2021 Defence Committee’s inquiry into The Navy: purpose and procurement

[OceanBonfire]

The fleet will continue to suffer from well documented problems with several key assets for at least the next few years:

• Delays to crucial procurement programmes mean that old ships are becoming increasingly challenging to maintain and spend too long unavailable for operations.
• Even for newer ships maintenance projects take too long. At one point in July 2021 only one of six Type 45 destroyers was not undergoing maintenance: three vessels were in refit; one was in planned maintenance; and one was “experiencing technical issues” (in layman’s English, it broke down).
• The budget for operations and maintenance is tight and will likely lead to yet more ships sitting in port, failing to deter our increasingly emboldened adversaries.
• “When ships do get to sea they act like porcupines - well defended herbivores with limited offensive capabilities”. What offensive capabilities these ships do have will be reduced even further in three years' time when the Government retires the Harpoon anti-ship missile without a planned replacement.
• Three important vessels - RFA Argus, RFA Fort Victoria and HMS Scott - will also retire without replacements: the Navy will likely lose its current ability to provide medical care, replenish vessels at sea, and monitor the sea bed.
• The fleet is increasingly reliant on allies for many capabilities, with a limited scope to act independently, and the Government needs to do more at the political level to ensure this support will be provided when needed.

“We’re going to need a bigger Navy” - Committees - UK Parliament

<p>The Defence Committee publishes its report “We’re going to need a bigger Navy” following the Committee’s inquiry into The Navy: purpose and procurement.</p>

committees.parliament.uk

 

[dimsum]

“When ships do get to sea they act like porcupines - well defended herbivores with limited offensive capabilities”

That is an awesome line.

 

[CBH99]

“When ships do get to sea they act like porcupines - well defended herbivores with limited offensive capabilities”

That is an awesome line.

Agreed.

Whoever had the mental image connection between a warship’s capabilities & a porcupine… I can only imagine what other odd yet accurate analogies are concocted

 

[MilEME09]

Agreed.

Whoever had the mental image connection between a warship’s capabilities & a porcupine… I can only imagine what other odd yet accurate analogies are concocted

I don't know, but I'd love to buy the person a beer at the pub

 

[SeaKingTacco]

It is a valid point. Our frigates, except for 8 x Harpoon and a Helicopter, are self licking ice cream cones.

 

[FSTO]

I've been going through this document. Lots of references of important world partners, US of course, but Aus, Japan, India and France are mentioned as well. For curiosity sake I did a word search for Canada and which came up 4 times and none of it had to do with being valued partners to the RN.

 

[dimsum]

It is a valid point. Our frigates, except for 8 x Harpoon and a Helicopter, are self licking ice cream cones.

"But the 57mm!"

 

[Halifax Tar]

Big guns. Lots of big guns.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Big guns. Lots of big guns.

And missiles. Do not forget missiles, for the love of god!

 

[MilEME09]

And missiles. Do not forget missiles, for the love of god!

Disclaimer The Canadian Armed Forces cannot guarantee missile tubes will be loaded. Will arrive on time, or be free from political interference. In the event of a lack of missiles we are sorry, and have a nice day

 

[Czech_pivo]

“We’re going to need a bigger Navy” - Committees - UK Parliament

<p>The Defence Committee publishes its report “We’re going to need a bigger Navy” following the Committee’s inquiry into The Navy: purpose and procurement.</p>

committees.parliament.uk

• Even for newer ships maintenance projects take too long. At one point in July 2021 only one of six Type 45 destroyers was not undergoing maintenance: three vessels were in refit; one was in planned maintenance; and one was “experiencing technical issues” (in layman’s English, it broke down).

That rings wholly truthful of our 4 subs, who over the 2019-2020 timeframe amounted to less than 30 sea-days between the 4 of them. Pitiful.

 

[FJAG]

• Even for newer ships maintenance projects take too long. At one point in July 2021 only one of six Type 45 destroyers was not undergoing maintenance: three vessels were in refit; one was in planned maintenance; and one was “experiencing technical issues” (in layman’s English, it broke down).

Remember how after the Battle of the Coral Sea the USS Yorktown, with extensive battle damage, limped back into Pearl Harbor (which itself was still recovering from Dec 7th) and was turned around in three days to be able to join carrier task force 16 and take part in the Battle of Midway.

Those were the days.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Remember how after the Battle of the Coral Sea the USS Yorktown, with extensive battle damage, limped back into Pearl Harbor (which itself was still recovering from Dec 7th) and was turned around in three days to be able to join carrier task force 16 and take part in the Battle of Midway.

Those were the days.

I bet they didn't have wifi though

 

[FJAG]

I bet they didn't have wifi though

Yeah, but they did have anti-aircraft guns.

 

[dimsum]

Yeah, but they did have anti-aircraft guns.

I can hear @KevinB screaming #MORGUNZ already!