Mail: "Head Of Navy In Astonishing Attack On Libya Campaign"

Admiral Sir mark Stanhope says Libya campaign 'unsustainable' beyond the summer | Mail Online


Prolonged Libya effort unsustainable, warns Navy chief | UK news | guardian.co.uk

 

Isn't this exactly what NG, Broadside, Breathing Out have been saying on this site for some time now.

 

We are punching well above our weight in this world,to go into Libya was fraught with uncertainty and like Iraq was never thought through in it's entirety about what would happen if Ghaddafi remained entrenched.
You can't win a war with pure air power even if a rebel force is assisting more by fervour than efficient use of tactics and with weapons in short supply.
Once again civilians suffer grief.
I fear Cameron was bounced into it by the French getting all Gung Ho and looking to pin battle honours on to their bare victory board.
We may regret this.
I hope I'm wrong but I think the Admiral may be right.

 

For a 1SL to go public like this and effectively give his Govt masters a bollocking, things must be pretty desperate. Bang goes his shot at CDS too.

 

When he came out here at the end of last month, he insisted he would never be bullied into a corner by the other two or the govt. Even though we lost our carrier capability which he was not happy with.
He then informed us then that he could not see us lasting more than 6 months without having to divert other units to support the effort in Libya.
With only one MCM available on task (Brock).[SIZE=+0] H[/SIZE]e said he wouldn’t be happy in having divert the two MCM’s on route back to UK.

 

He probably is right, but I get a little p'ed-off with this kind of thing. You don't start a war and then half-way through advertise to the enemy that you might not have the legs to finish it. What sort of message does this send to Gaddafi? Too late to lament about it now - if 1SL was serious he should have forcefully put the case for Ark Royal/Harrier to Cameron right at the start of the conflict then resigned when he didn't get his way.

 

Forces chief General Sir David Richards slaps down Navy over Libya concerns - Telegraph

 

Response from the Ministry of Defence:

First Sea Lord on Libya

Running across all print and broadcast media is coverage of the interview with First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.

Admiral Stanhope clearly stated that the UK would be able to comfortably extend its military involvement in Libya for another 90 days. He was not drawn on how the UK may resource its contribution after that, saying there would be a 'rebalance of commitments', but was not drawn on where these may come from.

The Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

"Operations in Libya are showing how capable we are post-SDSR as a leading military power with the fourth largest defence budget in the world. We continue to have the resources necessary to carry out the operations we are undertaking and have spare capacity with the Royal Navy Cougar Task Force which is currently on exercise in the Gulf.

"The SDSR is not being reopened. The Harrier has served with great distinction over a long period and in a number of theatres, but we are not bringing them back into service. Our planning assumptions remain valid and we have been able to effectively conduct missions over Libya. We are now progressing with the disposal of the Harrier force."

 

Mindbogglingly ignorant set of comments from a number of Telegraph "readers" (or are those the ones that just crayon in the pictures?)

 

No longer ruling the waves: Royal Navy is in a 'shambles' claim top sailors as they back Admiral's comments | Mail Online

 

Amazing how much the picture of the Ark Royal in that last Mail article looks like an artist's impression of the Queen Elizabeth...

 

Anyone else find it ironic that the Conservative supporting press gets outraged at the 'cuts to the Navy' or 'The Navy is a shambles'... we currently have a Conservative government (the last lost where just as bad, and the lot before them... etc) who really do not care one jot for the armed forces, and most especially the Navy, and while i respect the defence secretary, i dont believe that he is the master in these cuts, the Chancellor, and EVERY Chancellor since the second world war can take the blame for the run down of our armed forces.

 

Actually, the Royal Navy has eight ships off Libya comprising our only LPH (HMS Ocean), our only currently operational LPD (HMS Albion), one of our only three surviving Type 42 destroyers (HMS Liverp00l - due for disposal next year), one of our surviving Type 23 frigates (HMS Sutherland), a Hunt class minehunter (HMS Brocklesby whose ship's company has been deployed for 12 out of the past 16 months), a Trafalgar class SSN, a Fast Fleet Tanker (RFA Wave Knight) and a Fleet Replenishment Ship (RFA Fort Rosalie). A few more RFAs are stood by in the COUGAR 11 Response Force Task Group.

 

I find this all quite amusing. CDS has done as he's no doubt been told to, and frapped down the Navy, but his words will come back to haunt him only too soon when the Army is exposed for struggling to meet its requirements for replacement Apache aircrew, airframes and support. They are stretched to the maximum just providing 5 cabs for a short period as it is.

Anyone wondered about the amount of ordnance dropped by the RAF, or expended by the Navy - how/when will that be replaced and what about the ordnance that is unused by the RAF but is trashed and unavailable because of the hours spent in-flight.

In short, we cannot prolong this political diversion, unless the Government instruct HMT to start writing some big cheques and there will be a bloodbath over this. I think 1SL was totally right to expose what is happening, with a reduced Navy already at stretch he has some big decisions to make over what he can and cannot do and the politicians playing their games aren't helping. Gaddafi is just having a ball by hiding out for the long game - bet he reads the Mail.

 

Some countries seem to be dropping more ordnance than others:

Transcript of Defense Secretary Gates’s Speech on NATO’s Future
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We should share aircraft carrier, say French
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Top brass clash after Navy chief lets slip on Libya cost.

HEAD of the Armed Forces General Sir David Richards yesterday slapped down his Royal Navy chief for claiming the war effort in Libya could cause problems if it lasts beyond six months.

Read more: Top brass clash after Navy chief lets slip on Libya cost - mirror.co.uk

 

The head of the Navy should now suggest that HMS Ocean (our only chopper assault ship) be handed over to the Army, and let General Richards and his pongoes get on with the job. After all, the British owned apache choppers being used in Libya are AAC (army) and not RAF or FAA.

 

Hardly a "slap down". I'd offend it discomforting that 1SL chides to point out our limitations publically though.


Edit: offend? Damn you autocorrect. *find.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Navy chief rapped over Libya doubts | UK news | guardian.co.uk

slap on the hands off of a man who couldnt run a post office... 200 years ago the head of the British Navy was the most powerful man in the world, how things have changed

 

Oh Mr Cameron you naughty boy.