A fundamental issue is to too many tasks too many deployments, wanting to be everywhere. A lack of focus and priorities of what is important. The use it or lose it mantra often promoted incorrectly or to coin the new phrase constant engagement. Not many are gonna choose work over family especially ...

I guess Poiuytrewq-san is talking about the RFA crew "lost" in the last year. There are hundreds of skilled sailors/officers. They just went away. Pay rise cannot bring them back? My opinion is that the MoD must get better at managing both RN and RFA manning and skills or the entire struc...

I would also keep what spending on the Wave's refits to a minimum. Looks huge conversions effort. Money is needed "in addition to" re-activating the Waves (which are suggested to cost a few million). My question. Why not simply use Fort Victoria? RN has funding for refitting vessels, my a...

RichardIC wrote: ↑17 Jun 2023, 21:34 This is a place that is frequently filled with stupidity but this is nuclear-grade stupid.

How so?

I would love it if the Waves could be reactivated, even if just Wave Knight, but I can't see how possible without additional funding. How can the RFA crew them? Its simply a question of priorities. The RFA headcount issue is easily resolvable with improved pay and conditions. If the will is there i...

It’s better than scrapping them, but what happens in 2028? No replacement in sight It’s a five year stay of execution as well as a pragmatic decision to leave a difficult call for someone else to take the flak in the future. IMO the Waves are too valuable to leave rusting away although due to the f...

Good news!

Now time to make the case to get them reactivated and forward based EoS.

Jdam wrote: ↑16 Jun 2023, 13:14 CAMM is getting up there in range, I wonder if it could replace the aster system for the 83s?

At minimum it would give the type 26 a bit more reach and something to use in their mk41's for.

It looks too big to quad pack. Mixed load?

24x Mk41 cells looking minimal now.

RN headcount analysis

https://www.navylookout.com/not-enough- ... s-brewing/

dmereifield wrote: ↑12 Jun 2023, 14:15 Hardly much better...

Basically for the money saved by disposal this decision isn’t worth the negative PR.

Use them or lose them!

What is needed is a good balance of high end and workhorses Agreed but many are also too quick to forget the enablers. 6 to 8 x AAW escorts 9 x ASW escorts 8 x GP escorts 10 x OPV's Perhaps this is more realistic. 2x CVF 4x T83 8x T26 8x T31 5x RB2 5x HiCap OPVs 2x LHD 4x MRSS 4x Tides 3x FSS 2x MR...

I actually think the RN needs to wise up and ensure it has a credible strategy for a 2.25% GDP budget, and a backstop 2% structure. Completely agree with this. - Build a new multi-role (Karel Doorman style) AOR to be based from Oman to take over from Argus and provide resupply capabilities EoS. I f...

I do have some sympathy with the scrap hs2 view however infrastructure spend in general across the country is badly needed and seems to be continual held up by antiquated planning. Britain needs infrastructure investment but it doesn’t need £120bn spent on saving 15 mins journey time between London...

What would you cut instead of the waves? The navy’s Pity. Work on HS2 would have stopped at 7am tomorrow morning. I say that because it’s always easy to cut something else you have no interest in. If you’re not prepared to say where you would get it within a budget you do care about you can’t have ...

SW1 wrote: ↑11 Jun 2023, 21:03 What would you cut instead of the waves?

Which departmental budgets are on the chopping block?

If there isn’t enough money to crew the Waves where is the money coming from for extra anything?

New classes or additional batches are pie in the sky without additional funding.

The reason I mentioned that Wave Knight would have been my ideal choice to operate EoS rather than a Tide, is because Wave Knight has sick bay and medical team, and I believe can carry more munitions, stores and dry goods than the Tide Casll. Thus I thought Wave Knight would be more suited to suppo...

I don’t often agree with Sir Humphrey on a lot of things but I agree with every word of this.

But your argument is because we are a p5 nation we need to spend more. There is other p5 nations spending less than us, so that can’t be the basis for wanting more. Interesting how two people look at the same thing in a totally different ways. Rather than a reason to do less it should be a reason f...

new guy wrote: ↑11 Jun 2023, 13:31 UK budget is huge.

In comparison to what?

SW1 wrote: ↑11 Jun 2023, 13:17 We spend more as a percentage of gdp on defence than France does and they’re a p5 nation.

Whataboutery is not the basis of a rational argument.

Perhaps we have reached the equilibrium…. We have and it’s HMT’s equilibrium not the publics. 2% of GDP plus pensions is not enough for a P5 member of the Security Council to spend. The UK can retreat from the world and continue with the creative accountancy or it can invest in Defense to ensure th...

Future and sustainable RFA fleet of 8 ships feels about right within the current budgetary constraints. 8 ships! To support the entirety of the Royal Navy??? When did aspirations sink so low? Blaming the decommissioning of perfectly useful Auxiliaries with 50% of their hull life remaining on an ins...

The RFA only has crew to support the 4 Tankers, 3 FSS and a multi-role support ship like Argus. That’s it - the sooner we can to terms with this the better. 3x FSS and 4x Tides is only enough to support a single CSG as one of each will likely be undergoing a maintenance period when required. Is tha...

Absolutely pathetic decision.

This is the worst decision made since Largs Bay.

Where are the crews coming from for 4x Tides, 3x FSS, 6x MRSS plus the MROSS etc etc?

Rather than fix the recruitment and retention issues it’s cheaper to just hollow-out the enablers.

The decline continues.