Future Carrier (Including Costs)
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From: Ferrara
According to today's BBC the Prime-Minister-in-Waiting will say he's going to send the QE to challenge the Chinese..................
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47192232
The UK needs a bolder and stronger armed forces prepared to use "hard power" or risk being seen as a "paper tiger", the defence secretary will say.
Gavin Williamson will warn in a speech that Britain must stand up to those who "flout international law". He will also say that the UK has its "greatest opportunity" to redefine its position on the world stage after Brexit.
Labour said the military had been "completely undermined" by Tory cuts.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday, Mr Williamson will unveil plans to modernise the armed forces, and say it must increase its "mass and lethality". He will also confirm the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is being deployed to the Pacific region, where China has been involved in a dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea. The carrier will take part in the mission along with F-35 jets from the UK and US.
Mr Williamson is to use his speech to outline how cyber forces will be reinforced thanks to a "very significant investment", which will be used both to defend and launch attacks. The defence secretary won an extra £1.8bn for defence in the last budget. With the boundaries between peace and war becoming "blurred" - particularly by Russia and China, he will claim - Mr Williamson will say Britain and its allies had to be ready "to use hard power to support our interests". He will go on to say: "We have to be ready to show the high price of aggressive behaviour. Ready to strengthen our resilience." Defending interventionist policy, he will say the cost of failing to act in global crises had often been "unacceptably high", and that Western powers cannot "walk on by when others are in need". "To talk but fail to act risks our nation being seen as little more than a paper tiger," he will add.
Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said: "The UK's ability to play our role on the international stage has been completely undermined by eight years of Tory defence cuts. "The Conservatives have slashed the defence budget by over £9bn in real terms since 2010 and they are cutting armed forces numbers year after year. Instead of simply engaging in yet more sabre-rattling, Gavin Williamson should get to grips with the crisis in defence funding that is happening on his watch."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47192232
The UK needs a bolder and stronger armed forces prepared to use "hard power" or risk being seen as a "paper tiger", the defence secretary will say.
Gavin Williamson will warn in a speech that Britain must stand up to those who "flout international law". He will also say that the UK has its "greatest opportunity" to redefine its position on the world stage after Brexit.
Labour said the military had been "completely undermined" by Tory cuts.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday, Mr Williamson will unveil plans to modernise the armed forces, and say it must increase its "mass and lethality". He will also confirm the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is being deployed to the Pacific region, where China has been involved in a dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea. The carrier will take part in the mission along with F-35 jets from the UK and US.
Mr Williamson is to use his speech to outline how cyber forces will be reinforced thanks to a "very significant investment", which will be used both to defend and launch attacks. The defence secretary won an extra £1.8bn for defence in the last budget. With the boundaries between peace and war becoming "blurred" - particularly by Russia and China, he will claim - Mr Williamson will say Britain and its allies had to be ready "to use hard power to support our interests". He will go on to say: "We have to be ready to show the high price of aggressive behaviour. Ready to strengthen our resilience." Defending interventionist policy, he will say the cost of failing to act in global crises had often been "unacceptably high", and that Western powers cannot "walk on by when others are in need". "To talk but fail to act risks our nation being seen as little more than a paper tiger," he will add.
Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said: "The UK's ability to play our role on the international stage has been completely undermined by eight years of Tory defence cuts. "The Conservatives have slashed the defence budget by over £9bn in real terms since 2010 and they are cutting armed forces numbers year after year. Instead of simply engaging in yet more sabre-rattling, Gavin Williamson should get to grips with the crisis in defence funding that is happening on his watch."
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From: Under a recently defunct flight path.
More on the subject in The Times today.
UK sends aircraft carrier to Pacific in show of strength to China
UK sends aircraft carrier to Pacific in show of strength to China
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From: Royal Berkshire
Seems we're buying a couple of these as well......
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-t...pecial-forces/
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-t...pecial-forces/
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From: Ferrara
Now where's the money coming from for those?
And as for the Chinese trip when will the RN have a worked up F-35 group?/
All b******* IMHO - his Monday morning play for news headlines - I understand Heseltine did the same I heard...
