ProudFH
The RN has given up too much over the last 15 years in order to procure these assets. The phrase for years has been "short term loss for long term gain". It would be dreadful to think that it has been "short term loss for long term decimation".
Nail, head, bang - this is exactly my point. The budgetary choices - I don't aver from calling them "realities" as doubtless many in Main Building are terming them now, as we could have a £100bn defence budget if we chose to - are such that the RN could indeed find itself in a position in 2020 where the "fleet" looks like this:
- 2 x CVF
- 2 x LPD
- 4 x LSD(A)
- Some tankers (well, at least 2 x Wave Class)
- 6 x T45 / D-Class
- 10ish x T23
- 2 x T26
- 5 x Astute
- 2ish x T-Class
- 4 x SSBN
- Some MCMs
- Some OPVs
- Shedloads of P-2000s
- VICTORY + BELFAST
Which may be extreme, but an FF/DD force of 16 or 18 means maybe a round 12 actually deployable, and if the choice was that vs. an escort fleet of 20 - 25 and no CVF, then I'd have to think very carefully about what the RN's future role is. I simply think that for the budgets being discussed, especially if Trident is to be funded from the core defence budget, that the days of UK independent force projection are essentially over, and that as such CVF is an expensive exercise in gutting the rest of the RN.
For once, Mr. Torpy notwithstanding, it's not an RAF plot, sadly.
S41