SW1 wrote:Jake1992 wrote:So you agree there is a need for vessels that can undertake HADR
You agree that we don’t respond to every disaster only ones were warrant large enough to need it
But your problem is using some of the very large DFID budget to build and fund “aid” ships and believe because they could have a secondary military role they should be funded out of the over stretched MOD budget.
As for the bays even if it’s not dedicated to the Caribbean right now with how often large scale disasters happen there they will no doubt be pulled in. Aid ship would mean this is no necessary.
Vessels undertake hadr when they are assigned from there deployed location and nor is it just a vessel they have rotary wing assets, recon, communications and engineering capability onboard, as do assets and personnel flown out from uk.
They respond to the major ones with military assets they respond to most with aid delivery.
If the RN needs to buy a hospital ship then it’s bought for that purpose.
If you think the aid budget is too large then you cut it and assign to other departments. You don’t bugger about trying to be too smart for you own good
While I am (a bit) with Jake-san, I think there is no big controversy between you two.
Politics is reality. Military is reality. And, HADR is reality. What is important is what can be really sent to the "theater", and not how it must be shaped.
If you can CUT DfID budget by several millions per year and send it to MOD budget, RFA Argus replacement can take shape. (Yes, its a small fraction, but GDP-ratio remains). If not, it is just that, RN shall abandon that capability, sadly, simply "because of no money". This is my proposal opinion.
In turn, this decision will FORCE HMG to move forward to build a dedicated "hospital ship" and/or "HADR ship". Looking into discussions last year, it looks like the two ideas are "mixed" in THEIR discussion. But, just let it go. In this case, it is THEIR task =DfID's task to prepare such assets.
Note,
I am here talking about Hospital ship, not HADR asset. If DfID claims they will ALSO cover HADR, good, just let it go. It will further reduce the amount of tasks RN/RFA's OPV/Bay shall cover. In all aspect, HADR tasks is a governmental task, just including RFA and RN, and this "hospital ship" in future. For example, I understand the HADR cargo/food/medicine is NOT payed by RN. So, it is currently not a MOD-only tasks.
But, I might be wrong here on considering how the "hospital ships" are to be operated. Can Spanish hospital ship Esperanza del Mar be a good example? It looks like NOT operated by Navy.
ref:
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/the-pl ... l-support/