MoD may sell aircraft carrier to India to limit cuts

[hackle]

Sale would leave Royal Navy with just one replacement

The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009:

One of Britain's new £2bn aircraft carriers could be sold off under cost-cutting plans being considered by the Ministry of Defence. India has lodged a firm expression of interest, the Observer has learned.

The sale of one of the two 65,000-tonne vessels would leave the Royal Navy with a single carrier and could force Britain to borrow from the French fleet, which itself has only one carrier and is reluctant to build more. Last summer the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed to Gordon Brown that the two navies co-ordinate maintenance and refitting so that one was at sea at all times.

According to senior defence sources, Whitehall officials are examining the feasibility of a sale as part of the strategic defence review that will start early next year and is expected to result in savage cuts...

Full article

 

[wet_blobby]

Chile seems to have the monopoly on buying all but new RN warships. Take it the Indians black catted them on something not yet built.

I take it they'll pay a knockdown price as per usual, leaving us with development costs and all that stuff and them with a shiny new half price aircraft carrier. Bet they wouldn't do that with something like a 1-3 year old submarine.............or 3.

On the plus side, the new frigates that where fobbed off from being built as a compromise for the carriers getting built instead will now get built......right?

 

[Oil_Slick]

OFFS!

Why don't the cvnts just scrap the navy and be done with it! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[Clown_Puncher]

Rubbish. Why would the Indians want it when they have just bought a Kiev class and are also in the middle of building two of their own carriers. Not forgetting the Hermes which is still in service until 2018.

It's all a load of parp!

 

[broadside]

It's just the usual load of malarkey - a gang of armchair experts chucking ideas on what MIGHT happen and what options MAY be chucked into a hat and the media gleefully falling on the ones that sound the most bizarre.

On the other hand ... if India is in the frame for any "surplus" military kit - offset the cost against our foreign aid contributions - it's been said before on RR but merits repeating at every opportunity - if a foreign country currently in receipt of Aid has the money for buying weapons etc then they do not NEED the aid any more so it should be stopped!

 

[wet_blobby]

if a foreign country currently in receipt of Aid has the money for buying weapons etc then they do not NEED the aid any more so it should be stopped!

C'mon Broadside, be charitable. Someone has to pay for them to go to the Moon.

 

[Oil_Slick]

Rubbish. Why would the Indians want it when they have just bought a Kiev class and are also in the middle of building two of their own carriers. Not forgetting the Hermes which is still in service until 2018.

It's all a load of parp!

Simple really, the Indians are having a bit of a hard time of it converting the ex Russian pile of crap they bought into something usable.

The only carriers they've ever had that have been fit for purpose are ex RN ones.

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

Sale would leave Royal Navy with just one replacement

The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009:

...........the French fleet, which itself has only one carrier and is reluctant to build more. Last summer the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed to Gordon Brown that the two navies co-ordinate maintenance and refitting so that one was at sea at all times.

In which case - Less chance of them colliding at sea; a la SSBNS.

 

[broadside]

if a foreign country currently in receipt of Aid has the money for buying weapons etc then they do not NEED the aid any more so it should be stopped!

C'mon Broadside, be charitable. Someone has to pay for them to go to the Moon.

Well if that was what they wanted they should have said so from the start - I thought they needed the money to feed starving children and other niff naff and trivia - problem solved , "Gordon, sign the cheque!"

 

[Ja5on]

It will be a shame if it does happen. I think people need to be reminded that something like 90% of everything we eat and use in the UK is imported by sea and what might happen if the navy are not around or able to defend our shipping interests.

 

[Purple_twiglet]

The story is total BS and completely untrue. I've spoken to a few people in the know, and no one knows what the guardian is talking about, mainly as if you believe the rumours, the Indians haven't made any such approach to the UK.

 

[wet_blobby]

So, in 10 years time the UK has, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 submarines, 4 or 5 frigates/destroyers and a handful of RFA's to complement 2 or three knackered amphibious ships.

There is also the 1st battalion the British Army. 2nd battalion (all arms) British army, 3rd Battalion (TA) British Army.

25 Sqns of Typoons, RAF. 10 Sqns of Learjets RAF for VIP/MP use, a back office to co-ordinate Royal Usage. 15 Sqns of RAF Regt.

Oh, and the French.

 

[broadside]

So, in 10 years time the UK has, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 submarines, 4 or 5 frigates/destroyers and a handful of RFA's to complement 2 or three knackered amphibious ships.

There is also the 1st battalion the British Army. 2nd battalion (all arms) British army, 3rd Battalion (TA) British Army.

