Originally Posted by
Asturias56
So down to one destroyer and that's east of Suez.............................
many of us said that they'd never bought enough and that diverting them to build a Carrier Group would lead to chronic issues elsewhere
never realised it would happen so soon
Presumably we're currently dependent on NATO navies to protect the UK in the Atlantic and N Sea?
If only the "many of you who said" actually understood what you were talking about.....
Of the five that are "out of action", only Daring - and possibly Dauntless - are incapable of putting to sea in relatively short order. Duncan is approaching readiness for handover to FOST. Diamond has a particular defect that is being rectified, which does not prevent her putting to sea if needed.
None of this has anything to do with carrier groups. It may have escaped your notice, but as recently as last month, three of them were all out at sea in various exercises, including the carrier group and the LRG.
The actual reason is that the PIP is taking longer than planned - part of which is down to ILS - nothing to do with carrier groups. But then you knew that anyway didn't you.