| HMS Dragon 16:29 - Mar 10 with 855 views | Perublue |
…is on its way … finally |  |
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| HMS Dragon on 17:04 - Mar 10 with 740 views | Perublue |
It beggars belief that the UK is in this situation while a war with a very real foe has been raging in Europe for over 4 years.
Shameful.
….and of course those young men and women are going to be naïve underprepared pawns in the government’s (all) amateur outlook. | |
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| HMS Dragon on 17:06 - Mar 10 with 714 views | Swansea_Blue |
“It has been a week since the government said the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer would be deployed”.
Clearly the Great Flood of Portsmouth was more far-reaching than just Fratton Park. |  |
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| HMS Dragon on 17:10 - Mar 10 with 686 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
| HMS Dragon on 17:04 - Mar 10 by Perublue |
It beggars belief that the UK is in this situation while a war with a very real foe has been raging in Europe for over 4 years.
Shameful.
….and of course those young men and women are going to be naïve underprepared pawns in the government’s (all) amateur outlook. |
Some of it has been deployed to deter Russia in fairness who’ve been deliberately incurring in European sovereign waters as well as sabotaging undersea cables etc.
Goes back to a point I made that we really need to coordinate more with our European allies, we simply don’t have the resources alone. The outsourcing Churchman highlighted is dreadful though. |  | | |
| HMS Dragon on 17:20 - Mar 10 with 639 views | Churchman |
| HMS Dragon on 17:04 - Mar 10 by Perublue |
It beggars belief that the UK is in this situation while a war with a very real foe has been raging in Europe for over 4 years.
Shameful.
….and of course those young men and women are going to be naïve underprepared pawns in the government’s (all) amateur outlook. |
Well, the red signals were actually there for all to see in 2014 when Putin stole Crimea, but nope, let’s bury our heads in the sand. Let’s hope the problem goes away by looking statesmanlike and almost as concerned as if those Taylor Swift tickets flopped through the letterbox late.
Nothing has changed. I wonder what they’ll cut when there’s nothing left but a pedalo and a 1/72 scale Airfix aeroplane? |  | | |
| HMS Dragon on 17:20 - Mar 10 with 645 views | DJR |
It is worth pointing out, according to military experts, that the drone that reached Cyprus did not emanate from Iran.
The suggestion is that it might have come from Hezbollah, but I imagine Cyprus has always been geared up for such an attack, given its close proximity to Lebanon.
And I do wonder if our best means of defence is the actual base in Cyprus, rather than a ship, were there to be an attack from Iran. [Post edited 10 Mar 17:21]
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| HMS Dragon on 17:25 - Mar 10 with 595 views | giant_stow |
| HMS Dragon on 17:20 - Mar 10 by DJR |
It is worth pointing out, according to military experts, that the drone that reached Cyprus did not emanate from Iran.
The suggestion is that it might have come from Hezbollah, but I imagine Cyprus has always been geared up for such an attack, given its close proximity to Lebanon.
And I do wonder if our best means of defence is the actual base in Cyprus, rather than a ship, were there to be an attack from Iran. [Post edited 10 Mar 17:21]
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Tom Sharpe of the Telegraph was writing just yesterday how F35s would be safer on board the aircraft carrier than that airbase. He didn't explain why - it was more in passing while arguing what could/ should be sent there, but it stood out as a comment.
(No idea on his credentials, but he seems to be ex-forces at least) |  |
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| HMS Dragon on 17:53 - Mar 10 with 501 views | Perublue |
| HMS Dragon on 17:20 - Mar 10 by DJR |
It is worth pointing out, according to military experts, that the drone that reached Cyprus did not emanate from Iran.
The suggestion is that it might have come from Hezbollah, but I imagine Cyprus has always been geared up for such an attack, given its close proximity to Lebanon.
