That may be true, but it does raise the question of what demands will be made on the Armed Forces by providing security for the 2012 Olympics?
Carrying on with a maritime theme, the following article (by a serving US Navy Officer) makes interesting reading:
Al Qaeda's Maritime Campaign
With only rare dramatic bursts, the maritime environment has remained relatively calm in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) but a sustained, destructive storm churns over the horizon. Despite the inherent challenges, Al Qaeda can attack, has attacked, and will again attack maritime targets. Indications point to an acceleration of the pace of maritime terrorism, heralding a coming campaign. As this campaign unfolds, however, the U.S. Navy is foundering in defining its role within the overall war. Under increasing fire from the Department of Defense for not doing its share compared to the Army and Marine Corps, the Navy has been forced to assume shore support duties typically assigned to other services to free up personnel to prosecute the war -- a clear diminution of the Navy's stature. Yet, as in World Wars I and II, the Navy has definite, significant, and traditional roles, with missions on the front lines, in fighting and defeating a global threat.
This first paragraph is equally applicable to the Royal Navy as the USN, as is the last....
In addition to maintaining a robust and formidable force protection posture to deter and defeat terrorist attacks, the Navy already plays an important and active role in the Global War on Terrorism in the Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea and other forward waters but not nearly enough of a role as the only service capable of disrupting maritime terrorism overseas and denying terrorists the use of the sea. Claiming its complete and crucial role in the GWOT will allow the Navy to preempt al Qaeda from conducting a concentrated maritime terrorism campaign; otherwise the Navy can look forward to more support tasks ashore for the services conducting combat operations.
And from today's
Telegraph:
Pirate attacks around the world rise by 20pc
Back to the issue of naval operations going unrecognised by the public, the RN has recently led mine clearence operations off of Iraq/Kuwait.
See
here from the RN site.
The VSW UUV used in this operation is the same type successfully deployed to locate the WW2 bomb in a recent UK disposal operation in challenging diving conditions near Felixstowe off the Suffolk coast. Demonstrating the flexibility of the UUV operating from a light inflatable boat, the team was able to inform Clearance Divers of the exact location of the bomb. After just under seven hours of submerged operations the UUV successfully located the bomb’s position on the seabed in an area of very poor visibility and strong tidal streams which was proving too challenging for divers alone .
Meanwhile, back in the Arabian Gulf, both Iraqi and Kuwait navies provided patrol boats to give extra protection to the MCMVs and divers, while elements of the Iraqi Department for Border Enforcement provided security ashore where some of the Mine Danger areas were within a few hundred yards of the Iraqi coast.
The areas searched during this operation were the remnants of the MDAs created in 1991 and 2003 where Iraq had laid, or was suspected of laying, anti-invasion minefields. Following both campaigns considerable mine clearance efforts were undertaken with over 1300 mines destroyed. However there were large areas of very shallow water which have remained inaccessible for over 17 years due to the limitations of the systems available at the time.. Using the very latest in coalition mine warfare technology, the force was able to search these remaining areas using a number of systems and new techniques. The operation required more than 200 dives and over 100 remotely operated submersible vehicle runs.
Task Group Commander, Commander David Hunkin, Royal Navy said of the operation:
“Our work is directly supporting the future success of both Iraq and Kuwait by improving access to their ports and sea-lanes and we have received many messages of support from both countries. The navies of Kuwait, Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom have worked hard together over the past few months and we have built very close working relationships. Each nation has brought their own expertise and equipment and we have melded them together into an effective coalition Mine Countermeasures Task Group. It has been great to see some new equipment being used, a clear demonstration of the significant investment that nations have made in Mine Countermeasures technology over recent years. When the Mine Danger Areas are re-designated, every sailor on this mission can be proud that they have made an enduring and positive contribution to the peaceful future of the Middle East.”
Didn't see this in the media, did we? But had it gone wrong, the tabloids would be unable to restrain themselves, and the armchair experts would be out in force.
