The Navy normally provides a minimum coverage of a frigate or destroyer fulfilling the role of Fleet Ready Escort (FRE) in order to be able to respond quickly to a potential threat at home or abroad. However, slashed Defence budgets and the war in Libya has meant there hasn’t been a vessel available since the start of October.
The last ship to fill the role…was HMS Portland but that left for war games off the coast of Scotland in October, and it is now having a rest period in Plymouth on the south coast.
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord Alan West said: “…It’s a big problem. If we haven’t got a ship ready to do this role then it’s worrying. It’s a very unsatisfactory position to be in…”
Critics warned the cuts would leave the navy overstretched. Since February nine warships have been deployed to Libya, leaving none left to be on hand in the UK…
Lord West added: “What it shows is that the number of frigates and destroyers we’ve got now is insufficient. We need more ships as a matter of urgency.”
Hopefully, no one will notify the Duchy of Grand Fenwick of this opportunity for invasion.
Excellent! Let’s go get em!
Frikin Limeys.
Here comes the Cubans!
They ought to issue SLING-SHOTS to the LifeBoat Brigades !!!
Just put some of those license plate cameras along the shoreline.
Just in. Freighter full of refugees heading to Canada, just made an abrupt course change.
Argentina wants their island back.
Herman Cain says the Iranian navy is a big threat. The US should be on alert.
But Cain also worries that the Chinese might get nukes.
newsflash: china already has nukes..
-s
Typo above, I meant the UK should be on alert.
And yes, China has had nukes since 1964. But Cain wouldn’t know that.
Tories are like Republicans. Theyspend more time peering under their beds in fear – than they do in bed with their significant other.
UK in grave danger of invasion from Belgium!!!
too late, the UK is already from Brussels ….
Maybe not. Portugal will be sending 2 fishing boats to help defend the coast and repel the attack! 🙂
And what exactly is a single frigate or destroyer supposed to be able to defend against other than a single enemy frigate or destroyer which could easily be hunted down and sunk by a land based aircraft?
Although I agree the the UK navy is being cut far too much this story is bit of a non issue primarily because the majority of the spending within the UK navy goes on the submarine force and the location of UK submarines is rarely disclosed.
Except when they run aground and spend their time looking really silly and immobile:
http://tinyurl.com/3tgq3jv
After being driven off the continent during WW II they Brits where so short of guns they were rounding up any old antique that might shot to issue to troops to try and stay a possible invasion and round up downed fly boys shot down while the Japanese were telling their high command that putting soldiers in the adjacent 48 was a no go because the populace was armed and would fight.
The best navy in the world. Ask any sailor. When the brown stuff hits the fan, from the Arctic to the South Atlantic, the RN puts guns, men and fighting ships in danger’s way. They don’t anchor 200 miles offshore and fly in bombers. They are shelling the beach at tide line.
They would simply whistle up the US to help them again.
Just like Europe always does.
Cursor_
Not to worry, it won’t be too much longer before the US goes the way every major power has done throughout human history and it will be the one asking for help from elsewhere against the big bully boy China.
“All this has happened before, and all this will happen again.”
The UK is again undefended from a potential Norman invasion or a Viking invasion!