UK Defence Forum

What the RN desperately needs is more funding to enable:-
1. Additional Personnel
2. Additional Escorts both AAW and ASW
3. Addition SSN
4. The removal of any artificial constraints that limit the at sea time for all vessels per year.

For how long can NATO realistically accept that one of it's member states can adopts an air defence system made by it's main "potential" enemy yet still remain a member. The decision will harm the collective security of all member states. What value iwould Article 5 be then?

How politicians must be wishing that we still had a "Persian Gulf Squadron". Oh, they must have forgotten that they themselves are responsible for there not being one!?!?!?

Or 16 x T26 and 16 x T31 (Leander).

Well we know that he got into Hot Water, but this would really just be rubbing salt into the wound.

Well I suppose he will have a while to wait before he gets to have a "Wet" in the Junior Rates mess.

Digger22 Wrote Remove the structure aft of the Funnel with the crane, replace with a full width mission bay, surely you could squeeze a Wildcat in there with a couple of ribs and their launch system too? May be better to offset the structure aft of the funnel & the crane to either Port or Starbo...

Not so sure about that. Next year, they will be finding four (upgraded) mounts just for the QEC Carriers. They would presumably be fitting upgraded mounts to other vessels during 2020 as well. Or did they just remove two from the first T45 to go in for Powerplant Upgrade to get them fitted to HMS QE...

Ever since the Barnett Formula was implemented, they would have already been more than recompensed. The additional costs, to the remainder of the U.K., of relocating both the Submarine Base and other Defence facilities would also need to be paid for. They would not be entitled to much, if anything a...

Well they have got the Shipyards, let her build her own Navy. I wonder how popular she will be in her home city when there are No ships being built and No possibility of them being built either.

6 monthly intervals? After a gap of nearly 9 years already, it seems painfully slow. At that rate, we won't have the (still inadequate) fleet of 9 for another 4 years. An absolute disgrace.

More likely that they would get 2 or 3 of the River Class (B2) "Frigates". After all, they were built in the "Frigate Factory". As they won't need to carry Helicopters, they won't need to have ships with hangars either. Now everyone will know why the ships were built when they we...

Now that the Stand-up date for 207 squadron seems to have been put back until later (sometime in the autumn) in the year, it just might also lead to the possibility that when their 6 x F35B travel from Stateside to RAF Marham, they might well be chauffeur driven for at least part of the voyage. The ...

To be renamed HMSS Bonkers no doubt ?

I dared, because you dared to suggest that I had taken some pictures myself. I did not respond with "How Dare You!". However if you are that sensitive, reticence on my part for any future occasion would clearly be wasted.

Just as people did not expect to encounter any problems of that nature in '82. Sod's law says "what can go wrong Will Go Wrong", Hopefully it won't, but belt & braces are better than either one on its own. Your memories of the Arctic convoys must still be really vivid, if you really ca...

I don't know, I guess both the RN and you will have to wait for Falklands II (or similar) to find out. I am not arguing for the RN to be backward looking, but it is understandable that they would not want to be caught out by bright and shiny bells and whistles, which are seemingly foolproof like the...

Don't forget that the RN is the only navy that has fought a full-on campaign with another Navy in the missile age. (the Falkland Islands). Maybe other Navies are happy continuing (in ignorance) of the problems that may occur in a full-on conflict, rather than just in exercises.

Won't it be great when there are two there! The shame with that is that we will also know that there is not another one at Sea.

I have been considering the role performed by the "Mushrooms". Back in '82, difficulties were experienced with opening the launcher "boxes" for Seawolf, sometimes preventing missile launch. These were largely due to the effects of salt water corrosion in prolonged exposure to the...

T31 may also with the addition of suitable kit, possess an ability (yet to be determined) to conduct ASW.

Brings a wholly new dimension to "Carrier Strike".

It is illogical to change the main gun type for the DDGs twice! It would be far better to change it only once (to 5"), whether this be with the introduction of the T45 replacement, or on the T45s themselves. The removed 4.5's would then be available to be used on any additional T31s that may be...

That is only because the one operational Squadron, (617) currently only has 9 aircraft (the average of 8 and 10). ***p journalism is obviously not just confined to the tabloids.

No they won't, so if we don't do it, nobody will. We who are and will become even more so after Brexit need to ensure that we retain the capability to protect our supply lines (in concert with local allies if possible) wherever they might be threatened. Long supply lines/provision (exporting) lines ...