Widger:- deep breath in deep breath out relax.....Its only a think tank not govt policy(Yet). I would sugest the current piracy problem has refocused a few minds seaward. I wonder How useful a large carrier would be out on the Horn of africa with lots of merlins aboard or a CVN with a few Sqns of S3B's and Ocean Hawks.
The overspend is alarming but the tone of the memo is that the company are trying to deal with it. But I do wonder how much of it has been created by the slowing of the project to marry up with the JSF. Budgets are way to tight and that has been caused by the annual reductions in real budgets. As a first of class I would be surprised if Queen Elizabeth didn't go over budget and be delayed. Hopefully we don't end up like CVA-01. But that wouldn't surprise me at all.
I think their report is highly optimistic. Ashdown was interviewed on BBC R4 today programme and said about looking for allies outside the Atlantic area and actually if we align ourselves with some of our Commonwealth Allies more closley Like Australia, New Zealand & Canada having the Global reach of carriers makes alot more sense.
I do wonder if the New Australian AD destryer could be adapted to a Type 22/23 replacement?