Getting back to the original topic.....
Is there an election coming up? I seem to remember that before last year's election the
Telegraph was reporting that the Government was planning to bin the CVF and JSF. This (hopefully) is just scaremongering. Personally I think the coverage of defence issues in the mainstream media has been hit and miss - having said that, they sometimes get it right, for example, earlier this year there were very good articles in the
Telegraph about the implications of the premature axing of the Sea Harrier.
The SDR stated that a minimun of 32 frigates and destroyers are needed. Personally I consider that a low number, bearing in mind we sent 23 of them to the Falklands in '82. Anyway, I am concerned that it just might be possible. After all, the SDR seems to have been discarded (reduction of Tornado F3 sqaudrons for five to four, premature demise of the SHAR, reduction in Nimrod MRA4 numbers, etc etc.)
A good number of frigates and destroyers are vital for a balanced fleet. In addition to supporting carrier or amphibious ship based task groups, frigates and destroyers are capable in their own right, for ASW, AAW, anti ship strike (using Harpoon), providing NGS, supporting SF operations and, to a limited extent C3.
Additionally, frigates and destroyers perform many "single unit" roles, the anti drugs operations of Atlantic Patrol Task - North in the Carribean are one example. Atlantic Patrol Task - South is another. So is the Armilla patrol. And it is sometimes forgotten that warships act as intelligence assests. Whilst it is true that a Type 23 frigate is better armed and more capable than, say, a Type 21 frigate twenty years ago, a ship can only be in one place at a time. Therefore if you have less, you can deploy to less places.
On a slight tangent (from Annova)...
MoD hoping to strike gold with salvage deal
A deal has been struck between the Ministry of Defence and a US salvage company to search for a treasure trove of gold coins worth up to £2.8 billion in a sunken British warship.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_685202.html
But will this money go to the MOD, or the Treasury coffers? And if it goes to the MOD, will the Navy get a fair share? (Useful for keeping certain key capabilities going....)