Illustrious heads to sea - with an airgroup
 

Posted by the RN yesterday. Illustrious departs Monday.

full article

Interesting that DILIGENCE is in the Group. The modern solution to lack of overseas Bases? Also interesting that 75% of the air defence screen is not RN.

With an F100 and an Arleigh Burke, who needs a T42? The French may as well go home as well.

DILIGENCE will be supporting HMS Trafalgar.

See the earlier threads:

Orion 08

RN aircraft carrier to head for the Gulf

With an F100 and an Arleigh Burke, who needs a T42? The French may as well go home as well.

Would our allies be so helpful in a real crisis? Or would we sorely feel not having the Sea Harrier any more?

The Sea Harrier in this country is long gone and is not coming back WEBF. They have even dismantled (or were suppose to have done) the Ski-Ramp at Yeovilton last week. Think it's best to forget about the SHar now and look ahead.

We regularly escort US ships in theatre and they will do the same for our Navy in crisis... if you are working in a combined patrol then yes, you could rely on them otherwise there won't be any point of them being there.

Like that already said, with the F100 and Arleigh in the group, the T42 chaps must feel a little out dated.

You might as well say:

With the USN who needs the RN............

Share around
 

I think a Type 42 is currently working with a US CVBG, so it is just the usual allies working together line.

My my the xenophobia in this thread is just a tad overwhelming.

After the Missouri Silkworm incident, The USN would not trust the RN to wave a hanky around. Command was told in no uncertain terms that to allow a Bruiser inside the group was inexcusable. Much spin was put on this, but in truth it was a buggers muddle.

Silkworm Incident 1991
 

I never heard that before Navaleye. Care to elaborate.

I did here that the USN CG47 that was supposed to be on duty had been deliberately misreporting its position following the Princeton hitting a mine, not sure how true that is. Supposedly it was proceeding more slowly up the Gulf than it was supposed to be to avoid the mine threat.

What an absolutely amazing statement. Mispellings aside, how exactly did the Ticonderoga, CG47 to those who don't bother to think before they post bull****, manage to deliberately misreport her position in this age of electronic C2?

Wasn't the Ticonderoga herself, but another CG47. Priceton was supposed to be on station but hit a mine, the replacement proceeded more slowly than ordered up the Gulf to avoid further mines and hence wasn't in the position it was supposed to be when the Silkworm incident occurred. Just a story I heard.

At last!
Got the awning for the quarterdeck finished in time for the cocktails tour!
"Number One - cast off - set course for sunnier climes on max rates of allowances and make sure nobody shoots at us"
"Roger Sir, setting course for Westminister, Brussels, and Saudi Arabia"

What a f*cking joke!:O

NAVAL EYE Just googled that, can you enlighten us as to how the RN messed up? All I can find is how HMS Gloucester saved the Missouri after the US Escort fired on the Missouri's chaff and even managed to strafe the battleship that it was escorting. Did the RN allow the silkworm to get to close in the first place?

Why is it that any thread discussing the RN attracts posters desperate to write off the navy as irrelevent?

These "Group deployments" are an interesting exercise in naval diplomacy that have been running every two or three years since the withdrawal EoS in the early 70's.

They have a number of functions (in no particular order)

• Exercising independent command of a TF away from home waters
• Exercising the ships and men in scenarios away from the NATO area (quanitly called "out of area" in the old days) and away from the RN's big brother the USN.
• Exercising with friendly foriegn navies in the FPDA and elsewhere
• A visible display of the UK's continuing interest and commitment outside the NATO area.. esp now in Asia- the planets fastest growing economies.
• Opportunities for diplomacy and port visits (yes, even a few cocktail parties) gaining (hopefully) favourable publicity for the RN and by extension, the UK. Navies are afterall one of the most visible and enduring ways of impressing friends, allies and potential enemies.
• Opportunities for trade fairs (like it or not arms exports are a major factor)

The army tends to be rather more permenent in its presence, not always welcome and air forces by their nature, rather more transient. Its a task any navy is well suited to- just look at the coverage generated by the Kuznetsovs current trip.

"Group deployments" are the RN's response to the need to be seen by the UK as a global power. They are an interesting contrast to the French approach which is to maintain small squadrons of ships permenently on station. The RN decided thirty years ago that periodic deployments at TF strength offered far greater opportunities for training and command experience.

Seen it its historical context "Orion 08" is well overdue. Yes, there have been various shorter deployments into the Indian Ocean in recent years, but this one will be the first to goto the Far East in a decade- the last being Lusty's last trip out east for the handover of HK in 97.

The RAF conduct similar exercises with foriegn air forces- Red Flag and Magic Carpet, which don't attract the same (if any) comment. The RAF also often participate in the annual FPDA exercise "Bersama Lima". I presume all involved both work hard and play hard as appropriate?

Gosh, the RN have a Strike Wing, whilst all the RAF have is squadron... :ooh:

Steady on!
 

Guided Weapons: "Do we really need these expensive, overated, unemployable white elephants to track the blade and shaft fit of Iranian outboard engines!!!
"

The Merlin is actually a very capable ASuW and ASW platform, and the Iranians in particular have a better submarine capability than you would think. Besides, you can fit a lot of mail bags in the back of one of those beasts!!

Wish I had your crystal ball Guided- would save the country a fortune on buying weapons that are not going to be needed in the next crisis or war.