And as for the Chinese trip when will the RN have a worked up F-35 group?/
All b******* IMHO - his Monday morning play for news headlines - I understand Heseltine did the same I heard...
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From: Portsmouth
More on the subject in The Times today.
UK sends aircraft carrier to Pacific in show of strength to China
UK sends aircraft carrier to Pacific in show of strength to China
Interesting the ex Captain of QE, Jeremy Kydd quoted saying
"“We are constrained by the F-35 buy rate even though that was accelerated in SDSR in 2015, so initial operating capability numbers in 2020 are going to be very modest indeed.
We will flesh it out with helicopters, and a lot depends on how many USMC F-35s come on our first deployment in 2021. But by 2023, we are committed to 24 UK jets onboard, and after that it’s too far away to say.”
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From: Ferrara
Well plenty of time to prepare a welcoming committee then - and the Chinese will probably have three carriers by then .........
Shades of the last visit of a "Prince of Wales" in that area.......
Shades of the last visit of a "Prince of Wales" in that area.......
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From: Portsmouth
This is all published and publically available. IOC Carrier is December 2020 with F35 and Crowsnest. As far as I am aware, that plan is still tracking to date. The plan has always been a flag waving far east trip in 2021.
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From: Portsmouth
I thought this infographic I had seen from 2017 was official, but it seems it was created by Save The Royal Navy from various sources, Seems we are still tracking to this.
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/tim...arrier-strike/
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From: Dundee
Seems we're buying a couple of these as well......
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-t...pecial-forces/
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-t...pecial-forces/
I like the flight deck on pillars idea, maybe the BrahMos will just fly right through...
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From: UK
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From: Ferrara
Absolutely - but if you sound off about how you are turning up off other people's coasts "to send a message" don't be surprised if they get your message and decide to act on it........................
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From: UK
Such as what? If the RN are in international waters or transiting territorial waters under the right of free passage then any military action against them is an act of war.
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From: Ferrara
There are many ways to make life uncomfortable for the Brits without starting a shooting match
but if they did sink a QE what would you do?? Invade???
The public wouldn't fancy escallation and you might discover a sudden shortage of allies.....
but if they did sink a QE what would you do?? Invade???
The public wouldn't fancy escallation and you might discover a sudden shortage of allies.....
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From: Downeast
The idea that a sinking of one or both of the new Carriers would generate a "War" is laughable at best.
Absolutely it would be a genuine "act of war" but that does not equate to "War" itself.
As the Man. asked....who and how would you invade the perp's turf?
Lay out the assets available to the British Military to accomplish such a feat....remembering if they can sink a Carrier....then sending some Amphib ships and some Frigates and the odd Destroyer to the bottom would be well within their means too.
Allies in the retaliation.....like the American Navy showing up in the Falklands or the Suez Canal maybe?
Absolutely it would be a genuine "act of war" but that does not equate to "War" itself.
As the Man. asked....who and how would you invade the perp's turf?
Lay out the assets available to the British Military to accomplish such a feat....remembering if they can sink a Carrier....then sending some Amphib ships and some Frigates and the odd Destroyer to the bottom would be well within their means too.
Allies in the retaliation.....like the American Navy showing up in the Falklands or the Suez Canal maybe?
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From: cheshire
Interesting the ex Captain of QE, Jeremy Kydd quoted saying
"“We are constrained by the F-35 buy rate even though that was accelerated in SDSR in 2015, so initial operating capability numbers in 2020 are going to be very modest indeed.
We will flesh it out with helicopters, and a lot depends on how many USMC F-35s come on our first deployment in 2021. But by 2023, we are committed to 24 UK jets onboard, and after that it’s too far away to say.”
"“We are constrained by the F-35 buy rate even though that was accelerated in SDSR in 2015, so initial operating capability numbers in 2020 are going to be very modest indeed.
We will flesh it out with helicopters, and a lot depends on how many USMC F-35s come on our first deployment in 2021. But by 2023, we are committed to 24 UK jets onboard, and after that it’s too far away to say.”