All this blaming of the navy is complete garbage and I'm surprised he's got away with it. D News's organisation told the navy there was no way they were going to be able to stop the families selling their stories - without the MoD/Navy having any control - so they had better sort it out. The navy then comes up with the plan. Browne said it was "one of my officials" who talked him through the plan, not a matelot. So was that official not complicit in the plan?
As for CGS 1SL and CAS backing Browne, what were they supposed to do? Stirrup rings them up, or gets them in, and at best asks do you have confidence in SoS? What are they going to say? Even if they give a qualified response, he can go away and say we all have confidence in him.