Royal Navy to get Two new carriers after all

With all the unrest and uncertainty around these days, the UK has taken what I believe to be the right decision in commissioning HMS Prince of Wales into service alongside sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth instead of selling it off.

Having one carrier was never a realistic proposal in my opinion. You either need them both, so one can be available at any time, or neither. One ship is just playing at navies.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

It would be nice to see Queens Navy restored to one the worlds greatest.

originally posted by: Eyemin
It would be nice to see Queens Navy restored to one the worlds greatest.

Yup Id rather see us have 10 carriers

And they can also expand the Royal air force while they are at it.

Though to be fair the Royal Navy still above that of everyone except the USA. Russia fleet are mostly obsolete wrecks and Chinas only just started a build up of modern ships.

a reply to: Eyemin

It won't happen, space, one way or another, is the preferred "body" from where to launch weapons and attacks these days if things get really tough. 'Figure those carriers are efforts to keep the shipyards (that remain) humming and for making a statement of pride. Long live the king. The king is dead.

This situation reminds me of the lyrics of a Country & Western song a cowboy sings to his date:

"I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was."


(Actually, those words sorta set close to my heart, that's why I remember them I guess.)

a reply to: waynos

As I understood it, they were never going to sell it off - no-one would buy it anyway - just have it rotating with the QE on active service with the other in "extended refit"

I know the Mail says it was to "be sold off" but they just make stuff up half the time.

Anyhoo, it is good news that both will now be active duty ships. Personally, I think we should commission a third so we can have 2 on duty and one in refit. We should also boost the number of Astutes from 7 to the original 12 planned and also double the number of T-45's, as the carriers will need proper escort fleets. That said, the new Frigates will start construction soon - although no confirmation will be made on those until after the Scottish thing....

a reply to: waynos

Well this is good news. I hope all of Europe arms up.

I especially like the fact that more level headed players like the UK are out there with the means to keep the civilized world protected.

Go UK!

All they need now is some planes to fly from them.

a reply to: SummerLightning

They're on their way and, despite some reports to the contrary they are very capable aircraft.

It's also worth remembering that the RN hasn't had any attack aircraft since 2006, nor have we had a fleet carrier since 1984 and we've done ok so far.

a reply to: stumason

I do think it would be good to restore at least two of the cancelled (un ordered) type 45's to the fleet too. Despite the tone of the more sarky replies, it's not about the UK Arming up to police the world, more about the long overdue recognition in Europe that defence budgets were pared back too far. The lessons of history are plain to see, for anyone that cares to look.

originally posted by: Eyemin
It would be nice to see Queens Navy restored to one the worlds greatest.

Well, okay, but who is going to pay the bills? the rich? not likely, the poor and middle class will get it well and trully in the wage packet, plus any government funded help for the poor will be cut, your NHS will just about disapier, plus anything else they can cut.
Britain was poor in Nelsons time because 20% of GDP went on the 'wooden walls of England'

a reply to: stumason

That would require the MoD to be run by people who understand the way that real life works. Oh and the Treasury to have a Chancellor who isn't an idiot. Call-Me-Dave and Idiot George have gutted the UK's armed forces and lied the entire time about it.

Participaction in Global Humanitarian actions will be the focus of the future, soon we will see a Globally United Strike Force which will NOT include off-planet weapons assets being projected at Humanitarian concerns such as mass killings,genocide,or whatever the Global Communitty feels is a priority to them .

a reply to: pikestaff

Watched a clip now i am looking for the whole thing.... lol looks great ty

Impoverished goat herders of the world better be watching out, Cameron's gonna send the navy after you with it's nice shiny F35's. Of course, that depends on when we actually get them!

Cameron will also be long gone by the time we probably get to sail either of those carriers with actual aircraft on them, instead of a few helicopters. He'll probably be doing another "Blair" by then, PR guru for dictators and doing the speech circuit, filling many an academic hall with enough hot air to float all the participants at the next Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.

Carriers are not for defence, but for offense and force projection, so I wonder what new enemies they'll be creating to justify the continued spend. I mean, at some point, all "bad guys" will have been pacified, so how will they then maintain the "defence" industry? Of course, the answer is simple, they'll just have to keep conjuring up new enemies as the cost of peace is just too great..... for the bankers who create the wars in the first place.

Meanwhile, lets all wave our little flags and cheer on the jolly admirals and their new toys! Hurrah, Yo ho ho.... etc!

a reply to: Britguy

Actually, carriers have far more than just "power projection" as their uses. Primarily, the Royal Navy is involved in anti-smuggling, anti-piracy and humanitarian missions over any offensive operations - the carriers will add a great deal of operational flexibility in these regards.

Anyhoo, the old maxim "those who want peace prepare for war" is as true today as it ever has been. The stronger our national defence is, the less likely we'll actually need to fight anyone. The only reason Russia is swinging it's balls around eastern Europe at the moment is because they've perceived the West to have weakened it's collective defence.

originally posted by: pikestaff
Well, okay, but who is going to pay the bills? the rich? not likely, the poor and middle class will get it well and trully in the wage packet, plus any government funded help for the poor will be cut, your NHS will just about disapier, plus anything else they can cut.

They have already been paid for. And the "poor and middile classes" have actually seen tax cuts over the past few years, not tax rises, the NHS is not "about to disappear" - honestly, all doom and gloom with you lot isn't it. Four years into this Government and despite the prophecies of doom when they took over from some, things are actually turning out quite nicely.

originally posted by: pikestaff
Britain was poor in Nelsons time because 20% of GDP went on the 'wooden walls of England'

Britain wasn't poor - the poor were poor. As a nation, we were probably the richest we had ever been up to that point.And they also didn't have the added welfare state and other bills to pay that modern Governments do.

a reply to: waynos
haven't you guys been paying attention why do we need sea carriers when shield and UNIT have flying aircraft carriers jeez get with the times/

a reply to: waynos

Sounds good. Would the Scottish independence vote affect the carriers in any way?

As we don't have any aircraft to fly off these, and won't have for quite some time, can we ask any potential enemies to hold off on doing anything until such time as we are ready and fully equipped?

When I see my little sister working for the NHS lucky to even get a 1% raise in 2 years (despite a lot of hard work, dedication and further education to improve herself and her worth within the organisation), the MP's getting another raise, this time of around 10%, and then these carriers and their hellishly expensive aircraft, I wonder at the sanity of those "in charge" of the country's purse strings!
Add to that the even bigger cost of "upgrading" our nuclear weapons - those weapons that only a madman would ever use against anyone - and I think we have insanity confirmed. But, of course, the US wants us all to increase our military spending, and there are a lot of highly placed politicians and "retired" military types embedded in the military industry, that they get to dictate our spend, with manufactured enemies and wars to justify it. Get everyone waving their little flags and following our brave boys as they go to get maimed or killed in another pointless, but profitable, act of carnage for the bankers. Makes me sick!

The UK has forgotten it does not have an empire and does not rule the world any more? so the aircraft carriers are just vanity projects. Even China only has one carrier so why this little island off the NW coast of Europe needs two is a mystery.

Brittania rules the waives!! LOL