and going into the Black Sea to support the Romanians and the Bulgarians and the Gulf as well - can't see that sort of thing happening as much in the future
Everyone could see the problems of numbers - but they never provide the cash - we should have replaced the older subs and destroyers one for one as minimum but we're left with an ever smaller force. We'll finish up with a Carrier Group, maybe the new Dreadnought SSBN's if we're lucky and a few spare frigates (and no bets taken on the likelihood that they will all be built either)
Whatever our views on the QE2's I think we can all agree this is a mess and it may well turn out to be a bloody disaster