Expanding the Navy again

[Keithdwat579]

Thought I'd try my hand at starting a thread!
What do you think the chances that the Royal Navy will expand again and to what degree and when?
It is clear that the navy fleet and personnel have dropped in size significantly even since 2010, but with a defence review coming up, and a lot of talk in the air of dropping the LPD's, also with a post brexit world coming up, what do you think the chances of a expanding navy? I know there have been a big push to Asia and East of the Suez with the opening of new bases but do we need more ships and more importantly, crew?

 

[Seaweed]

Ask Hammond.

 

[TheMau5e]

I don't know?
It depends on the success of Brexit and the likelihood of war. By the looks of it war is a possibility, Eastern Europe, Korea, Iran and Middle East. So in general I think defence spending is increasing, and also becoming more efficient, along with the new QE class soon becoming operational, I think the navy is finally starting to turn!

Hope I made sense

 

[Anchor Faced]

How do you measure expanding? Hulls? People? Spending? Efficiency? Capability?

We certainly have less vessels than historically, but they are more efficient. Net loss or net gain? (Don't know just trying to look at it differently).

 

[janner]

Where did the more efficient come from, aren't they still having problems with the 45's and Astutes, both will I'm sure become good platforms but they are still not without snags. Do we have enough platforms to escort QE when she becomes fully operational ( commissioning on Thursday) and still fulfil the other deployments required.

 

[Sumo]

capability has to be a key factor? But measuring that can be very subjective?

 

[MCC is the place for me]

capability has to be a key factor? But measuring that can be very subjective?

Agree. But the other thing is that with fewer operational hulls comes the need to keep them available for more of the time. They may be capable but if there are less available hulls then supporting the likes of the QE becomes more of a stretch and less units for other tasks.

We will never get back to the glory days of a Far East Fleet etc so we do have to manage the assets we have. Maybe having senior officers prepared to say "Can't do" instead of the traditional "can do" may be required.

 

[TheMau5e]

Where did the more efficient come from

Im talking about defence spending in this case.

 

[dapperdunn]

the glory days of a Far East Fleet.

 

[barny006]

Fish protection no sweepers or shacks and nimrod's to photograph the illegal trawlers.How are we to patrol our waters, fish protection Carriers.!!

 

[fishhead]

Fish protection no sweepers or shacks and nimrod's to photograph the illegal trawlers.How are we to patrol our waters, fish protection Carriers.!!

How about this for a leftfield idea. The crabs are happily flying their drones in the Middle East so how about deploying them a little nearer to home. I'm not suggesting they let loose missiles at intruding fishing boats(yet) but they could cover a lot of ocean with their cameras. I know the weather in the southwest approaches or the North Sea is not as clement as Syria but there must be enough good weather days to make it a viable option.

 

[Magic_Mushroom]

How about this for a leftfield idea. The crabs are happily flying their drones in the Middle East so how about deploying them a little nearer to home. I'm not suggesting they let loose missiles at intruding fishing boats(yet) but they could cover a lot of ocean with their cameras. I know the weather in the southwest approaches or the North Sea is not as clement as Syria but there must be enough good weather days to make it a viable option.

1. Our current RPAS meet neither the airworthiness nor air traffic regulations required to fly in non-segregated European airspace (although Protector will change that).

2. A Reaper’s EO/IR ball is an exceptionally inefficient way of conducting maritime surveillance.

3. Current UK RPAS cannot fly in icing.

Getting back to the exam question, despite my service, I’d personally love to see a maritime centric defence policy with a far larger RN. Unfortunately, Defence spending remains below 2% and is most certainly NOT increasing.

It’s also no use focusing on ship numbers when your recruitment is around 10% below targets and retention is even worse due to appalling infra and TCoS. If any of the forces are going to resolve their challenges, yes we need more money. However, we also need to convince Joe Public that we’re both relevant and a viable career for them or their kids.

That’s difficult when they come home on leave and tell their mates and/or parents that they’re living in accommodation that the AFPRB sometimes describe as ‘worse than some Victorian prisons’, with no heating or hot water for months or years on end.

Size and capability is not just about the numbers of ships, tanks and aircraft.

Regards,
MM