I'd not heard of the book (Ghost Force), and having looked at a couple of reviews I can't see me reading it either.

I do recall glancing through an Old Moore's Almanack some years ago and laughing off the idea that we would be fighting in Afghanistan in the not too distant future... It's probably as good a prediction of where we will be fighting future wars as any other though.

Looking at google earth, what type of RN ship is tied up at Mare Harbour?

alfred_the_great

I thought that the long term SSN number was intended to be eight, when did it get dropped to seven? So basically you're saying that without SSBN(F) being delayed we only would have got six? Less of them means that there is less chance of them being down South, in the same way that less frigates means that the APT(S) commitment is likely to be gapped from time to time.

I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but wasn't one of the first Argentine acts in the 1982 war the illegal landing of troops pretending to be scrap metal workers on South Georgia?

Goggle Earth
 

RN warship in Mare Harbour on Goggle Earth seems to be a Castle Class offshore patrol vessel, means the photo is not new as the RN don't operate them any more.

WEBF - the long term SSN figure has been 7 since about 2004.

The difference is relatively small between 7/8 as the newer boats will need less time in dock (theoretically) for refuelling and the like. As such, I believe the idea is that 7 A boats can deliver the same amount of time at sea as 8 S/T boats (allegedly).