mgd
Your comment about "moving a battalion of marines by C17" made me think about what do you do about getting their vehicles etc there. Heavy things like armoured vehicles are moved mostly by sea, then transported overland to Afghanistan.
This report from the NAO is worth reading:
Support to High Intensity Operations
It reinforces the value of helicopters and of transport aircraft, but also makes mention of seaborne logistics. Protecting this shipping is a NATO naval role - imagine the consequences of a vessel full of Mastiffs being sunk or captured.
This page from
Hansard from last November is worthy of note as well.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current tasks set by his Department are for the Royal Navy’s (a) destroyers and frigates and (b) submarines; and how many of each of these classes of warship are required to be on station to fulfil each task. [235627]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The current tasks for destroyers, frigates and submarines are as shown.
I have included the number of destroyers and frigates on station but I am withholding detailed information on the numbers of submarines on task as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice national security.
DD/FF current tasks - Number on station
Op TELIC (Nth Arabian Gulf) - One permanently committed
Op CALASH (Indian Ocean —counter terrorism and capacity building coalition) - One permanently committed
NATO Response Force - One nominated and permanently assigned to a standing force
Atlantic Patrol Task (South) - One permanently committed
Support to Strategic Deterrence - One nominated, at extremely high readiness and activated when required
Atlantic Patrol Task (North) - One core hurricane season only (May to November)
Integrity of the UK - Three nominated, one immediate, two extremely high readiness and activated when required
ESDP Counter Piracy - One temporarily assigned pending confirmation of the requirement
Submarines
Strategic Intelligence —
Support to Strategic Deterrence —
Integrity of the UK —
Op TELIC and CALASH —
Falkland Islands Contingency —
The number of units on station does not reflect the generation factors which are the number of hulls essential to produce the required units for each station. These factors vary and are dependent on whether a task is rouled (continuous) or non-rouled. The figures also exclude the units held at very high readiness for contingent operations.
This was before the RN was formally committed to anti piracy opeartions. I would point out that ships assigned to the NATO Response Force participate in Operation
Active Endeavour - see
this from NATO.
Maritime activities in the Arabian Sea and elsewhere are connected to what happens on land in Afghanistan (and other places), such as interdicting drug smuggling that the Taliban uses to raise funds, and keeping a lid on other nefarious activities like moving people or weapons around.
The above question and answer did not mention the roles and ativities of carriers, amphibious forces, mines counter measures vessels, hydrographic survey ships, patrol vessels, RFAs, or Fleet Air Arm units.