| Noble713 | 17 Nov 2016 7:17 a.m. PST |
linkRoyal Navy warships will be left without anti-ship missiles and be forced to rely on naval guns because of cost-cutting, the Ministry of Defence has admitted. The Navy's Harpoon missiles will retire from the fleet's frigates and destroyers in 2018 without a replacement, while there will also be a two year gap without helicopter-launched anti-shipping missiles.
What the Hell is going on over there?! With all the rhetoric about Russia you would think no one in their right mind would strip their military of its combat capability so thoroughly. So the RN will have carriers with (likely) no F-35s, unless they are hosting USMC ones, and now surface ships with no missiles. It will be a massacre if they get in a real fight with anyone. |
| zoneofcontrol | 17 Nov 2016 7:24 a.m. PST |
Also, the submarine fleet is retro fitting all conning tower hatches with recycled screen doors. |
Gunfreak  | 17 Nov 2016 7:30 a.m. PST |
It's not about defence of the realm. It's about making money for the military industrial complex. |
| Winston Smith | 17 Nov 2016 10:07 a.m. PST |
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| RittervonBek | 17 Nov 2016 10:07 a.m. PST |
Blame tory party Feckwits and their national debt obsession |
| ashill2 | 17 Nov 2016 10:11 a.m. PST |
The Russians and the Chinese must be rubbing their hands with glee. Instead of facing a struggle to control sea routes they can sit back and watch UK governments steadily strip our forces of their capability. |
| Tarleton | 17 Nov 2016 10:15 a.m. PST |
Tory dogma! Look at history, when the witch got in she started cutting the navy. Result; Falklands war. Now the Vicars daughter has done nothing to halt the decimation of our armed forces started by the Eton trifles. Lets see what happens next……… If we come out the other side! |
| RittervonBek | 17 Nov 2016 10:19 a.m. PST |
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| Garand | 17 Nov 2016 10:25 a.m. PST |
Will these ships still be "wired" to launch Harpoon missiles, or will the capability be stripped completley? If they still have the containers, it is feasable that in the event of a shooting war they can "borrow" some from the US Navy… Damon. |
| Greg G1 | 17 Nov 2016 10:58 a.m. PST |
The Type 45 Destroyers also have no Torpedoes for ASW work other than those carried by the helicopter. Looks like the helicopter could be awful busy having to do both anti shipping and ASW work. |
| Mako11 | 17 Nov 2016 1:58 p.m. PST |
Better to scuttle the ships at dock, to save the sailors lives, and on maintenance costs. Perhaps tow them out to sea before scuttling, if money for that can be found, to create artificial reefs for the fishermen, and to present at least a minor threat to Russia's submarine fleet lurking close inshore. On the plus side, those helos can focus on ASW work, since there are no SSM's to provide over the horizon guidance for. |
| Deadles | 17 Nov 2016 4:32 p.m. PST |
This is getting insane. Bar Poland and Greece no European countries take defence seriously. USA should perhaps be "cruel to be kind" and withdraw most of its forces from Europe. Get the Euros to stand on their own feet. |
| SouthernPhantom | 17 Nov 2016 8:55 p.m. PST |
I'd include the Baltics in the category of taking defense seriously- they're building up some rather competent land forces- but yes, pretty much. |
| PMC317 | 18 Nov 2016 2:41 a.m. PST |
Depressing doesn't even begin to cover it… |
checks out some 10/15mm railroad tracks for wargaming.