And I do wonder if our best means of defence is the actual base in Cyprus, rather than a ship, were there to be an attack from Iran. [Post edited 10 Mar 17:21]
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Yes , I’ve heard the Lebanon launched Hezbollah scenario which I could imagine but to balance that I’ve the heard the false flag Israeli one too …. Ahh the fog of war. | |
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| HMS Dragon on 17:55 - Mar 10 with 489 views | DJR |
| HMS Dragon on 17:25 - Mar 10 by giant_stow |
Tom Sharpe of the Telegraph was writing just yesterday how F35s would be safer on board the aircraft carrier than that airbase. He didn't explain why - it was more in passing while arguing what could/ should be sent there, but it stood out as a comment.
(No idea on his credentials, but he seems to be ex-forces at least) |
I think there was talk a day or so about sending an aircraft carrier.
But I worry what would happen if it were to get hit, as we are not exactly flush with them. [Post edited 10 Mar 17:59]
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| HMS Dragon on 17:56 - Mar 10 with 488 views | Perublue |
| HMS Dragon on 17:10 - Mar 10 by SuperKieranMcKenna |
Some of it has been deployed to deter Russia in fairness who’ve been deliberately incurring in European sovereign waters as well as sabotaging undersea cables etc.
Goes back to a point I made that we really need to coordinate more with our European allies, we simply don’t have the resources alone. The outsourcing Churchman highlighted is dreadful though. |
It’s all a bit of a cluster fug isn’t it with NATO and the EU and individual sovereign countries and not all the countries on the same page that are members of the aforementioned groups. | |
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| HMS Dragon on 18:05 - Mar 10 with 434 views | Churchman |
| HMS Dragon on 17:25 - Mar 10 by giant_stow |
Tom Sharpe of the Telegraph was writing just yesterday how F35s would be safer on board the aircraft carrier than that airbase. He didn't explain why - it was more in passing while arguing what could/ should be sent there, but it stood out as a comment.
(No idea on his credentials, but he seems to be ex-forces at least) |
The F35B is designed for carrier use, but given deck operations are inherently more dangerous I don’t know the basis of the comment. Maybe he means that on a static base like Akrotiri that it’s an easier target than on a moving ship.
I notice the comment regarding acting in coordination with European partners. Of course and we do. But ongoing cuts and further cuts to come mean there’s nothing to operate with.
Yes, money is tight. But it is really about priorities. The Defence budget is £60bn. In that is being lumped all sorts of previously not included commitments like security services. Add in inflation and that equals cuts. Part of the reason of Serco only working five days a week is budgetary.
For context of £60bn, NHS and Social Care is well over £200bn. Reeves November budget alone increased spending for children’s allowance to beyond two children amounted to an addition £3bn. Illegal immigration - conservative estimates £12bn. That’s fine - it’s about choices and priorities. Defence of this country for this and previous governments isn’t one of them.
Somebody asked if I was prepared to pay more income tax for defence. Yes. 1p in the £1 = about 7bn raised. Rough calculation says 4p in the £1 would cost me about £110 a month extra. To keep barstewards like Putin off and get reliance on the likes of trump out, I’d pay that, no problem.
It’s a personal thing but it’s something I believe to be important. | | | |
| HMS Dragon on 18:38 - Mar 10 with 356 views | giant_stow |
| HMS Dragon on 18:05 - Mar 10 by Churchman |
The F35B is designed for carrier use, but given deck operations are inherently more dangerous I don’t know the basis of the comment. Maybe he means that on a static base like Akrotiri that it’s an easier target than on a moving ship.
I notice the comment regarding acting in coordination with European partners. Of course and we do. But ongoing cuts and further cuts to come mean there’s nothing to operate with.
Yes, money is tight. But it is really about priorities. The Defence budget is £60bn. In that is being lumped all sorts of previously not included commitments like security services. Add in inflation and that equals cuts. Part of the reason of Serco only working five days a week is budgetary.
