Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)
With the promotion of Admiral Mark Stanhope to First Sea Lord and Vice Admiral Trevor Soar to Stanhope's previous position of CinC Fleet, Submariners will have completed their takeover of the top spots in the Royal Navy as of next July.
posted by Bubblehead at 9:13 AM
I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)
8 Comments:
Not surpising. The Brits seem intent on downsizing their surface fleet to the point of no return. Can't they learn from what the US did after the revolution? Congress sold off any Navy left from the war only to have to rebuild a Navy a few years later.
10/17/2008 10:33 AM
"We're expecting great things from the Royal Navy."
Like longer working hours and a bigger focus on administrivia? Maybe they will start to promote based on how well you pass the blame to your coworkers and/or subordinates.
10/17/2008 12:40 PM
Do we in USA have the magnitude of this kind of problem? I was waiting for this opportunity for a few days to post it?
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2461029.0.Navy_now_forced_to_scavenge_for_parts.php
Navy now forced to scavenge for parts
IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent October 17 2008
The Royal Navy had to scavenge spare parts and transfer them from one ship to another more than 300 times this year because it can no longer afford to hold sufficient stocks to meet the repair needs of every vessel in the fleet.
Figures seen by The Herald reveal that the nuclear submarine flotilla was the worst- affected, with 188 instances of "fitted equipment" being moved between boats to allow operational patrols - many of them from Faslane on the Clyde - to be carried out.
The system of cannibalising ships, aircraft and vehicles has become widespread across the armed forces since the Ministry of Defence introduced a business depreciation scheme to meet Treasury accounting targets for government spending.
10/17/2008 4:35 PM
Now watch what happens in the next 2 or 3 years. The RN will end up getting into another scrap with some idiotic 3rd world belligerent country and we'll have to enter into another lend lease policy with them to keep their forces functioning.
Can you say "History repeating itself, once again?"
10/17/2008 5:30 PM
Well, I still say that the title "First Sea Lord" is much cooler than "Chief of Naval Operations." They win based on that alone.
10/17/2008 9:55 PM
The brits are in trouble militarily. From '06:
--
This year we will spend only 2.2% of our GDP on defence. This is the smallest proportion of our national wealth that we have spent on defending our country since 1930. By the time we finish the new Wembley Stadium, we will be able to seat the ranks of the whole of the British army inside it. The Royal Navy will be smaller than the French navy. And the RAF Museum at Hendon will have more attack aircraft than the RAF does now.
--
And, by the way, your new commenter pet still indicates no clue of what he's talking about. Context is key; is it dangerous or not? Is it a good number or a bad number? What does the number mean? Is that "scavenging" a good kind or a bad kind, and what is meant by the difference? Feh. Somebody find out who did that checkout while I scratch that sig.
10/18/2008 12:50 PM
The EU is largely an economic pact, right? How long does anyone think it will be before citizens of EU countries vote for a true, commonly funded military?
UK and French nuclear subs, of course, may or may not be funded by the EU. If too expensive now, they would probably become much too expensive then. Your thoughts? - Mr. Ziggy
10/18/2008 6:14 PM
Hmm, the Brits sub’s have had recent safety issues, crashes at sea, worst they are scavenging nuclear and other specialist to man their subs…a severe shortage…they were sending in non nuclear sailors to man nuclear watch stations…the Brits have had to more scavenge humans than spare parts.
It is interesting the Brits and the EU have leveraged their banks a “lot” higher than us. They are going to be hit a lot harder than us.
10/18/2008 11:17 PM
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