Why has the Royal Navy shrunk so rapidly?

Question

I constantly hear of cuts to the defence budget and even the new Type 45 destroyers have been reduced from an initial order of 12 to just 6. Would you agree that it seems silly how we're constantly cutting our fleet when the world is becoming a really dangerous place with countries such as Russia and China making phenomenal progress in building up their own fleets? Would it be safe to say at some point in the future we'll either run out of ships or there will be an emergency building programme that will obviously have made all these "cost cutting" mesures pointless?

Thank you.

Answer 1

All three forces are shrinking rapidly: The RAF is down to only about 5 flying stations (with the exception of Search and Rescue units) in the whole of the UK and only about 3 units overseas.

When is the government going to learn that we're stretching ourselves far too thin?

Russia is also building up their Air Force again, with Tu-95 Bears getting close to our shorelines more frequently. If they were able to get, say, 2-3 squadrons of these bombers up in the air, we'd be overrun!

Answer 2

That the RN will loose is place as the 2nd surface fleet is without question. Whether they attempt to stay in touch is another thing.

The two new carriers will do a lot to maintain the fleets world position but these will need more and more modern destroyers & frigates as escorts. The current & planned numbers of significant blue water vessels (only the T45) are not up to providing both this escort capacity with some left over for independant activities.

The RN has suffered in recent decades in that it has fulfiled the role of a ASW asset for the USN, hence has ended up an unbalanced force, very weak in terms of surface actions & power projection. The ageing fleet gives the navy a real opportunity to rectifiy this, say, forming a fleet of 2 CV groups (flag+2/3) and 2 Amphibious platform groups (flag+2). Throw in 4-6 more large frigates/destroyers/GM cruisers & several new auxillery ships & the surface fleet would be modest sized but well rounded.

One real problem faced is that the UK tends to buy so few units and updates very infrequently. The huge cost R&D & ironing-out teething issues with the first units is better spread over more numerous & steadily evolved follow on units.  

Answer 3

History-where was England at the beginning of ww2?

Answer 4

We don't need a big navy.

Wealthier countries than ours manage with less. For example, Sweden, Holland, Finland, Canada etc etc.

Answer 5

You forget the UK still has the second most powerful navy in the world.

yes China and Russia are expanding rapidly but they have no where near the technology of the UK - the type 45s and astute class submarines are more advanced then even their American counterparts - and very expensive.

In addition, the RN is still the best trained in the world. We could have a lot more ships, but we go for quality not quantity.

Yes it has shrunk, and that is a sad fact. i imagine your scenario is correct, there will come a point where the Chinese and Russians have larger, more threatening fleets which will result in a renewed call for a larger fleet.

However, at this time, the navy is somewhat redundant - what’s it for? All the money is being spent on the army - they are the ones doing most of the fighting. The navy play a vital role in supporting them but there is no need for a large standing fleet to deter invasion or fight a major colonial war anymore. It’s overkill to be sending a £1billion destroyer to the Caribbean to fight drug smugglers.

Basically my point is this, the RN remains the 2nd most dominant fleet in the world with some of the most advanced ships - yes we need more, but currently priorities dictate spending on the army.

It’s very easy for the press to pick up on naval shrinkage whilst ignoring a changing global picture and improvements in technology.

We are currently building type 45 destroyers, astute class submarines, aircraft carriers and work is under way designing a new class of frigate (FSC) - which represents substantial investment – the industry supports some 100,000 UK jobs (including mine) and the Government aren’t going to risk them.

The RN is not alone, for example France is planning to half its frigates by 2015 due to budgetary constraints. In addition, they will receive just 2 Horizon class destroyers, whilst the RN will receive 6, possibly 8, of the equivalent, and even more advanced, type 45s.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

They were put on too hot a wash!!

Answer 7

Ya and we sold 2 aircraft carriers to India.........and now have to wait for these 2 new ones costing 4 billion, yes they do look very impressive, but i wouldnt name one after charlie lol i think we are very vulnerable until these 2 new carriers come into service....

Answer 8

The problem with the Royal Navy, is just what is it for?  Once we had an empire, based on world wide trade, with a large merchant fleet- all this needed protection!  The empire has gone, trade is consequently but a shadow of what it once was, and the merchant fleet has largely registered elsewhere.  Thus, the defence of national interests overseas, which once sustained the Navy, is an argument now much diminished.

If there is a national interest, it is largely, though not entirely, home-based.  To serve that, we neither need a large navy, nor could we find it enough to justify its existence.  

There are some who believe that we still have an international policeman's role- those that believe that are largely delusional, still hankering after past glories that have disappeared in the mists of time.  In any case, where are the resources to support such a role?  The truth is we do not have them- so we need to be realistic and discard such nonsense!

If the Navy is a shadow of its former self, it only reflects the diminished standing of the UK in world politics.  We are now what we have become in my life-time- a second rate power, at best.  For all the folk memories and dreams of past glories, realistically, they are but smoke in the wind, and need to be recognised as such!

Occasionally our Government suffers the delusion that we are still a world power- for example in Iraq and Afghanistan!  The problems our forces are suffering there, tell the story as it really is- we can't cope and must stop deluding ourselves that we can still play world policeman- we can't any more!

And the Navy?  However much it hurts to admit it, the Navy's days of ruling the waves, are long gone.  Their memory is a proud one, but I am afraid that this what they are- just a memory!

  

Answer 9

'cos there aren't many waters around iraq ans afghan is land locked, they don't do much in iraq and not much in afghan bar the marines. The gov pushed the cash into the other two arms on the ground ie army, RAF.

Answer 10

The problem is that most of the destoyers are old models the royal navy is not shrinking it is growing. They have also put in a order for 2 super ships which are going ahead.  

Answer 11

The Royal Navy is not so shrunk as you might think and is still the world's second largest navy.  The largest [who else?] is the United States Navy.

You can find out everything you want to know about the RN at this link

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/

Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Eliza...

. . . .and, if all else fails, we still have this, Hearts of Oak - HMS Victory fires full broadside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRbJRNKy...

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN