The T32 is a complete distraction from the fundamental priority of adding mass back into the fleet. That is literally the purpose of the programme. To add mass by introducing a third class of Frigate when two classes are currently under construction? When was the last time RN had 3 classes of Friga...

Another waste of money, 4M to be precise. Just build a batch 2 T31. If the T32 budget is around £2.5bn including GFE another 5x T31 isn’t necessarily the right approach. A mixed procurement of 2x T26 @ £875m unit plus 2x (ideally 3x) T31 at £375m unit costs the same amount. The T32 is a complete di...

They already are doing your first point. The armed forces are regularly exercising in the area and maintaining various commitments in the JEF area. Completely agree but what if the exercise lasted 6 months or one year? It’s easy to frame an exercise around what you know you can achieve. The logisti...

jedibeeftrix wrote: ↑09 Apr 2024, 15:11 i wonder if Canada really fits into Aukus….

I wonder if Canada can afford to fit into AUKUS?

If you’re saying the army has too many unsupported light infantry units yes it does if it’s serious about being a warfighting force against high end opponents. Exactly. What I am suggesting is a structure that works for what the Army can contribute today. The Army is currently planning to rebuild o...

Another member? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/08/canada-justin-trudeau/. Canada could join Aukus defence pact as Trudeau considers nuclear sub patrols in Arctic waters…….The Canadian prime minister says he has already held ‘excellent conversations’ with the US, UK and Australia over...

If this is the lesson we need to heed then surely we should be significantly expanding our current supporting arms just to support the current units we have or make them significantly logistically lighter or both. Considering the amount of light Infantry the British Army has available is it possibl...

Moved across. For me as said Army can have 3 Divisions with 9 Brigades 1st Division with 3 Light Mech brigades 3rd Division with 2 x Combined armed brigades 6th Division with 16AA , Rangers , 11th SFA , SF brigade The key will be the 3 Light Mech Brigades and what vehicles they have for me one of th...

Lots of sense here. The frustration with a lack of progress is palpable. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/06/britain-is-not-ready-for-war-ministers-defence-mod/. Britain is not ready for war – ministers couldn’t even turn up to the bunker….Defence readiness should be a whole-of-government ex...

At the risk of being pedantic 'too much and not enough ' seems to be a judgement about perceived value for money rather than compromise. I'm not clear how they're 'compromised'? In my opinion they are too much (over spec’d) for EEZ patrol and not enough for global patrol as there is too much they c...

new guy wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 20:22

Poiuytrewq wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 18:55
They are a compromised platform for global patrol and always will be unfortunately.

Compromised how?

They are too much and not enough.

Repulse wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 19:40 It’s good that reality is proving the opposite.

I think the reality is that RN is making the best of a compromised asset that was unwanted at inception.

The war winning assets are other things that we would contribute. You win by ensuring the fighting never starts. Completely agree. More deployable Divisions will help in that endeavour. The Cold War was eventually won by isolating and fragmenting the politics of the communist block and bankrupting ...

You can fight and win a battle using a division and can still lose the war. Having the ability to fight in a divisional structure is very different to deploying two divisions. What use are British Army Divisions if you can’t deploy them? Providing the Divisional HQ’s for other countries Brigades is...

SW1 wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 19:18

Poiuytrewq wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 18:47

SW1 wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 16:23 Why does the army need two deployable divisions?

What’s the alternative if you want to win against a peer?

I don’t think that’s how you win against Russia or any peer we would face.

Really?

When did the U.K. or US ever win against a peer without using the Divisional structure?

SW1 wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 16:40 That’s not a limited capability anyway you care to cut it.

Especially when considering that two Wildcats fit in a Frigate/Destroyer hanger.

With additional funding so much more could be squeezed out of the Wildcats.

I actually see it more of a positive move than that and a damn site more coherent / aligned to what is needed compared to what is being muted. I am not necessarily disagreeing with your proposal but IMO it’s more productive now to illustrate what RN could and should be rather than propose cuts to e...

My opinion hasn’t changed on this.

Retire the 3x RB2’s back to the U.K. EEZ in 2028 and retain the other 2 in the Falklands and Gibraltar.

They are a compromised platform for global patrol and always will be unfortunately.

SW1 wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 16:10 It’s got nothing to do with Finland

Totally disagree.

The defence structure of the Nordics has been completely upended in the last 2 years.

It’s a clean sheet of paper time and Norway is responding to that.

SW1 wrote: ↑06 Apr 2024, 16:23 Why does the army need two deployable divisions?

What’s the alternative if you want to win against a peer?

"Think small" option (if the budget do not rise sharply and man-power issue is just kept as is, (not getting worse, but not better either) It will need to be “think smaller” if nothing changes. It’s just more managed decline. Much more proactive to illustrate what 2.5% or 3% could provide...

Investment in frigates, submarines and a reinforcement of the national air defence system to include missile defence sounds like a gd idea to me. It will be interesting to see if the Frigates and Submarines take a decade to build and commission like they do in the U.K. In the same place as they wer...

I do doubt this review was done in isolation - if nations are looking for joint security and in that there is a focus on securing places to receive reinforcements, then the only two nations that would do that are US and to a degree the UK. I just can’t see that level of focus from the UK and the US...

It is welcome, it also highlights how far below the 2% of gdp they had fallen (around 1.4% presently) in that this will allow them to reach that target in about 3 years time. The main takeaways for me. • Regardless of the 2% debate, the worsening security picture requires a massive increase in defe...

RFA vote for strike action. https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/news/officers-at-the-royal-fleet-auxiliary-vote-for-strike-action/ Total disaster and frankly, completely unacceptable for RN to be put in a situation like this. Highly likely this will just hasten the demise of the RFA as we kn...