discussion HMS Ark Royal to be scraped!!!

[Ian M]

Just read this on Aunt beeb: BBC News - Defence review: HMS Ark Royal to be scrapped

What the hell are they doing over there???

Ian M

 

[Centurion3RTR]

There's a lot of things going off at the mo Ian with defence cutts, the next conflict the Army will have bows and arrows, Navy will have a rowing boat with a bow and arrow and the RAF will have a paper airplane with guess what? ........................................................................ a bow and arrow.

John

 

[Guest]

I think there is incompetence at the highest levels now and no consistency in direction or goal. The Ark Royal has only just undergone a huige refit and now they are going to scrap her!

Heaven help us when the next Falklands conflict kicks off.

 

[stona]

My late father was an ex FAA pilot. When the "Task Force" sailed to the Falklands he said it didn't have the air defence capability needed to defend itself and that they would lose a lot of ships. He was correct,despite the best efforts of the handful of Harriers. With cuts like this there will be no next time.

By the way the only time in my life I saw him on the verge of tears,or at least some dust in his eyes, was when they scrapped the previous Ark Royal, the one he knew.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

There will be another conflict at some point in the world, and the UK will be found wanting, You would of thought that any country no matter what the fiscal climate, that Health services,emergency services and the country's defence should always be paramount and beyond cuts. so while we are cutting back on the essentials, we become a target for terrorists and the like.

(Ray steps of his soap box):bigmistake:

 

[Guest]

Do i understand this right, they are scrapping Ark royal because they can't afford her but are building 2 new new carriers the philip and elizabeth........ and 7 yes 7 new neuclear submarines, they are also reducing the amount of tanks and artillery and cutting the budget for neccessary equipment for our infantry JUST WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GOVERNMENT THINK IT'S DOING if there is another conflict i say we put cameron and his fools on the front line and let them sort it. Now take the U.S they have a massive defence budget and have some of the finest weapons and equipment know to man and they are just as finacially skint as we are..... sommit wrong somewhere.

scott

 

[stona]

It's a cunning plan first implemented by Poland in 1939. You spend bugger all on your defence but sign up to a treaty with the nearby powers (Britain and France in their case) or alliance (NATO in ours) to guarantee your security.

It worked really well for them didn't it, only a few million dead and the Germans made Warsaw look lovely.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

Dont get me started on this Im sick of this government already I totally agree with you noble send those clowns from that stupid building No10 into the next war we go to.

 

[Guest]

Absalute morons, who in the right mind would take away our one and only facility that enables us to launch air strikes at sea. Not only are these idiots hell bent on making everyone of us poorer and unemployed but now they are making us defenceless. And yes they even inform the world of our weekness. Total brain dead idiots.

Andy

 

[Guest]

I used to be infantry and the equipment we were issued back then was crap we actually bought stuff personally from the americans. Did you hear the latest Cameron in all his infinite wisdom is only cutting the defence budget by 8% instead of 10 how freakin nice of him, now if his family were injured due to a terrorist attack then he'd be the first one screamin for blood bring back Gordon brown i say.

scott

 

[Guest]

Send them all to the front line i say.

 

[Ian M]

The bit that really got me was the point that It would cost to more to cancell the Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, so they will build them. So what are they going to do with them once they are built? Just let them rot? Sell them on e-bay.

I think that things where summed up quite well by the US sec of defence when he commented that "I am deeply worried by this!"

I dont want to say start a war but if the Falklands kicks off before this madness is instigated maybe someone will change their mind about this. Somehow I doubt it though.

It will all end in tears when the British armed forces suddenly figure out where all the people went. Who wants to join a 100% professional (not drafted) service when they have nothing to drive/fly/sail in, nothing to shoot with and no money to by arrows should they be so lucky to fine a bow.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the ......... glup glup, bubble bubble bubble, shall be saved.........

Nuff said.

Ian M

 

[Guest]

HERE HERE Andy well said they'll have us defending ourselves in armour with bloody swords from horse back soon.... sorry but it makes me very angry that this government who only got in because we the people could not make our minds up by the way are also in the market to cut the trident program as well... we the people put them there call another election and get them out .... here endith the rant i apponlogise.

scott

 

[Guest]

Heh ian if they are going to sell them on e-bay we as a forum should all bid on them he he he.

scott

 

[Guest]

And we all know what the TUC stands for; Ten Useless C____s, sorry but has to be said.

 

[Guest]

We must not forget our Queen in this also, if the defence are struggleing why on earth should she scrap the QE2 and have a new ship built, we are expected to make sacrifices, what makes her any different, afterall is said, they are all her ships and forces. She is no better than the goverment she owns. Wasting money on a ship she never sets foot on.

 

[Guest]

Here's one what about halfing the pay packets of the likes of Cameron and his monkeys and put their money into the Defence and if they dont go to the frontline stop their wages. What happens if there is another Iranian Embassy siege the hooligans from Hereford wont be able to storm it a second time as I've heard that they are goin g to be effected by the cuts as well. :asshole:

B---------d

 

[AlanG]

Sorry to say this against the trend of people on here but seeing it from my side of the story from when i left 3 years ago i can honestly say that the amount of wastage within the armed forces and other governmental departments is massive. Having seen Tornado crews take aircraft away to other countries on 'navigational exercises' when in reality all they were doing is going away for a jolly to places like Madrid or a mother's birthday party in N. Ireland. Trip to Ireland and back is at least 14 tons of fuel...yes that's right i did say 14 tons. So it's massive wastage like this that is putting a drain on our economy and monies. That's not including the engineering hours and costs involved.

I am saddened at the loss of bases like Kinloss but to be honest it is also the fault of companies like Bae for not getting the MR4A up and flying sooner and when they did actually get it flying it had so many design flaws and problems in it they just through more public money at it.

On a side note and this is nothing personal but i do find it funny watching my local tv station up here in Morayshire and seeing local people/councillors all saying how much they love the RAF being here and how much they are part of the 'community' etc etc. Shame they don't seem to say that sort of thing when the bases weren't under threat. Instead they openly said how much they disliked us being there...stealing jobs, taking our women etc etc. The smiling knife has turned on them and they don't like it.

 

[Guest]

So let me get this right.

Monday - The government announces some wierd list of potenial risks to the country, including terrorists etc etc

Tuesday - The government announces plans to scrap the Ark Royal and the Harrier.

Ok, so they are building 2 new aircraft carriers. Im assuming there may be some aircraft to go on this carrier, alhough with our government I wouldnt be surprised if they just built wooden aircraft to make it look like we have a deterrent (Afterall, the cardboard policemen in the shops has apparantly reduced crime, so why not extend that to aircraft, heck why stop there, lets hqve a cardboard army and air force too)

What really really bugs me is that the country is skint due to the banks bailout yet the bankers continue to get their millions in bonuses while the men and women of the armed forces, who get paid so little for the job they do, are having to buy their own equipment.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[AlanG]

Ok, so they are building 2 new aircraft carriers. Im assuming there may be some aircraft to go on this carrier

The Harrier was supposed to be replaced by the JSF ( Joint Strike Fighter) and be already in service but due to delays and, one of the actual delays being totally laughable, it still isn't coming into service for the forseeable future.