BRITAIN’S most senior naval officer has accused ministers of “sea blindness” and revealed he has had to point out his overstretched ships can’t be in more than one place at one time.
Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord, told the Daily Telegraph there was a pressing need to hold a debate on the country’s defence priorities.
He revealed he has even had to remind ministers – keen to set more missions for the Royal Navy while simultaneously culling the fleet – a ship can’t be in two places at once.
Sir Jonathon, who is stepping down after three-and-a-half years, also warned that Britain was “losing the ability to think strategically”.
“I think Government could continue to learn,” he said. “Until recently there’s been sea blindness. Is it because people get into politics for domestic rather than international reasons?”
In a warning to politicians looking to make defence cuts, he said: “You don’t need to be an economist to realise major countries face a challenging outlook, but just because things are tough, don’t stop insuring your house. We have to have a strategic debate.
"Looking round the world, I don’t see it calming down; I don’t see any argument for Britain doing less.
“There is bound to be a limit on ship building, that’s fine. All I’m saying is, with the size of fleet, I can’t go any more places. If anyone wants me to go somewhere I say ‘fine, I’m very happy to go there, but where don’t you want me to go?’”
He confirmed this was “an actual discussion” he’d had with ministers.
“The Gulf is clearly a priority, and will remain so with a bi-lateral agreement with Iraq,” he said.
“In the Mediterranean we put a ship in whenever we can afford to. In the Caribbean and northern Atlantic we have dependent territories and fight the drug trade.
“We used to patrol that all year, now less than half the year with a full warship. Down south we have a deterrence mission [for the Falklands], and en route try to service our engagement with South American and West African friends.
“Turn the clock forward 20 years and we will be worrying about Asia and the West Pacific. In the past six months we’ve conducted exercises with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. If you cut the naval cake too far you just say ‘OK, we won’t go to the Far East’. Strategically, that would be incredibly stupid.”
The First Sea Lord has already seen his order of 12 Type 45 Destroyers halved.
In a clear swipe at ministers, he ridiculed the view that says “my God, a Type 45 is very expensive”. He said: “If you want to protect a task group, that’s what you need. And then, it’s jolly cheap, and you’re jolly glad you have it.”
He believes Britain’s island status must place the sea at the heart of its thinking. Piracy, terrorism, drugs and people trafficking, protecting energy and trade routes all point to an increased naval role.
“People have no idea that by 2012 their lights will be staying on because of liquid gas arriving in Milford Haven daily,” he said. “There is a world out there with a huge maritime element. I mean, we call it Earth; we should call it The Sea.”
According to the Telegraph interview, the First Sea Lord is frustrated by the Government’s drastic cuts to the fleet which now has less than a quarter of the 413 warships it enjoyed in 1964.
Investment was needed even to maintain a diminished fleet, he said.
“We are no longer the second largest navy, but we are the only navy with that global capability and frankly, the only professional partner of note to the Americans.”
Sir Jonathon also admitted sailors were “frustrated” and “disappointed” at the failure to recognise the Navy’s huge contribution to recent conflicts.
Last winter up to 40 per cent of our forces in Afghanistan were Navy, but because Royal Marines are described as “troops” and helicopter pilots are assumed to be RAF, the two other services are given the credit.
