News blog

On 3rd Feb the Government published its green paper called 'Adaptability and Partnership: Issues for the Strategic Defence Review' which aims to layout the issues to be decided in the future defence review. The good news is that should Labour win the next election, they are effectively saying they would not cut defence spending further and the RN carriers and Trident replacement are safe (although the current level - 2.2% GDP is not nearly enough for current commitments). Whether we can believe or trust any of Labour's claims about defence is debatable, especially given their shameful treatment of the RN - decommissioning 64 RN and RFA vessels since coming to power in 1997 while ordering just 15 new vessels! Britain is at a cross roads - do we want to remain a world power with balanced and capable forces or are we going the way of most European countries that have little capability beyond protecting their own borders or making small or token contributions to US-lead coalitions? Even if the UK unwisely decides to cut its defences further and scale down global ambitions, we are totally dependent on the sea for our lifeblood of food, energy and manufactured imports and the needs of the navy must be top priority. Historically Britain has always been most secure and prosperous when the RN was strong and well-directed.

This week the Government announced it was "reprioritising" the defence budget to support Afghanistan operation. No more money for defence and a £36 Billion 'black hole' to be faced in future but at least the troops in Afghanistan may feel some benefit (eventually). Mostly irrelevant parts of the RAF have borne the brunt of cuts announced so far but news that mine hunter HMS Walney and survey vessel HMS Roebuck are to be retired early are probably just a light starter, a main course of futher heavy defence cuts can be expected after the election when the government will have to face up to the catastrophic mismanagement of MoD finances over the last decade. Walney and Roebuck are probably the wisest options to retire when the RN is FORCED into making choices, although any reduction in mine hunting capability is worrying. With tension in the Gulf running high, mine warfare remains an unglamorous but highly relevant capability this country may need in the near future. HMS Endurance will also probably not be replaced, so further weakening the UK presence in the South Atlantic just as it has been discovered that there is potentially £60 Billion worth of oil reserves in the seas around the Falkland Islands.

Please sign the petition on the Downing Street website to save the Royal Fleet Auxiliary from cuts/privatisation http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/save-the-RFA/

With no political party having the courage to accept that the UK needs to actually increase defence spending to match its global ambitions, everyone knows that bigs cuts are going to be made in defence spending in the near future. Against a backdrop of national debt, war in Afghanistan, disastrous mis-management and cost over-runs on big defence projects and public indifference about the need for naval forces, the Royal Navy is about to be caught in a 'perfect storm' that will undoubtedly see it weakened further. Recent speculation includes;
1. Insane plan to privatise the Royal Fleet Auxiliary The idea that the RN might rely on privately owned ships, manned by foreign crews for support is crazy. This proposal might make small short-term savings but in the long run will cost lives, limit the RN's operations and throw away the valuable specialist expertise and dedication of the existing RFA.
2. Plan to reduce the second aircraft carrier to a helicopter-only commando carrier (to save cost of ordering more fixed wing aircraft)Effectively halving the strength of the carrier force, the RN already has plenty of amphibious ships and it would be faintly ridiculous to use this huge vessel as a helicopter carrier. However this would be better than having no second carrier at all and she could be upgraded in future.
3. Or Sell the second carrier to India as soon as completed. A scurrilous rumour put about by the Guardian newspaper? Well in some ways it would make sense as it would keep UK workers employed and India wants a carrier. But of course the RN would be left short-changed and only having 1 carrier means it would only be available about 60% of the time, better than nothing but not a very credible or flexible deterrent force.

At the time of year when we pay tribute those who gave their lives in service of their country, it seems appropriate to focus here on just a few examples of the sacrifice made by the men of the Royal Navy.

Arctic Circle, World War II, February 1945, HMS Bluebell She was a Flower class corvette, serving in these small ships on the stormy oceans was very tough. Bluebell was one of many RN ships escorting merchant ships on the bitterly cold and dangerous supply runs carrying war materials from the UK to the Russian allies. Sunk by a German U-boat, only 1 of her 86 crewmen survived.

Falklands War, May 1982, HMS Coventry Placed in a very exposed position, the crew of this destroyer already knew they were in great danger as they endeavoured to protect the main British fleet from air attack. After shooting down several enemy aircraft, she was eventually sunk by 2 bombs from Argentine aircraft. 19 of her crew were lost and a further 30 injured.

Afghanistan, August 2009 - Sergeant Lee Andrew Houltram. A Royal Marine and a member of the SBS was killed by a roadside bomb whilst on a foot patrol near Gereshk in Helmand province. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines have contributed a substantial number of personnel to the ongoing operations in Afghanistan since 2001.

