Minigundiplomat (AKA Chinook force crew from Odiham)
What a very unbiased and well thought out strategic perspective you have. Time for a trip to the college of knowledge for you I think or are you not eligible for such dizzy heights?
Absolute crap. We had the most powerful navy in the world about 50 years ago. Now we have a couple of ships, some rusting subs and a couple of rowing boat sized carriers built by the cheapest bidder. When is the RN going to let the Nelson days go?
Well where do we start here. Whilst escort number s are down, the RN has over the last decade, restructured its force around the Marines. The RN now has exceptional lift capacity (Ocean, Albion, Bulwark, Lyme, Mounts, Cardigan and Largs bay). Whilst I recognise the strategic importance of the C17, for fast deployment of a limited force, there is no substitute for the capability that can lift a whole regiment and their vehicles and ammunition. You may well be able to get the marines there in 24 hours, but if you cannot sustain them whilst they are there, then what is the point? Dont forget the most of the supplies, fuel, ammunition etc for both Iraq, GW1 and 2, Saif Sareea, and Afghanistan were/are transported by sea and road, not by C17 or C130. That said, there is clearly a need nor more strat AT, just as there is a need for more Type 45 and T23.
And don't give me any of that crap about having a friendly airfield in an unfriendly area. As Veritas drew to a close and Jacana started in early 2002, we (the RAF) had to bust a gut to get from the N Arabian sea to Bagram, with as many of the marines as possible, as no one would let you put them ashore and CHF didnt have the legs. Eventually the RN put them off in Oman and the RAF picked them up from there.
Once again, the flexibility of strat AT and SH is acknowledged, but they are just one part of the "golf bag" to quote, "we are not playing pitch and putt", a few soldiers equipped with yorkie bars is not going to get the job done. "CHF didnt have the legs", so lets get V22 then, which is also one of the many platforms that can operate from CVF, not just F35/JCA/Dave. You can even maintain your Chinook in the hangar without having to take the blades off, now that is progress!
I don't like Torpy one iota, but I do get a bit sick of hearing the RN's turqouise tinted view of the world. Stop playing the victim and get on with life. A lot of the RN are doing a good job in the desert, concentrate on that instead of whinging about ships FFS!
Most of the whingeing that I hear comes from the light blue, on here and elsewhere, together with a few bricks being thrown over for good measure. The RN has been trying to get on with the job, but the attentions of persons like Torpy have not helped at all. The RN has re-structured and invested wisely. The RM are better equipped now than for many years, the FAA are doing a fantastic job, not just in providing CAS, ISTAR and SH capability but in many other places around the world. Adm Band's message did not thrown the bricks back over the wall, in fact I thought after all the vitriol he has been subjected to over the last 12 months, he was extremely diplomatic. His message is that Politicians, the public, and some in the other services, have been blinded by the present conflict and are forgetting the bigger strategic piece. We will not be in Afghanistan forever and there are other areas of the world in which we must maintain our interest, be it in a combat or defence diplomacy role. Reach, sustainability and the ability to poise are key elements of a maritime force and those capabilities are c
omplimentary to many of the other abilities of which you alude to, one of which is speed.
So ..well done for all the work that JHC and Strat AT is doing at the moment, I do not believe that you get appropriate credit, especially within your own Service, but you must remember, that unless you are flying Typhoon, Harrier or Tornado, you do not have the mental capacity to amount to anything much at all.
Keep Safe
