I agree with your point, QRTF about marginal cost...but we're talking marginal benefit too. The issue isn't the skills or willingness to help of the crew, simply one of scale. 500,000 homes have been destroyed. They need thousands of tons of food, construction materials and equipment. No doubt there will be some nice recruitment pictures, and yes, she has a watermaker but how much aid can Daring carry?

Aid can be helo'd in, as can water but easier to have water made on sight.

I just heard on the news that the Marines are bringing in lights and Radar to make
one of the airports a safe 24 operation where they can bring in large aid aircraft.

C130K
 

Where are the C130K's? Can they not be deployed . Surely there are still current crews and engineers. This seems a huge disaster and the UK ought to be deploying as much as it can.

Why not cancel the naval exercise mentioned on an earlier post and send all the warships to the Philippines. The combination of a number of C130's and a decent task force at sea would surely make a huge difference.

ACW

i would have thought that the benefits of deploying the worlds biggest Air Traffic Control radar to a country that has had most of its airports knocked out would have been blindingly obvious...

that it can also provide power, food, drinking water, C3, ISR, med support, fuel and run its own heliport might also prove marginally useful .

Cokecan

I presume you are talking about the USS George Washington and not a tiddly T45 :ooh:

Significantly more than bugger all. We had a Jockanese teacher at my school who set great store by the maxim, many a mickle makes a muckle.

Originally Posted by ShotOne:
how much aid can Daring carry?

Here you go: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-warship-heads-to-philippines

Hope the URL doesn't b*gger up the formatting of the thread. Given that Daring was relatively close at hand, strikes me as a very worthwhile use for the asset. Criminal if we didn't.

Can 20,000 litres of water in 24 hours.
That's not bad at all.

bc,

Share your sentiments. Take heart, I'm very confident we will respond generously - we have already started fundraising at school and I believe the DEC and the various church and charity requests have gone out. Listened to the radio interview yesterday where a medic was desperately imploring the world to respond and to do it quickly - truly heart breaking. God speed the Navy I can only imagine the boost to spirits never mind the material effect of seeing help like that arrive.

Its nice to see that "Albert" is still alive and doing its job in this catastrophe (As evidenced on the news tonight), Whatever livery it wears the aircraft is synonymous with emergency relief and rescue. This one is bad, but I'm sure all who become embroiled will do their best. Good luck to Royal Air Force personnel involved.

Smudge

Shame, but if we still had them the 'Round Table Class LSL' would have been perfect for the task

Able to carry and land vehicles, stores etc straight onto a beach. Take off people directly from beaches. Can be rigged as a temp hospital/aid ship and had two helicopter decks.

Add the ability to carry out replen at sea they would have been perfect for the job.

What, if anything did the RFA replace them with?

HMS Daring could do the inshore command and control bit and provide additional crew for the RFA. The George Washington can stand off shore overseeing the whole shooting match and providing a base for the helo's etc.

lift to top of thread
 

get them in there as soon as possible.

glf

I'd love to know where the £10m is coming from? When we at home are subject to cutbacks, pay freezes, redundancies, scrapping of equipment, because there isn't enough £'s.

I wonder if Dick Cheney gives one of his own companies the reconstruction contract, again?

In my time in the Philippines I have experienced Typhoons,earthquakes,volcanic eruptions and military coup attempts,the Filipinos are the most resilient people on earth - they live under the perpetual threat of natural disaster.Given a little help they will fight their way back from this.

Did the C17 take much into the affected area when it deployed? they certainly appear to be camera shy at the moment. Seen coverage of an EK charter jet 'flying' the flag for the UK.

I remember arriving in Mexico City on a 'K' back in 85 post mega earth quake, with a shed load of RE's. The door went up, the ramp went down. Stood all expectantly was the BBC's own Brian Baron and camera man. "stop" shouted Brian, as the initial view of the British aid effort was the beer/NAAFI stack on the ramp - for the 'engineers obviously!

Got dissed by the Argentinians when the crew bus driver slowed down as it rolled up in front of their 707 on a very busy ramp - no shocks and they would never have been let on anyway.

Got moaned at by the Holiday Inn management when team GB used the swimming pool as a bath, there being no mains water running, but plenty of shower gel to hand.

An interesting 24 hours that was. I still have the certificate of thanks from El Presidente of Mexico on my wall….

I expect the MoD will claim back any marginal extra costs for DARING from DFID. As has been pointed out already, DARING can provide a damn sight more than a helo and every bit counts. See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/r...to-philippines

See House of Commons - Department for International Development's Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12 - International Development CommitteeThat's nearly £10.8 billion!

Just what help will an air defence destroyer be able to give ?

Judging by the number of awards of the Wilkinson (now Firmin) Sword of Peace to HM Ships and RFAs involved in disaster relief over nearly the past 40 years, the answer is that they can take on just about anything they are asked to do.:ok:

Jack

A good publicity photograph.

All you need is the token Wren holding a rescued baby in the foreground.

Wow the cynics on here are real rays of sunshine. Love them to be on my side in a state of adversity - NOT.:ugh: