This is a guest post by John Dunbar who argues that Brexit and the end of austerity mark a turning point for the future of the UK, and for the Royal Navy. With some modest additional funding there are several potential ‘easy wins’ for the new government of Theresa May to consider that could strengthen the RN.More
There has been no official announcement but in early 2016 the surface fleet was effectively reduced by a further two ships.More
It is no secret the RN has been struggling with a serious manpower shortage, particularly with technically qualified personnel. The modest increase of 400 people for the RN announced in the SDSR was greeted with disappointment in some quarters and criticism that shiny new kit was being prioritised ahead of the people needed to operate it. Although the RN would undoubtedly benefit from having more people, the true state of its manpower resources is more complex than may appear.More
There are many suggesting the RN purchase the 2 ex-Russian Mistral class assault ships from France. The ships which have excellent aviation facilities as well as a floodable dock for landing craft would make superb replacements for HMS Ocean, Albion & Bulwark.More
Faced with a very serious shortage of technically qualified manpower, which started to become public knowledge last summer, the RN is to be commended for quickly tackling the problem.More
The 2010 defence review required the Royal Navy to reduce its personnel numbers from 36,000 down to around 31,000. The salaries, benefits and pensions for serving and former RN personnel amount to a significant cost, making naval budget manpower cuts an attractive naval option for the Treasury. After 3 waves of redundancies, the RN was down to 30,310 trained personnel by April this year. More