HH,
I would like to think that you are just having a “wind up” with your posts because they are; to put it mildly a bit childish if not meant in jest. If you were joking, then fair game you got me.
I was Navy for 33 years and although I have worked with the RAF and the Army I wouldn’t have a clue about their big picture tasking, deployments, drafts, jollies, etc, etc, etc. With this in mind I wouldn’t risk posting a statement (or statements) like those contained in your posts on this thread. (About them)
I certainly didn’t spend all my time off the coast of Somalia or the Falklands so I’m not sure what Navy you’re referring to, but I did do all of the above as you stated and much more.
Operating one carrier at a time may be the plan anyway, so rather than just being a result of having insufficient manpower and resources, having an immediate readiness vessel which is operated “turn and turn about” could actually be a damn good way of having a capability with the ability to expand in time of emergency. Don’t forget, we did just that with the three Invince class for years and with everyone lean manned too far it is actually another way of keeping the bean counters happy.
As for self-promotion, the Royal Navy is and always will be pathetic at telling people what they have done/are doing. We are good at moaning when we have lost another capability due to seeming inept top level leadership, but by then its usually too late. If the Admirals and Generals and Air Marshals sorted things out by measuring todgers, we might win once in a while.
Or maybe not Ha Ha.
Cheers now