The British Navy’s First Women Submariners

Ring ring goes the bell: After 110 years of the Silent Service, pioneering Lieutenants Maxine Stiles, Alex Olsson and Penny Thackray have become the first women to serve onboard a Vanguard class submarine

Sailing Into The History Books: The Navy’s First Women Submariners: Trio Complete Months Of Training To Earn Their ‘Dolphins’ -- Daily Mail

* First females in the 110-year history of the Navy's Submarine Service
* Ban on women serving in submarines lifted in December 2011
* During training the three women conducted operations on nuclear-powered Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant
* ‘Dolphin’ is the name give to the clasp worn by qualified submariners

Three women have made history by becoming the first female submariners to serve in the Royal Navy.

Lieutenants Maxine Stiles, Alexandra Olsson and Penny Thackray have completed months of specialised training to earn their ‘Dolphins’ – the clasp worn by qualified submariners – becoming the first women in the 110-year history of the Navy's Submarine Service.

For years women were unable to serve on submarines because of possible health risks but, after an independent review found that only pregnant women should not serve, Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, lifted the ban in December 2011.

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My Comment: Yup .... the times are a changing.

Will Budget Cuts Result In The British Navy Losing Their Carrier Skills Forever?

Royal Navy Sackings 'Will Lose Aircraft Carriers Skills Forever' -- The Telegraph

One of the Royal Navy's most senior officers has expressed serious concerns over the loss of skilled aircraft carrier crew following redundancies.

The officer, who plays a key role in maintaining the Fleet, has also told colleagues that there are substantial doubts over whether the Navy will have enough sailors to man its ships after it will lose one in seven sailors in defence cuts.

The lack of adequately training personnel could delay the carrier coming into service by another three or four years, the Navy commander has said.

Another officer has told The Telegraph that the loss of carrier deck handling skills could prove "disastrous" with fatal accidents caused by inexperienced ratings.

Read more ....

More News On Cutbacks In The British Navy

Navy redundancies: Military cut to 'dangerously low' capabilities -- The Telegraph
Royal Navy Axes 1,020 Jobs in First Cuts, 350 Staff Forced Out -- Bloomberg Businessweek
UK News: Around 350 sailors to be forced out of Navy -- Scotsman
Navy redundancies 'are difficult for everyone' -- The Telegraph
Navy cuts 'may do long-term damage to morale' -- The Telegraph
Row as 350 Navy redundancies announced -- The Independent
Navy issuing first 1,000 redundancy notices -- BBC
Sailors sacked in savage cuts. 1,000 axed from Royal Navy -- The Sun
Lord West: Navy cuts are worrying -- Defence Management

Say Hello To Britain's Newest Submarine, The HMS Astute

Astute arriving at her home base on the Clyde in November 2009. Defpro

New Submarine In A Class Of Its Own -- BBC

HMS Astute is half submerged, its dark fin looming above the waters of the Clyde.

Even from a distance, the UK's newest and most powerful attack submarine looks formidable - a vessel you would rather not encounter in the murkiness of the ocean depths.

Even if you did, you would be unlikely to know it was there until it was too late. HMS Astute, the first of its class, marks a step change in capability for naval defence in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

It is the stealthiest sub ever built in the UK, able to sit in waters off the coast undetected, listening to mobile phone conversations or delivering the UK's special forces where needed.

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More News On Britain's Newest Submarine, The HMS Astute

On board the UK's newest attack submarine HMS Astute -- BBC
Submarines to employ new nanotube technology for sonar and stealth -- The Hindu
HMS Astute commissioned into navy -- Defense Management
Royal Navy welcomes Cumbrian-built nuclear sub -- BBC
Camilla praises submarine crew -- Press Association
UK's most powerful submarine joins the Navy -- Defpro

Britain's New Aircraft Carriers Will Have No Planes On Board

Icon: A Sea Harrier performs its famous vertical landing

Britain Will Be Forced To Borrow U.S. Jets To Fly From Our NEW Aircraft Carriers As Cutbacks Bite -- The Daily Mail

Britain will be forced to borrow U.S. warplanes to fly from the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers because of defence cuts, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The Navy's Harrier Jump Jets - the aircraft that won renown in the Falklands conflict - are to be retired early leaving the two new carriers with no aircraft when they come into service.

Under the plans, the U.S. Marines would be invited to fly from the British carriers in joint operations and the Navy is also examining the prospect of leasing aircraft from the Americans.

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My Comment: Talk about poor planning and management.

