Bling Bling Britain

Bloody 'L!

Gossip 'bout Great Britain raiding her defense budget to offset f'nancial woes reveals She 's prepping to do less with less on the world stage.

In a shameful breach of faith with Drake, Fisher and Jellicoe, cutting designer bling bling for being the all puissant ala machpolitik  status symbolic aircraft carrier  severely restricts power projection in a crunk and disorderly world

"...These ships with their aircraft will transform the UK's defence capabilities when they enter service, delivering air power in support of the full range of future operations at sea, in the air and on land."

Abandon ship meme aside, this is bleedin' significant mate

"...If Royal Navy is really prepared to slim the surface fleet down to just 12 ships, it would essentially be surrendering control of the high seas. It would no longer have the capacity to mount anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, were Somali-based pirates continue to harass international shipping, or mount counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean. 

And no ability to deploy boots on the ground as "...a projectile fired by the Royal Navy..." an amazingly  unFisher like mentis non compos re: forsaking amphibbing Royal Marines on nearly any coastline  

Ditching The QE class of 'Super Carriers" is just asking for trouble.


Not so long ago - the genocidal illegit regime in Sudan was fixing to literally skin a British national humanitarian lady alive because of some risible 7th century prohibiton about mixing Teddy bears and m'hammedism.


Diplomacy begat nothing - until HMS Ark Royal disappeared off the grid near Malta - perhaps sweetly steaming for sunny climes east of Suez - who could say? Suddenly Sudan couldn't wait for a quickie show trial to release their captive on a nonstop 1st class trip home.

"...While no one knows for sure what the nature of future conflict is likely to be, there is little doubt that, for the foreseeable future at least, we are going to be involved in the type of low-intensity, guerrilla campaigns that we are currently fighting in Afghanistan.

"... Whether the next combat theatre moves to Yemen or Somalia, the basic requirement for our Armed Forces is that we have light, flexible units that can deploy in strength at a moment’s notice. Consequently the Royal Marines, together with the Paras and other front-line assault units, have a vital role to play


Great Britain's three super carriers would ensure that and more:


"In dealing with rogue states, diplomacy can never be a substitute for, or even the alternative to, force. It can only be effective as the extension of force - force that is a credible threat because it will be decisive if unleashed, and because it plainly will be unleashed should diplomacy fail.



Pic - "Moderation in war is imbecility. Moderation in preparing for conflict is suicide"