For context of £60bn, NHS and Social Care is well over £200bn. Reeves November budget alone increased spending for children’s allowance to beyond two children amounted to an addition £3bn. Illegal immigration - conservative estimates £12bn. That’s fine - it’s about choices and priorities. Defence of this country for this and previous governments isn’t one of them.
Somebody asked if I was prepared to pay more income tax for defence. Yes. 1p in the £1 = about 7bn raised. Rough calculation says 4p in the £1 would cost me about £110 a month extra. To keep barstewards like Putin off and get reliance on the likes of trump out, I’d pay that, no problem.
It’s a personal thing but it’s something I believe to be important. |
Totally with you on the need to spend more on defense - its now seems critical that we do.
And you're absolutely right about the Carrier / f35s / what the journo was saying: it was exactly that a moving ship is harder to target (seeing you suggest so reminded me that's what he said - apologies) | |
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| HMS Dragon on 18:52 - Mar 10 with 299 views | Guthrum |
| HMS Dragon on 17:04 - Mar 10 by Perublue |
It beggars belief that the UK is in this situation while a war with a very real foe has been raging in Europe for over 4 years.
Shameful.
….and of course those young men and women are going to be naïve underprepared pawns in the government’s (all) amateur outlook. |
The thing about this situation is that the requirement to suddenly defend the UK's bases on Cyprus against short-range drone attack would have been well down the list of priorities. After all, it was a circumstance very unlikely to arise unless the USA was mad enough to start a full-scale war against Iran. And we'd be in on the planning for that ... normally.
Much of our preparation and activity over the last four years has been aimed in other directions. Sticking a valuable destroyer up the far corner of the Med just in case puts it very much out of the way for deployment to other places where it could be needed in a hurry.
For that matter, there has so far been only one drone, launched almost certainly by Hezbollah. The fact it hasn't been repeated suggests they were told not to do it again. A lot of the stuff we and the Europeans are doing is demonstrative, intended to warn Tehran and its clients off doing anything silly and to comfort our ex-pats and allies. |  |
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| HMS Dragon on 19:07 - Mar 10 with 249 views | DJR |
| HMS Dragon on 19:06 - Mar 10 by Churchman |
Bit harsh. Keyboards sometimes default to American spellings. Secretary of State for Lickspittle Stupidity would be a more accurate title.
I was rather amused to hear that Sir Kier in his latest U-turn has allowed the Americans to use U.K. bases for ‘defensive purposes’. Next pictures: four B1 bombers landing at Fairford. Is he going to scuttle round them like Roadrunner to check they are carrying nothing more than Sidewinders, AIM ATA missiles and feather dusters? Will he run around waving his hands about squeaking ‘stop, stop, I want to check your load!’?
B1s are about as ‘defensive’ as an unprovoked punch in the mouth. Why couldn’t Sir Kier just say the situation has changed and I’ve changed my mind. |
I know, and I was only teasing. | | | |
| HMS Dragon on 19:16 - Mar 10 with 231 views | Churchman |
| HMS Dragon on 19:07 - Mar 10 by DJR |
I know, and I was only teasing. |
I guessed that and of course I’m being mighty hypocritical given the number of typos a manage to fit into posts. | | | |
| HMS Dragon on 19:41 - Mar 10 with 177 views | OldFart71 |
| HMS Dragon on 17:25 - Mar 10 by giant_stow |
Tom Sharpe of the Telegraph was writing just yesterday how F35s would be safer on board the aircraft carrier than that airbase. He didn't explain why - it was more in passing while arguing what could/ should be sent there, but it stood out as a comment.
(No idea on his credentials, but he seems to be ex-forces at least) |
Normally an aircraft carrier would have escorts and I'm not talking about the type that leaves a card in a telephone box.
But seeing as we have sod all of a navy and Labour are spending defence money on things and then bunging them on the defence budget to make it look like we are increasing spending we will have to make do with a few jolly jack tars waving broom handles at the enemy. | | | |
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