It was on a couple of reports last week, I believe the BBC one had it on but I could be wrong, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone from the party had asked for it to be removed though.

Hmm, I guess it must be. I even stooped to visiting his website to see what was on there but it was very brief and the same shortened version.

Slimy:mad:

“The government do not have an active defence industrial strategy. I’d like to see more of our defence industry with a ‘Made in Britain’ stamp on it – for example halving the Type 45 order which had the effect of pushing up the unit cost. The country will want the government to do more to support British industry.”

Not sure who did the original 12 to 8 cut, but sure it was Labour that the made the subsequent 8 to 6 cut!

If this is no industry strategy, then it beats their one of delaying and delaying the carriers!

Where? I thought their biggest dock was 259 x 45.7 metres, Tyne no. 1. The next biggest dock is Falmouth no. 2 – 252.8 x 39.6 metres. Both according to the A&P website. You won’t get QE or PoW in either of those.

Cammell Laird no. 5 dock, however, is 289 x 42.7 (breadth at entrance – minimum 44.7 inside), which might do

Able UK has a huge dry dock at TERRC Hartlepool – 360 x 300 metres, 290 metre gate. But apart from the size, I think it’s a bit lacking. It’s currently used for ship scrapping. Has potential (you could park both carriers in there!), but I believe it would need substantial development before being suitable.

Harland & Wolff can certainly fit a carrier in. The repair dock is 335 x 50.3 metres, & the building dock 556 x 93m. A QE class would look a bit lost in the building dock – but of course, they’d use the intermediate gates.

I have a recollection that it was suggested that H+W required less modification than Rosyth for the carrier work, refitting of the latter being more favourable for someone or others constituency….;)

Anyone know if this was just political point scoring or had some basis?

P

Im sure this has been done to death, but am I the only one that cant understand for the life of me why these carriers ARENT going to be nuclear? :confused:

Not sure I especially see the point if your escorts are still going to need the supply chain?

Superb post Fedaykin! I was about to start a thread about the same issue of HMS Cumberland.

The flexability of naval power is beyond question, & yet the SDSR still hacks away at this vital capacity. Wandering off topic slightly, another of the Type 22’s about to be scrapped WITHOUT replacement (HMS Cornwall) recently rescued a Yemeni fishing boat crew who had been held captive by pirates for several months in the Indian Ocean. Yet another fine example of what can be achieved by naval forces (If you have the resources in the first place!!).

Back to the Libyan situation, once again the cuts to the RAF & Navy could well bite us up the backside. Limited resources = limited options & a limited response.

I’m not suggesting that military units should be immediately deployed in any crisis, & of course there is always sensitivities about the use of military aircraft ect; but the fact remains that British citizens are in potential danger, & the flexibility & logistical ability of military capacity is beyond doubt.

We should maintain the recourses (being so willingly cut away to save a few quid) & the politicians should have the “balls” to stand up, be counted & act swiftly to assist citizens in danger.

This is not a “gun ho” attitude but simply a realisation that we must maintain the size & capacity of our military, to give us the optimum range of options when this sort of international situation occurs. The world is an unstable place & to continue to cut military capacity is foolish, short-sighted & dangerous.

Rant ends!!:diablo:

Matt 🙂

+1, +1, +1!!!!!

Like someone else said, what the hell would you know anyway? :rolleyes:

Keep your once-over eyeball “streamline” analysis to yourself . . .

Why? He is entitled to an opinion as you are. At least his was contained to the subject matter…..

I have to say in the grand scheme of things, upgrading the guns is pretty low priority I’d have thought.

Rather have the Nimrods..

Well, they don’t have to be 100% identical. For example the living quarters between the French and UK CVF’s Designs were vastly different.

Indeed, but there is the danger of pushing up the design costs and reducing commonality as “oh, we’ll just change this”.

I still would like to see it happen.