland Squadron) and three newer Sandown class Single Role Minehunters will be scrapped. Leaving as for the moment the fact that the SDR said we need a certain number......and littoral operations are more likely to involve dealing with mines........

Why not use them as patrol vessels?

HUNT Class (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/463.html)

SANDOWN Class (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/462.html)

The Hunt class is used for patrol duties in support of Fisheries protection and off Northern Ireland, so why not...

1. Keep all the Sandown class in service. More modern in any case.
2. Reconfigure Hunts in patrol configuration.
3. Put one or more of said vessels in narrow parts of channel where smuggling (people, drugs, guns, terrorists) is most likely. The Radar should be able to detect small craft, and a detachment from FPGRM should provide an effective coounter. The Guns aboard should be a deterent as well.

Since 9/11 the US Navy/Coast Gaurd has conducted anti terror patrols off of the US coastline, and particularly ports. Why do we not do the same, yet conduct similar patrols off of both Gibraltar and Cyprus?

[SASless]

Why not give Gib back to the Spanish...and leave Cyprus to the Greeks and Turks...

[Training Risky]

...and the Spams should leave Hawaii to the Queen of the Hawaiians...and let the people of Puerto Rico look after themselves...and kindly give the Diego Garcians their island back...etc...etc...etc

[Lee Jung]

Why bother, the terror of a third term for B-Liar et al eclipses the odd dirty bomb.

Any way Team America will deal with terror for us and upset the French along the way... (cracking film!).

[hyd3failure]

Since 9/11 the US Navy/Coast Gaurd has conducted anti terror patrols off of the US coastline, and particularly ports. Why do we not do the same, yet conduct similar patrols off of both Gibraltar and Cyprus?

What do you think we are doing day in day out? Day after day after day...what do you think the Lynx people are doing continually?

I'd agree that the RN cannot cover the entire coast of the UK mainland BUT the main ports are covered. The army also assist in conducting patrols of ports and dockyards along with other defence forces. I don't suppose anyone can guarantee the safety of UK Ports and dockyards but we try.


Forgot to metntion that we do the same in Gib...but not cyprus sadly.