Real Cost Of The Royal Navy Carriers

THE FUTURE CARRIER (CVF) - HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH - HMS PRINCE OF WALES
Image from ArmedForces.UK

From New Wars:

The troubled plan for the Royal Navy to deploy two new jump-jet carriers, the largest warships that nation has ever built, may have reached another roadblock. Because of the Obama Administration’s plan to scrap the second Joint Strike Fighter engine for the V/STOL version, rumor has it that the British may decide to go conventional after all and forgo the ski jump for catapults. We see more costs, and more delays. From the Telegraph:

The move, welcomed by many defence analysts and the Royal Navy, will mean that the MoD has wasted £500 million of taxpayers’ money paid to Rolls Royce to develop the highly complex engine to allow vertical take-off similar to the Harrier jump jet…The decision will also have a significant impact on relations with Washington because it will increase the price of the 350 US Marine Corps jump-jet fighters that have been ordered, forcing the US military to ask for money from Congress.

The about-turn will also mean that the first of two 65,000 tonne carriers under construction, HMS Queen Elizabeth, will have to be redesigned with cost penalties. It is possible the recent £1 billion rise to £5 billion for the carriers might by partly attributable to the change of plan.

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Update: Another CVF Change of Plan Rumor -- Information Dissemination

My Comment: In the week that rumors of money being wasted by the U.K. Ministry of Defense are being reported by the British press .... we now have the above story.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post yesterday, this is probably the tip of the iceberg.

U.K. Trident Submarine Deal Delayed

A Royal Navy Trident nuclear submarine. Photograph: Corbis

From The Guardian:

Design contract for new generation of Trident nuclear missile submarines delayed.

The design contract for a new generation of Trident nuclear missile submarines, due to have been signed in September, has been put off, government officials revealed last night.

The decision marks a U-turn by ministers, who have insisted there could be no delay in the timetable. They have now agreed that any contract to design and build new Trident submarines will be delayed until an international conference reviewing the non-proliferation treaty in New York next year.

Pressure is growing for the government to abandon its plans to replace the existing Trident system, which could cost well over £70bn and would be redundant in the view of many military analysts.

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My Comment: The focus is not on whether such a program is essential to U.K. security .... the focus is on the £70bn price tag.

Is The U.K. Ministry Of Defense Lying About The Readiness Of The HMS Invincible?

HMS Invincible (Photo from Maritime Quest)

HMS Invincible Is Dead In The Water -- Portsmouth

The government claims she is part of the fleet, ready to be called upon to defend the country if needed.

But today The News can reveal the truth about how HMS Invincible – supposedly in a state of 'extended readiness' – is in fact a warship far from ready for action.

The Ministry of Defence claims she is available for action until September 2010, when she will leave the fleet.

But a Freedom of Information request by The News reveals she is crewed by just four people as she languishes in Portsmouth's dockyard.

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My Comment: If this report is true, one has to question if there are other ships in the UK Navy that are in the same state as the HMS Invinsible. As for the Ministry of Defense .... there credibility is at stake.

A Farewell To Arms: On Board With Britain's Biggest Warship

Two Harriers on the flight deck

From The Daily Mail:

HMS Illustrious is Britain's biggest warship - a small city on the oceans that has spent three decades living up to its noble name. Now it's old and weary and outclassed by gleaming modern rivals. Live's reportage team went on board to chart a proud aircraft carrier's voyage to the scrapyard

Hiding an aircraft carrier should be very hard indeed. But our Sikorsky S-61 helicopter has been skimming the surface of the North Sea for 30 minutes - we are so low that the distant swell disappears above the blades of the chopper - and I cannot find any part of the 680ft HMS Illustrious. And I've got a window seat.

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Royal Navy Destroyers Delayed By Weapons Hitches, Crew Shortage

HMS Daring sails past Dumbarton Castle, under its own steam for the very first time escorted by tugs from BAE Systems Scotstoun, 18 Jul 07. Photo from The Royal Navy

From Bloomberg:

Britain’s new Type 45 warships, built by BAE Systems Plc and VT Group Plc, may not be ready to join the Royal Navy until next year because of hitches with weaponry and a lack of sailors trained to crew the vessels.

HMS Daring, the first of six destroyers, may miss its scheduled service entry in December, Britain’s National Audit Office said in a report today. The ship is already three years late after cost overruns prompted a review of the budget.

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My Comment: When Britannia ruled the waves, it was an order to sign up to serve on a ship. Sigh .... no more now.

The £4Billion Airfix Kit: Behind-The-Scenes At Britain's Biggest Warships

A starboard view of a 1:200 scale model of what will be the two biggest warships Britain has ever launched - the 65,000-ton HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince Of Wales

From The Daily Mail:

It may look like the ultimate boy's toy but this scale model - pictured here for the first time - represents the future of the Royal Navy. As work begins on two 65,000-ton aircraft carriers, Live gains exclusive access to the top secret plans for Britain's biggest and most ambitious warships

At first sight it looks like a giant Airfix model, with every detail carefully replicated, from the tiny fighter jets and helicopters to the unique twin ‘island’ control towers complete with a captain and commander to survey the deck. Even the 30mm anti-aircraft guns and the long-range radar have been painstakingly reproduced. At more than five feet long, the model is a carefully crafted reminder of our glorious naval past carved out of grey plastic.