As the defence budget looks set for further cuts, the new aircraft carriers currently in the early stages of construction for the Royal Navy look vulnerable to cancellation. This article sets out the the very strong case for retaining the carrier programme which will provide the UK with a vital national asset for decades to come. Read more...

With no money for proper upgrades, many of the Royal Navy's ships are dangerously vulnerable to modern weapons. With further defence cuts a virtual certainty, the navy looks likely to be further weakened. Full article...

In the last few months there has been virtually no significant media coverage of RN activities as events in Afghanistan continue to dominate. Although it is rarely mentioned The RN is still contributing a large number of personnel to the war to help the over-stretched Army. First of the Type 45 destroyers HMS Daring commissioned on 23rd July, without doubt a great milestone for the RN but it must be remembered the RN will receive only 6 of these ships, She commissions with her main armament untested. (the second Type 45 HMS Dauntless will test fire the missile system in late 2010?) Penny pinching means this huge destroyer has no automated last-ditch self-defence systems, anti shipping missiles or Tomahawk missiles. Recent significant drug seizures by HMS Cumberland and HMS Iron Duke illustrate the importance of the RN projecting power across the globe, It also shows the need for simpler ships that can be built in greater numbers to carry out these policing type actions. The 'Future Surface Combatant' which the RN urgently needs to replace ageing frigates remains a vague concept that has yet to be funded. No one will dare to commit to a date when submarine HMS Astute will go to sea, as a minor fire and ongoing technical problems continue to plague this already much-delayed programme. The future of Antarctic patrol ship HMS Endurance remains in the balance, After a costly return to the UK after nearly sinking off the cost of Chile she is lying in Portsmouth dockyard awating results of surveys that will determine whether she will be repaired or scrapped. If she is scrapped it is vital for UK interests she is replaced quickly. Meanwhile survey ship HMS Scott will undertake some of her duties this year. Gordon Brown's 'Ghost fleet' at Portsmouth of vessels either in 'extended readines' (ie awaiting scrapping) or fully decommissioned continues to grow. Recent additions to this fleet include Type 42s HMS Southampton, Nottingham and Exeter, and RFA Fort Austin.

27th June is Armed Forces Day - a fine idea which aims to get the public to recognise and support the servicemen of this country who have given much, particularly over the last 12 years of this decaying Labour government. However the background to this event is an increasingly bloody war in Afghanistan and forces stretched to breaking point while the defence budget is effectively being cut by 10%. The MoD call this "balancing the budget", we call it criminal underfunding of our nation's defences that endanger our servicemen and ultimately all of us. Our spineless politicians take easy option when money is tight - cut defence spending in the middle of a war! The RN will probably bear the brunt of the cuts due to the pressing needs of troops in Afghanistan and the lunatic commitment to buy more useless Eurofighters. In an increasingly 'sea-blind' nation, the RN lacks the media coverage which is about the only thing that actually prompts this government to take action on defence issues. No doubt funding the fighting men in Afghanistan should be a priority but funding the RN is about our long term security as an island nation.

Patrick Seurre has set up a new petition on the Number 10 website urging the Prime Minister to stop all spending on the Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3. As Lewis Page writes in The Register, the Eurofighter programme represents all that is wrong with British armed forces. Way over-budget, years late and of little use or relevance to the needs of today. It is just a pretty toy for the RAF and a work creation scheme. We have been critical of this £20 billion programme for a long time which has produced a short-range air defence fighter which has no real use, can't be converted to fly from the RN's carriers (where it could actually be useful) and its vast expense is leaving the RN without the ships it needs and the Army without equipment it needs for current conflicts. We urge you to please sign the petition and stop this criminal waste of money.

We have recently set up a news feed on this site that searches for stories, blogposts, tweets or photos on the web relating to the Royal Navy. It is not exhaustive but provides a useful resource if you want to know more about the Royal Navy day to day. Coverage ranges from major news stories to discussion board opinions through to the more personal or informal comments made on Twitter. This service is entirely automated so occasionally you may find irrelevant or odd stories in the mix but otherwise it will provide good coverage of Royal Navy affairs. It will generally upate about 6 hours. Views expressed in items from this feed may not reflect the views of the owners of this website. Have a look at it here.

Our latest article here

Sign the petition to keep the 11 frigates at Devonport here.

