Steve is exactly right on all counts there. The UK republican movement is a very, very quiet one. If anything the future of the monarchy is looking far steadier than it has at any time for the past few generations. A photogenic and unattached future King William is every tabloid toads wet dream. That will ensure very poor coverage of any anti-monarchy sentiment in the UK media and, as we saw over Iraq, the general populace tends to react solely on what its told by the media.
On the more important issue, the Royal Navy, the plans have been put in place, in the 98 SDR, to reorient the fleet towards expeditionary warfare. The CVF's, the new Astute SSNs, the T45's, the revitalisation of our Amphibious and Sealift capabilities and the heavy focus on netcentric warfighting are all the key systems to delivering a very comprehensive rapid deployment all-arms force. The problem, and this is highlighted by the issue of the Albion titling the thread, is that the MoD is being forced, by the treasury, to try and get it all on the cheap.
Look at the price for two state-of-the-art 20k ton LPD's - £790 million for both!. Hell the PLAN paid more than that to finish off a pair of half built Sovremenny's and as Richard Beedall's site states '
The £790 million figure is believed to be the total cost to the MOD of the LPD(R) capability include design and development costs, landing craft, and all command, control and communications systems ordered under separate contracts.'
I recall the mess that was found when HMS Ocean went into operational service. They found that the osmosis plant couldn't provide enough potable water for the ships needs and had to add another unit - now that is a serious design screwup. Certainly a lot more significant than a few bent bulkheads and some shabby welding on the pipework, but, it was sorted out and the ship has performed sterling service. Bulwark put into A&P (Cammell Lairds) a few weeks back for pre-delivery painting and I've heard nothing bad said about her condition from anyone at the yard. From the outside she looked pretty good when she sailed.
Bulwark in the Mersey (photo credit: Philip Parker, Mersey Shipping)
As to what you were saying about needing to build ships year on year Steve, well, historically that has been quite the case. These are the laid-down dates of major warships over the past 20 years:
1980: 1 Type22-2 (HMS Beaver F93), 2 Type42 (HMS Edinburgh D97, HMS York D98) 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Turbulent S87)
1981: 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Tireless S88)
1982: 1 Type22-2 (HMS Brave F94), 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Torbay S90)
1983: 1 Type22-2 (HMS London F95), 1 Type22-3 (HMS Cornwall F99)
1984: 2 Type22-2 (HMS Sheffield F96, HMS Coventry F98), 1 Type22-3 (HMS Cumberland F85)
1985: 1 Type22-3 (HMS Campbeltown F86), 1 Type23 (HMS Norfolk F230), 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Trenchant S91)
1986: 1 Type22-3 (HMS Chatham F87), 1 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Talent S92), 1 V-Class SSBN (HMS Vanguard S28)
1987: 3 Type23 (HMS Argyll F231, HMS Lancaster F229, HMS Marlborough F233), 1 T-Class SSN (HMS Triumph S93), 1 V-Class SSBN (HMS Victorious S29)
1988: 1 Type23 (HMS Iron Duke F234)
1989: 2 Type23 (HMS Monmouth F235, HMS Montrose F236)
1991: 2 Type23 (HMS Westminster F237, HMS Northhumberland F238), 1 V-Class SSBN (HMS Vigilant S30)
1992: 2 Type23 (HMS Richmond F239, HMS Somerset F82)
1993: 2 Type23 (HMS Grafton F80, HMS Sutherland F81)
1994: 1 O-Class LPH (HMS Ocean L12)
1995:
1996:
1997: 1 Type23 (HMS Kent F78)
1998: 1 Type23 (HMS Portland F79)
1999: 1 Type23 (HMS StAlbans F83)
So apart from the period starting from the mid-90's the UK shipbuilding industry did quite well out of the MoD. The mid-90's should have seen the Horizon AAW escort build program coming through which would have seen 12 hulls on order to keep the work up but, obviously, that didnt transpire. Now, you can blame the government for that one if you want, but, to my way of thinking the blame lies just the other side of
la manche for that fiasco.
Now we're in the situation we are because Type45 had to be developed independently and that development time unavoidably meant a delay in work going through to the yards. Even worse with T45, Astute and the carriers all building on or around the same kind of timelines we are going to end up with a yard and funding crunch. Projects that were scheduled to be resourced and paid for seperately will have to, somehow, be built and paid for in one big lump. Time to raid the piggy-bank again?!