Hmmm.... all the more reason to crack on with CVF (as discussed
here).
Look at this story from 1999:
Navy facing warship gap (BBC)
The Royal Navy faces a "looming gap" in its warship capability, an all-party committee of MP's has warned.
The Defence Select Committee said new Type 45 destroyers being developed for the navy may not come into service until 2007 - eight years after the first of the ships they are designed to replace goes out of service.
The MP's said the delay meant there may be a "looming gap in our anti-air warship capability".
Since then the Sea Jet (as discussed
here) has been retired prematurely, and the future carriers delayed, making the T45 more important than ever. Delayed until 2009 though.
Surely only six have been ordered thus far, if two go abroad then we might end up with only four!! We were meant to get twelve to replace the T42s one for one, Hoon cut this to eight, now rumoured to be six.........