Feeling defenceless

A quick note, as I'll be off to the local Chinese takeaway in a minute.

Its striking the number of media articles and letters all complaining about the defence cuts that have come out based on the Libya evacuation fiasco. ( Caused it seems by ineffective civil servants - the product of Labour's emphasis on political correctness over effectiveness no doubt. )

Some complain about the absence of Ark Royal and its Harriers - without mentioning that it would be extremely vulnerable to air attack as Labour scrapped the Sea Harriers that at least had a air to air capability to make most air forces think twice. The ground attack Harriers just wouldn't be able to stop a determined air attack or for that matter defend themselves against a half decent air force.

Some complain about the low supplies in the armed forces and over stretch ( see Blair's wars and the Army's willingness to play along for the sake of a role ).

Then we have the bellyaching over Nimrods - without anyone paying much attention to the monumental waste of money and balls up that the Nimrod MR4 project has been. Apparent each aircraft had different parts and none were air worthy !

Then remember the debt. Yes the debt the repayments each year on which now dwarfs our defence budget.

If we are now defenceless - its because Labour wanted us that way.

We will have to sit out the next few wars as we rebuild our balance sheet, rebuild our stores, lick our wounds and prepare for the future without being betrayed by the monumental incompetence of the MOD.

We may well have to live through some nasty incidents and humiliations in the mean time - but its all necessary if we are to remain a sovereign ( ie solvent ) nation.

I'm all for a strong defence - but we need to acknowledge the depth of the disaster Labour have left us with and set about the very painful and not without its dangers job of putting things right.

We must also ensure that Labour and the worms like Ed Miliband are not allowed to escape their share of the blame for the weak state they have left the country in.

The Nimrod mystery deepens

The govt is about to cut up the new Nimrods. You have to wonder why ?

Surely the logical thing would have been storage ?

Earlier Post: The Nimrod Mystery

Defence will need to take its hit

For many Conservatives a strong defence is a article of faith, and hence the calls to exempt defence from the cuts necessary to get of the path to disaster that Labour has pushed the country down.

But I'm afraid the damage has already been done by Gordon Brown ( & his eager little helpers #RedEd & Ed Balls ) . We can't sustain our current position and its also quite clear that we will have to reduce the manning of the army and RAF as we just can't aford the current levels. I would also question the new aircraft carriers.

We either get our finances in order or in the medium term both economy and defences will collapse.

The Afghan stabalisation war has stopped being in Britain's interests, if it ever was

It was right and proper that after the Taliban harboured Al Qaeda that the US and their friends and allies should inflict fast retribution and justice. Job done.

But what has followed has been much more ill defined and has rapidly been getting out of hand. The main argument seems to be to stay there to support our alliance with the US.

But as recent events in the Falklands and the Gulf of Mexico have shown the US has no intention of reciprocating.

General Sir David Richards says the Army must not be cut and money must be spent on the ongoing Afghan war - but I have another idea - cut the war, then you can cut the army. ( And also put those old RAF transport planes out of everyone's misery. )

Its time to face up to reality of being a island race, who can't really rely on the US and rebuild our blue water navy with air cover to go on top and pursue our national interests ( like defending the Falklands, their sheep & penguins and their large oil reserves ).

Its time to leave President Obama and his anti-British bigotry to it and bring our forces home. It will also save us a large amount of money and stop our young men and women being crippled for life in the numbers they are at present and allow us to pursue our national interests.

There I've said it. I've been hoping for a better rational for what's being going on in Afghanistan, but none has been forthcoming and I'm concluding that no one really knows what they're doing, except they can't admit to needing to come out after all the lost treasure and life.

The new Chinook's are just combat replacements

The UK is losing about 2 Chinooks a year at the moment.

It has just ordered 22 over 10 years. ( Note they will turn up when the US is willing to defer the ones its ordered from Boeing. )

That's loss replacement rate - and doesn't even cover the general wear and tear.

This from Gordon Brown who cut the UK helicopter budget by £1.4 billion when he thought no one would notice.

So folks is just spin again and re-announcements.

But it makes great cover for the desperate cuts to defence spending Brown is having to rush out to save a run on the bond markets.

PS Odd the BBC doesn't pick this up ( just kidding - of course its not odd at all after all the BBC is institutionally left wing )

The strange story of the defence cuts

So its been announced that the carriers will be commissioned a few years later. That may mean the construction happens according to schedule, though frankly its hard to be sure from the disinformation the government issues.

Cancelling or delaying defence contracts is a sign of real desperation in the current climate. Why ? Because most of the money spent on them flows straight back to the UK economy. Blow a couple of billion on VAT reduction and the Chinese and South Koreans will be very grateful for the fiscal stimulus your sending them ( as most of what a change in VAT levels might impact will be electronic luxury items ). But buy a new tank and the money stays in the UK.

Now in the long term we can pay for what we eat by building tanks and aircraft carriers, but if your in the business of panic fiscal stimulus's then its a good place to spend your money. After all its only a few weeks ago we were being sold the spin line that the government would 'bring forward' major projects to stimulate the economy.

So what we are being told doesn't make sense - as it stands. Unless, unless government finances are much closer to collapse than is being admitted.

The carriers have been a very political project. The Royal Navy no longer has the escort vessels to protect them and their supply lines, since for political reasons the obvious use of Nuclear power has been ruled out.

In addition a new generation of Russian anti-ship missiles is giving the US Navy a real headache, and we must assume the problem is far worse for a small and shrinking navy like ours.

Of course the construction in Scottish ship yards helps Labour with its Unionist message in its central belt heartlands.

But what use are these carriers really ? Would they ever be risked against a half capable Navy ? You really need three to be serious, one or two are just for show. Fine for helping out in a local disaster, but worse than useless for defence of the realm. ( Why is it worse ? Well can you imagine the political implications of the loss of one of the two carriers with all hands ? Given current defence spending and strategy its more than likely to happen. It also encourages what's left of the Royal Navy to over reach itself. ).

In short they will be very expensive to maintain ( much larger crews ), to support (fuel ships etc as the Govt ducked the Nuclear power option), impossible to defend ( due to a shortage of escorts and new Russian missile technology ), and impossible to use ( due to the war over nature of the loss of either ship ).

Doesn't make a whole load of sense does it ?