Things seem to be warming up on the ‘getting your digs in early’ front.
Chief of the General Staff (CGS) General Sir David Richards talks about putting troop numbers first (i.e. at the expense of the Royal Navy and RAF)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6993165.ece
Then the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, says we must look beyond Afghanistan and not cut the Royal Navy.
So when is Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen Dalton going to print, or maybe, he is smarter than this?
The Treasury must be loving this, divide and conquer is an age old tactic.
UPDATE:
The answer to the question on the RAF wading in to the bunfight was a few days later
There is no way I can really comment on this without people knowing what I’m going to say or where I stand but here goes.
Until men can walk on water or fly then what the good general proposes is daft in ways, what will he say when it comes back to bite him in the backside. Who knows what the world will be like in a decade’s time who knows what it will be like in a year’s time one thing is for sure, shit happens. Remember just before the Falklands, the swingeing cuts to the Royal Navy I would argue that came back to bite us in the arse as did cost cutting in shipbuilding and ship design. Just as the cuts to the armed forces by this Government have cost many lives so will any cuts in future so people have to ask themselves how much a service person’s life is worth. I think most of the friends and families of those killed as well as service personnel themselves would argue life is worth pretty much everything.
I think before any future Governments decides to jump into a counter insurgency or infantry war they will have to think very carefully about casualties and public perception therefore public support. It should be less likely that we will be jumping into wars in future as there could and should be little appetite for long protracted infantry based counterinsurgencies. Therefore all those infantry will possibly not be doing much of anything apart from training and being there just in case they are needed most likely to help clean up after Government stupidity at home. However politicians never learn so they may end up rather busy in the next Afghanistan fighting in some hot nasty place without funding or equipment.
I think the 3 services should stand shoulder to shoulder and swear upon their jobs to resist any cuts wherever they may be targeted. They should be pushing or even fighting for better funding, equipment recognition and support as well as less political meddling in operations, funding, equipment projects and procurement. The 3 services should be using every trick in the book to preserve themselves and educate voters rather than allowing themselves to be divided and conquered by the bean counters.
WHERE THE HELL IS THE ROYAL NAVY?
I’ve just been checking the news as usual and with the current situation in Haiti nations of course have military especially naval assets from around the world heading to assist. From the air we have various nations one of note for me is Qatar putting to good use those brand new C-17’s which were there quite early on, easy to spot thanks to that airline style paint scheme. The USA is already there both the Navy and Marines doing an excellent job with thousands more marines arriving soon to make more progress on land with heavy equipment and supplies. The USCG was also first there and is deploying more cutters and other vessels to assist Haiti not to mention aid flights by USCG C-130’s. We have Italy sending the Cavour (an aircraft carrier I might add) loaded with aid supplies and specialist personnel it will stop in Brazil to pick up more supplies and personnel. We have Canada deploying HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Halifax to Haiti and they must be almost there if not they are close. We also have the Dutch Naval ship Hr. Ms. Pelikaan already docked and supplies unloaded quite a handy ship apparently because of its small size and deck crane which is being used to remove debris from the port. I believe France is deploying 2 as yet unnamed vessels to help I would bet one of the Mistral class would be ideal for the job although the vessels are no doubt vessels in the vicinity.
There are no doubt others I have not heard of but as yet there is no word about the Royal Navy or RFA making an appearance and for those of you wondering APT(N) is only hurricane season and has been ‘gapped’ a few times. So it does beg the Question where the hell is the Royal Navy? We are meant to be a global player yet cannot respond to this event in the Caribbean of all places. I wonder what the people of the UK’s territories in the area are thinking and what the people of the other territories around the world are thinking. Also what are our friends and allies thinking at this moment if we are full of rhetoric and promises but cannot help those in need are we still a trustworthy and reliable partner nation. Apparently the same question has been asked in parliament, btw I nicked that from a post here http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/reply/154392/t/Re-Royal-Navy-RFA-and-Haiti-.html#reply-154392
On Thursday, Harry Cohen (Lab MP for Leyton & Wanstead) asked Douglas Alexander, SoS for DfID, about the Royal Navy and didn’t receive an answer.
http://www.theyworkforyou…2010-01-13b.693.0#g698.4
While over in the Lords, one of the Lib Dem peers asked the DfID minister the same question and was told that the DfID was in touch with the MoD about the possible use of Royal Navy vessels in the vicinity.
http://www.theyworkforyou…2010-01-13a.509.7#g511.0
Sorry for the double comment but i just thought it needed to be asked.