What I wanted to say is that it's obviously the HMGs intent to go and provoke China. All the other explanations (piracy, training of locals etc. ) are just a smokescreen.donald_of_tokyo wrote:But, even if you send a T45 destroyer, with Chinese ballistic anti-ship missile, and T45's complete lack of ABM capability, I guess, they will laugh with highest quantity in case of T45. River B2 shall be much more better, I think, as it can be at sea as long as 300 days a year (or even longer), which will be more annoying than only short visit of T45?abc123 wrote:Yeah, in quantity of laughing it will produce in Beijing. It's inversely proportional to quantity and quality of weapons on some RN ship sent there.donald_of_tokyo wrote:This number says, up-arming River B2 or sending T31 will not change the game significantly. In that case, sending River B2 "as is" does have some effect. Up-arming them has another effect, and T31 yet another effect. There are no such thing as "sending River B2 as is" is meaningless. They just differ.Tempest414 wrote:the South Seas fleet alone has 29 frigates and corvettes and it only needs one of them to be overly aggressive and damage one of the 2 OPV's and it is out of the game
Now, it's my opinion that UK shoulf stay away from the Far Eastern conflict as much as possible, mainly because they can't contribute much, and they have a lot to loose by angering China. In the end, a new Cold (and especially hot ) war isn't good for anyone, UK included.
But, having said that, if the HMGs intent is to provoke China, then at least they should send properly equipped forces that will not be sitting ducks. Democracies are supposedly looking after their citizens, not using them as bait/cannon fodder for benefit of "special relationship". It's a disgrace that a dictatorship like China equips it's soldiers better than old democracy like the UK.
So, either send a full CVBG (and a properly equipped one) there or dont screw around and think that two OPVs will mean anything to anyone.