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Posted by Stuart Wilson on March 23, 2026, 11:57:14, in reply to "Re: "The Shocking State of Britain's Navy 2026""
The QE class are too large and two smaller ships of around 35,000 tons would have been more suitable and easier to support. However. There is no way we could replace them now. No politician is going to make the case to get rid of two almost brand new £3bn warships and then spend more money on replacing them with smaller ones.
As far as having larger numbers of smaller, cheaper escorts. I agree, though I don't think they need to be much smaller. In fact the T31 could form the basis of a large class of low cost ships, perhaps with specialised roles.
All of this would require more money of course. More submarines would be nice but the one yard we have is maxed out and there would be no new SSNs for 15 years at least, no matter how much money is spent.
Meanwhile the Airforce need more AEW planes and MPA aircraft, and some trainers that actually work, and the army require something to replace the things they've just spent £4bn on that make the soldiers ill.
The real problem, apart from lack of money, is that we can't just buy something that works off the shelf. The perfect is the enemy is the good enough. Had we picked Aegis for the T45 they would have been cheaper. We night had had at least 8, possibly 9 which would have helped the situation.
Anyway, the RN isn't going to improve much in the near future, and even if a significant injection of cash was forthcoming, it would take years to reverse the decline. 
Previous Message
This video serves only to confirm to me the dismal state of affairs in the RN.
Successive governments have ignored the reality of potential enemies arming themselves to the teeth, waiting for the chance to 'have a go' at the UK. They have all been seduced by the 'Cold War dividend' taking it to mean there is no longer a threat to our liberty, therefore public money is better spent on 'benefits' than arms.
Other branches of the UK's defences are in a similar depleted state.
What sets the RN apart from its 'sister' services is the disproportionate costs of its major systems. The nuclear deterent is top of this list, followed closely by two over-size and expensive-to -run aircraft carriers.
The recent conduct of Russia has confirmed beyond doubt the need for a nuclear deterent, but has also shown that giant aircraft carriers are out of place in the RN. It'll take a political party with bigger balls than any of our current lot have to sort things out.
I think we should dispose of the QE class and acquire carriers the size of the current Japanese ones and also stop 'putting all our eggs in one basket' with ultra-sophisticated destroyers like the Type 45. Acquire more, smaller escorts armed for future was scenarios (drone and anti-drone vessels) with sub-sea as well as air capable weapons.
As a radical rethink of our own interests, I think we should consider partnering with the French to develop a new generation of sub-launched ICBMs and VTOL stealth aircraft for the carriers.
Whilst we no longer have the capability to send a task group to 'retake the Falklands' - it should be noted we do have a more capable, armed defence based in the islands than we had in 1982.
(It's not possible to discuss the resourcing of armed forces without recognising the political dimension that this involves. I believe my points above are neither provocative nor inappropriate for this Board.) Previous Message
If even half of this is true, shocking indeed.
And if you disagree, turning off the sound will leave you with a pleasing video.
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