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The Future British Fleet

Photo and caption via Save the Royal Navy

From New Wars:

Today in a grand ceremony at Portsmouth dockyard HMS Indefensible was commissioned into the Royal Navy. Described as the most stealthy warship in the world, she is now the only vessel in the Royal Navy and replaces 2 mothballed aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers and 4 submarines. Responding to criticism about the shrinking fleet, the MoD replied “It’s not about numbers, it’s about quality not quantity.

Read the whole article, hilarious but with a serious premise.

My Comment: An excellent and enjoyable link from New Wars. I am still LOL.

Head of Royal Navy Threatens Resignation Over Push To Scrap Harriers

(Photo from Aviation News)

From Times Online:

THE RAF is trying to use a major cash crisis within the Ministry of Defence to get rid of the Fleet Air Arm, defence sources said last week.

Its campaign, which is being fought under the slogan “one nation, one air force”, has led to the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band threatening to resign.

Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, chief of air staff, is attempting to push through proposals to scrap the 75 Harrier jump jets currently shared between the navy and the air force.

Torpy believes that the lack of a carrier-borne attack aircraft until the first of the new aircraft carriers comes into service, now 2015 at the earliest, will not be a problem.

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My Comment: Another article that proves the British Military is not what it once was.

Purge in The Royal Navy

Admirals Walk The Plank After Iranian Humiliation
-- Times Online

Naval commanders have paid the price for the fiasco over the arrest of 15 sailors and marines by Revolutionary Guards

THE Royal Navy has been accused of carrying out a discreet purge of senior figures involved in the fiasco over the arrest by Iranian Revolutionary Guards of 15 British sailors and Marines.

Those involved in the navy’s humiliation have left their high-profile jobs as part of an attempt, it is claimed, to sweep away any reminder of the debacle, regarded as one of the biggest embarrassments to befall the fleet since Admiral Byng failed to relieve Minorca in 1756. He was executed for his incompetence.

Victims include two vice-admirals and the captain of the ship on which the boat crews served. A senior official involved in the “spin” operation that followed their return to Britain has left the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

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My Comment: The British Navy is definitely not what it once was.

Royal Navy To Confront Somali Pirates

Pirates leave the merchant vessel MV Faina (not shown) for the Somali shore, while under observation by a U.S. Navy ship, in this picture taken on October 8, 2008 and released October 9. (Jason R. Zalasky/U.S. Navy/Handout/Reuters)

Royal Navy Will Tackle Pirate Scourge -- Times Online

The Royal Navy is to be given the power to seize and arrest suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden under new emergency legislation, senior defence sources have disclosed.

The the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is talking to the Government of Somalia about drawing up a memorandum of understanding to allow Royal Navy warships to enter Somali territorial waters in pursuit of pirates and hand over captured suspects to the Mogadishu authorities, according to the sources.

The new measures have been given added urgency by the increase in piracy off the Somali coast in the past 12 months. The defence sources said that in two years the amount of ransom paid out to pirates in the region had increased from $3 million to $18 million (£10 million), with some reports suggesting that it was as high as $30 million.

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My Comment: the British Navy has finally met a match that they are confident they will win. Sigh ..... as regular readers of this blog know, I have repeatedly stated that the British Navy is not what it use to be. The Royal Navy and its sailors are the best .... but the political will to fight and win in London is completely absent.

The British Navy Is Being Mouthballed

HMS Southampton: Pressures on the Navy's budget are immense with cuts of 20 per cent predicted in the next decade (Photo: PA)

Exclusive: Cash Strapped Navy Cuts Destroyer Fleet
-- The Telegraph

The Royal Navy has mothballed almost half of its remaining fleet of destroyers as it desperately attempts to save money in the face of a plunging budget.

The Fleet now has just five air defence warships left to protect vessels missile or aircraft attack at a time when other nations such as China, India and Iran are investing heavily in anti-ship warfare.

Three Type 42 destroyers – Exeter, Nottingham and Southampton – have been "parked up" in Portsmouth at "reduced readiness" up to two years before they were due to be decommissioned.

Falklands War veterans are particularly angry after Exeter, the last serving operational ship from the campaign in which it shot down several Argentine fighters, was refused permission to fly a paying-off pennant when it entered harbour after its last mission.

Britain's force of destroyers and frigates has now been reduced from 35 to 22 in the last decade despite government promises it would not slip below 25.

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My Comment: The U.K. Government has failed the Navy and the British people because of poor planning and a lack of leadership. When I read stories like this I can then understand why the Labour Party is so low in the polls.