Royal Navy Video........... Love IT!... Smell the Cordite....

Sea Lord says Navy needs more cash

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.

Come on you lads.. to welcome the Navy (and the Marines of course)

THE Royal Navy's amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark will sail into the Tyne, bound for Northumbrian Quay, North Shields, on Thursday, December 4, for an extremely busy four-day visit.

Among many activities, the ship, which enjoys close ties with County Durham, will host a reception for 380 invited guests, as well as a carol concert on board, helping to kick off the festive season in style.

The carol concert is being hosted by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Nicolas Thomas Wright, on board Bulwark and the Commanding Officer, Captain Wayne Keble.

It will be jointly conducted by the ship's chaplain Mike Hills and Canon Jon Bell, Senior Chaplain to Durham Diocese. And the Durham Singers will be on hand to ensure sweet music throughout. A perfect opportunity for the crew and guests to truly enjoy some Christmas spirit

In addition to these two large events, members of the ship's company will be involved in a vast range of activities, from visits to schools and other affiliated organisations within the Durham area, to sporting fixtures – including rugby, golf, netball and men's and ladies' soccer.

Amazingly, too, the crew will also find time to welcome the people of Durham, Northumbria, Sunderland and Tyneside aboard with a ship open to visitors event on the Sunday (December 7) from 11am-3.30pm.

This is a chance for visitors to meet the ship's crew and learn more about life on the ocean waves and what it is like to live and work on board a warship. Admission is free.

And many young people and community organisations will also benefit from the visit, with a number of different visits and tours planned.

These include catering students from New College Durham heading on board to get experience of on-board cooking and service in the ship's galley and wardroom; a Marines Awareness Day with the Royal Marines Commando Display Team for students from New College Durham, Tyneside Metropolitan College and South Tyneside College; a guided tour for local ethnic community leaders; and a football match between the ship and Consett YMCA.

Affiliation visits are considered extremely important, as they anchor the ship in her twinned community and it allows the people of that area, as well as the ship's company, to maintain a close relationship.

Numbered among the ship's affiliations are Durham County, the Bishop of Durham, Forest of Teesdale Primary School, Trinity School (Durham), Harbour Lodge Care Home (Durham), Aycliffe Young Offenders Institute (Durham), Giggleswick School Combined Cadet Force (North Yorkshire) and Bishop Auckland Hospital.

In the middle of the pacy programme, the ship's company will also be reunited with 12 of its number, who return after several days on the road on two wheels – the dozen generous members of the crew have cycled the 495 miles from Plymouth (the ship's home port) to Durham to raise cash for Help for Heroes and the ship's other affiliated charities.

And the ship's company, including the commanding officer, will undertake a treadmill run to raise more charity funds, aiming to complete 192 miles – equivalent to running the entire border of the County of Durham.

Commanding Officer of HMS Bulwark, Captain Wayne Keble said: "We really are looking forward to this visit.

"It's an action-packed four days and there are opportunities for every single member of the crew to get involved with some aspect of the visit.

"All visits are enjoyable, but one to a ship's affiliated area is doubly so – and we are very lucky to be affiliated to an area which has shown great pride in HMS Bulwark and has always extended hospitality which is second to none.

"We look forward to being able to reaffirm the ties which Bulwark and the Navy has with England's north east and I am, in particular, looking forward to the chance to welcome visitors on board this fine ship."

HMS Bulwark is 176 metres long and is one of the Royal Navy's largest ships. She is designed as an amphibious troop carrier; her regular ship's complement of some 320 crew can swell to more than 1,000 with Royal Marines troops embarked to full capacity.

Capable of embarking, transporting, deploying, sustaining and recovering troops with their equipment and vehicles, she is also an afloat command platform, fitted with the most modern combat support system.

With organic landing craft and an embarked squadron of Royal Marines, HMS Bulwark is a highly versatile platform able to operate across the full spectrum of defence activities in support of joint expeditionary operations.

Proud to have Served

Well here goes for the first post. I decided to start this blog after seeing all the bad press the Royal Navy is receiving. A lot of this started after a little incident in the Gulf a year or so and seems to have really created a bad feeling amongst the Guys in, the guys who've left and the general public.

Now in a recent Government report 80% of people questioned did not know that the Royal Marines were actually part of the Royal Navy. Ummhh, Royals done a good job convincing the World.

So why is that the Government and the General Public are no longer supporting the Royal Navy like they did in times gone by. That's what i want to get to the bottom of. I joined up way back in 79 (Yes, I was one of a box of sprogs) and in 85 went over to the dark side until i left in 1993. I was proud to have served.

The Royal Navy is Rich in History and is in DANGER, yes true DANGER of becoming a coastal defence force in less than 30 years from now. Why, because NO One is out there fighting for it from within the Government or from with the Royal Navy itself. Whatever happened to the out spoken guys like Balfour and Woodward. It seems today a Naval engagement these days is shortly followed by a Naval Marriage. I personally want to see some fire back in the Old Boiler room and some people jumping up and down about what the government is trying to do what is left of an overstretched and shrinking fleet.

I would like to see every RN/RM guy start to show his/her pride in the service and lets get back that FIRE that the government seems to have thrown countless buckets of water on.