Styr, so the defence of the nation should rest on Labour's tarditional heartlands? Wasn't there a strong rumour that the CVs would be sub-contracted to France in any case?
OA, so more practical than I would have suspected for the CSG (
- my outdated outlook in all things naval, how I shall weep when the F14 goes). Of course, if the experience of our colonial bretheren is anything to go by, both JSF and Typhoon will be needed. I'm not sure I necessarily agree over no re-run of 1940 point, though. At the moment we cannot see that threat, but then neither could the majority of politicians of the late 1920s forsee a re-run of the Zeppelin raids of the first world war. I would rather hedge bets and maintain an effective defence which would be mature in procedure and operation when the next unstable era occurs than have to rely on hastily re-deployed expeditionary aircraft. On the other hand, at the moment I cannot see the situation that spawned the Harrier, nuclear bombardment of MOB, happening either.
What price the delay to navalise the Typhoon? I do think, however, that the role of a small CVF navy (as RN would become) should be more clearly defined - the USN can deploy expeditionary platforms in a number of seas at the same time, do we limit the UK to certain operating areas, and hence a restricted sphere of influence that a CSG would provide? Would we use the CVF to support Atlantic and Med operations, or Indian Ocean or...ad nauseum