Unnamed sources in the MoD have stated that the 11 frigates based at Plymouth will be re-located to Portsmouth. The MoD press office denies this but Plymouth MP, Gary Streeter is sure the decision has already been made and called for the government to "have the guts to make this announcement then Plymouth can plan for its future". At first glance this may seem a fairly rational decision as it saves money to base similar ships together. However underlying this decision is a shabby political agenda. The Brown/Blair government have already devastated the RN, and as it shrinks in size it becomes hard to justify operating 3 naval bases. Apart from the unfair economic loss to Plymouth, from a strategic point of view it is unwise to 'put all your eggs in one basket'. Many RN personnel live in and around Plymouth and forcing them to uproot to Portsmouth will just add to the exodus of experienced personnel leaving the RN, fed up with their working conditions. In the longer term we cling to the hope that an honourable government will one day revive the RN and Portsmouth alone will not be able to support a fleet of the size Britain needs. Although the amphibious ships, some submarines and Sea Training will remain at Devonport the foreseeable future, Devonport looks ultimately doomed at the hands of the 'Scottish Mafia' in Westminster. Let's hope for a change of government before the largest naval facility in Europe is bulldozed and converted in to riverside apartments for the rich.

Save the Royal Navy is now on Twitter (under the name of NavyLookout). Tweets will focus on naval news and issues affecting the RN. Follow us by clicking here.

There is an urgent need for the RN to be given the funds to start designing and ordering new mine warfare vessels. The (pitifully few) vessels currently in service are due to start being decommissioned in 2017 and will all be gone by 2026. A few simple cheap sea mines can have a devastating effect on naval operations or paralyse merchant shipping and it is crucial that the RN does not lose its world-renowned expertise and equipment to counter this threat. Although unglamorous and low profile, mine warfare vessels are a vital part of a balanced fleet. The bizarre and disjointed planning and procurement policies of the current government means the RN could be in the ludicrous position of having billion pound aircraft carriers unable to operate or even put to sea because it has no (relatively cheap) minehunters to keep ports and shipping lanes open.

In the latest broadside from the bureaucrats in Brussels they are proposing that the UK hands over control of it's aircraft carriers to the EU. In addition they want the Falklands, Cyprus and Gibraltar to come under their control. It may sound like an April fool's joke but fortunately most sane people in Britain would agree this would be a disaster because; 1. Europe is already protected by NATO which has been a highly effective tool in our defence since World War II thanks largely to generous subsidy by the US. (Contrast this with the in-fighting, confusion and chaos of EU foreign policy which results in paralysis and inaction in times of crisis - such as the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.) The idea of an EU military is a joke, any EU navy would remained tied up in port by squabbles in Brussels 2. Although the RN is in decline, it is remains by far the most experienced and respected navy in Europe and it's efficiency and operations would only be damaged by outside interference. 3. British lives have been sacrificed in defence of the Falklands because the islanders wanted to remain British and not part of a 'European empire'. 4. This proposal has little to do with the needs of Europe, rather anti-American sentiment and the ambitions of the unelected and unaccountable Brussels bureaucrats.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox recently spoke out in parliament with some harsh truths about the RN and made a fine case in defence of the aircraft carriers.
"The argument against the carriers is based on the false assumption that state-on-state conflict is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, history shows differently. Possessing the aircraft carriers in the 21st century will allow us to project power, influence and force in a way that would not otherwise be possible. In this complex world, British interests and the defence of the UK have no geographical boundaries, in the way that perhaps they did in the past ...the Government have presided over delay after delay in the two carriers. They have now been in planning for twice the duration of the second world war! I call on the Government to do everything they can to ensure their timely entry into service. We might ask why, when the Government are talking about bringing forward spending projects as part of the fiscal stimulus, major defence projects are being put back? The current delay is only the tip of the iceberg in this Government's treatment of the Royal Navy. The journey that has led us to where our Navy is today has been one of serial betrayal by the Government."

An example of the criticism of the carrier programme in the media included this utterly inaccurate drivel in the Irish Independent.

The descendant of Captain Hardy, who spoke out against the possible sale of the world's oldest ship; HMS Victory, can report that the Ministry of Defence will remain the key funder of the famous ship. In September 2008, the MoD announced a study into the possible decommissioning of the ship that lead to embarrassing and damning reaction from the public. The successful campaign means this iconic warship is safe but the public must ensure the government continues to fund the ship in the future. Major changes are also on the way with a new national naval heritage policy run primarily through a "National museum for the Royal Navy". Signaling an end to the "Naval heritage depression", this is a small glimmer of hope while the RN faces some of the toughest times in its history.

With the depressing news that Russia has announced it intends to further re-arm and add to its nuclear arsenal the MoD is taking risks with over-optimistic plans to replace the trident nuclear deterrent. The Brown government's usual muddled thinking on defence is apparent as they dither over whether to build 4 submarines (the number needed) or to cut corners and force the RN to get by with 3. The current Trident submarines will decommission around 2024 and with nothing yet on the drawing board there is just 15 years to design and build their replacement. It is possible but would require a programme that runs smoothly and with out delays, something the MoD has failed to manage with virtually all major projects in the last 20 years. With no slack or contingency, it is very likely that in the 2020s the UK will be unable to maintain a continuous deterrent at sea.