25 Sqns of Typoons, RAF. 10 Sqns of Learjets RAF for VIP/MP use, a back office to co-ordinate Royal Usage. 15 Sqns of RAF Regt.

Oh, and the French.

It didn't sound too bad till you got to the last line! :wink:

 

[Clown_Puncher]

Rubbish. Why would the Indians want it when they have just bought a Kiev class and are also in the middle of building two of their own carriers. Not forgetting the Hermes which is still in service until 2018.

It's all a load of parp!

Simple really, the Indians are having a bit of a hard time of it converting the ex Russian pile of crap they bought into something usable.

The only carriers they've ever had that have been fit for purpose are ex RN ones.

But the issue with the conversion is now resolved and the Russinas have wound their necks in. The money is spent and the Indians will have 4 carriers in the next 6 years. They don't have the budget or need to buy one of ours. As I said, it's utter chod.

So, in 10 years time the UK has, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 submarines, 4 or 5 frigates/destroyers and a handful of RFA's to complement 2 or three knackered amphibious ships.

There is also the 1st battalion the British Army. 2nd battalion (all arms) British army, 3rd Battalion (TA) British Army.

25 Sqns of Typoons, RAF. 10 Sqns of Learjets RAF for VIP/MP use, a back office to co-ordinate Royal Usage. 15 Sqns of RAF Regt.

Oh, and the French.

And we'll still have the Red Arrows sucking funds from us. Not forgetting pointless airbases that do nothing but house boys clubs.

 

[Ja5on]

And we'll still have the Red Arrows sucking funds from us. Not forgetting pointless airbases that do nothing but house boys clubs.

And the black cats.

 

[Clown_Puncher]

And we'll still have the Red Arrows sucking funds from us. Not forgetting pointless airbases that do nothing but house boys clubs.

And the black cats.

The Black cats don't cost £8 million a year. And that is a conservative figure.

 

[Bergen]

And we'll still have the Red Arrows sucking funds from us. Not forgetting pointless airbases that do nothing but house boys clubs.

And the black cats.

The Black cats don't cost £8 million a year. And that is a conservative figure.

The RAF are pretty smart. They have anticipated the upcoming Defence Cuts > http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6917297.ece

They have protected what they need to protect and when Cameron realises that he needs to slash and burn what remains of Britain's defences he will have no choice but to target the Navy. The Army is pretty fire-proof because it is up to it's neck in Afghan alligators. Anyone who thinks that RN will see a manned, operational aircraft carrier is dreaming.


Afghanistan and the recession have put the final nail into Britain's real defences.:-

The proposals were ordered by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the new chief of the air staff, and the air force board ahead of the 2010 spending round. It comes with the RAF ordered to find £200m in cuts and ensure all possible available resources are diverted to Afghanistan.



RM

 

[Clown_Puncher]

And we'll still have the Red Arrows sucking funds from us. Not forgetting pointless airbases that do nothing but house boys clubs.

And the black cats.

The Black cats don't cost £8 million a year. And that is a conservative figure.

The RAF are pretty smart. They have anticipated the upcoming Defence Cuts > http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6917297.ece

They have protected what they need to protect and when Cameron realises that he needs to slash and burn what remains of Britain's defences he will have no choice but to target the Navy. The Army is pretty fire-proof because it is up to it's neck in Afghan alligators. Anyone who thinks that RN will see a manned, operational aircraft carrier is dreaming.


Afghanistan and the recession have put the final nail into Britain's real defences.:-

The proposals were ordered by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the new chief of the air staff, and the air force board ahead of the 2010 spending round. It comes with the RAF ordered to find £200m in cuts and ensure all possible available resources are diverted to Afghanistan.



RM

Very true, they are pushing the public toward manning up the RAF cuts outrage bus, therefore securing their own future through a couple of months of "save our RAF" campaigning by idiot Joe Public who fails to see the bigger picture and believe the RAFS well funded and well oiled PR behemoth.

Typical RAF. Self interested, unneccessary and underhanded.

 

[wet_blobby]

Ahh, just fcuk the lot of it. The chavs and unemployed owe a debt of gratitude to the UK, the malignant and immigrant have an covenant with the UK for supporting them in their time of need, the middle class swells with pride about being British, the working class will fight anyone, the upper class will do one, who needs an army? Our shores are safe.

 

[broadside]

And besides, when we do get invaded and relegated to the 3rd Division in world politics (though judging by the calibre of some of our MPs we are already there), maybe our victorious invaders will invest in a properly funded military infrastructure to ensure it never happens again.

Sheesh, anyone would think that the Romans and William the Conqueror were ancient history!!!!