uh, the UK is one of the NATO allies carrying out those tasks.Most, if not all, tasks you mentioend in there are being carried out around the globe by (NATO)allies all the time.
uh, the UK is one of the NATO allies carrying out those tasks.Most, if not all, tasks you mentioend in there are being carried out around the globe by (NATO)allies all the time.
When the sky above us fell
We descended into hell
Into kingdom come
My point was that you are part of that allience, so your country doesn't have to have a presence everywhere at any given time, as long as at least one your allies is there. As long as you have full coverage together.Originally Posted by Steely Glint
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Being allies doesn't necessarily mean they have exactly the same agenda as you. Plus, most European navies aren't really blue water navies.
When the sky above us fell
We descended into hell
Into kingdom come
Rule Britannia! Britannia rule the waves
Britannia waves the rules?
When the sky above us fell
We descended into hell
Into kingdom come
Britons never never never never never never shall be slaves
Inspired lyric writing.
"Son," he said without preamble, "never trust a man who doesn't drink, because he's probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They're the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks but refuses to get drunk. They're usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that they're a coward or a fool or mean and violent. You can't trust a man who's afraid of himself. But sometimes, son, you can trust a man who occasionally kneels before a toilet. The chances are that he is learning something about humility and his natural human foolishness, about how to survive himself. It's damned hard for a man to take himself too seriously when he's heaving his guts into a dirty toilet bowl.
True, but it simply costs too much for each country to have their own global presence. USA is huge, they can manage it, but the UK is far smaller. Aren't most of your navy's current tasks performed with allies anyway? (e.g. fighting drug smuggling in the Caribbean, fighting pirates, managing embargo's..). I'm not really sure about the navy capabilities of European countries, but for almost all current navy tasks, it seems that for example the Dutch navy is well equipped.Originally Posted by Steely Glint
And last time someone invaded your Islands, didn't you still send a fleet from the UK?
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What do you mean, a 'global presence'? Do you mean having enough ships to be able to respond to any event in any part of the globe? If so, that hasn't been true of Royal Navy for about 50 years, and nor is cost effective (or strategically necessary) to make it true. Or do you mean "having a presence somewhere on the globe away from the UK"? It's really not that expensive: the French still manage it, for example, as does the RN - though it is finding it increasingly difficult after a decade of merciless cuts.Originally Posted by Flixy
Yes. Keyword: with. Not "by". If RN ships suddenly aren't doing something they were expected to be doing because there's no money, that is not a good thing for either the UK or her allies.Aren't most of your navy's current tasks performed with allies anyway?
The Dutch navy has some good shit, but it doesn't have many ships. 6 major surface units and 2 landing ships, would give you... maybe four ships deployable at any given time?(e.g. fighting drug smuggling in the Caribbean, fighting pirates, managing embargo's..). I'm not really sure about the navy capabilities of European countries, but for almost all current navy tasks, it seems that for example the Dutch navy is well equipped.
I'm not sure that would still be possible today, depending on the opposition. It's not a good time: old ships are being decommissioned and new ones aren't appearing quick enough to keep up fleet strength.And last time someone invaded your Islands, didn't you still send a fleet from the UK?
When the sky above us fell
We descended into hell
Into kingdom come
I meant the first, as in that YOUR navy can't be around everywhere. E.g. they weren't in the Caribbean, but is that really a bad thing?Originally Posted by Steely GlintAgreed, you do not an adequate fleet with adequate funding. My point was merely that you cannot be EVERYWHERE, and it is therefore a good thing that you can rely on your allies in the places you cannot be at that time.Yes. Keyword: with. Not "by". If RN ships suddenly aren't doing something they were expected to be doing because there's no money, that is not a good thing for either the UK or her allies.
Something like that yes. Decreased a lot in the past decades (18 major surface units in '93, 6 now...). And we need those around the Antilles to invade Venezuela, of course (Chavez claims we are planning that :P). Building 4 new ocean vessels though, it seems using some cutting edge technologies. Neat!The Dutch navy has some good shit, but it doesn't have many ships. 6 major surface units and 2 landing ships, would give you... maybe four ships deployable at any given time?
I think one of our ships is in Haiti now by the way. And I know they were also around to help for Katrina (and weren't allowed to go to New Orleans by the Americans, I heard: would be bad PR if the first to arrive in some areas weren't American but Dutch.
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Yeah. They didn't pick the Caribbean out of a hat for a permenant Royal Navy presence, it's where most of the remaining overseas territories are. Imagine if it had been Anguilla or British Virgin Islands hit by a major natural disaster.I meant the first, as in that YOUR navy can't be around everywhere. E.g. they weren't in the Caribbean, but is that really a bad thing?
But we have no ships in the pacific, for example, because there's no reason for them to be there.
When the sky above us fell
We descended into hell
Into kingdom come
Fair enough, didn't know exactly where you still have territories. It's the same reason we have a presence there.Originally Posted by Steely Glint
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