Originally Posted by
Asturias56
"Can you please provide evidence that everyone knows the RN is stretched to breaking point?"
I really don't know what to say except to ask what desert island you've been stuck on for the last 10 years...
Look at this thread - there are dozens of links to various studies and statement by experts, and RN officers.
Read the Times or the Telegraph - letter after letter, article after article........... same with the BBC
Read every edition of the annual "British Warships & Auxiliaries" for the last 15 years - or the annual authoritative "World Naval Reviews" - or "Janes"
In 2012 the Chief of the UK Defence Staff stated in a lecture at Oxford "One of my biggest concerns is the number of frigates and destroyers the Nay has" - at that point it had 24-26 vessels - you now have 19
And you consider that evidence? Yes the RN could do with more hulls, just like the RAF would like more FJ squadrons and the army would like more battalions. Not news, but 2019. That does not main any of our services are ineffective and have gone home!
I am ex RN. I live overseeing Portsmouth dockyard. I socialise with serving members. Yes 100% there are challenges but the RN is still a first rate navy.
I pitched 2 questions you are not responding to.
1) Which other peer navies do not think they need aircraft carriers? (I will help you, those who do are, USN, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, France, Italy, Spain. I would not be surprised to see you aussies join that list.
2) The RN will have 3 concurrent deployments in the rest of 2019. Aside for the USN who else could do that? (Plus Submarine ops)
These are far from vanity projects, but provide a rounded flexible capability the country should be very proud of! At a build cost of circa £100 million a year, for 2 ships they offer amazing value. (A T45 estimated
service life of 25 years is not so much cheaper at £40 million a year for each hull)