Rum, sodomy, and the lash-- what's left?

The Queen's Navee ain't gonna be what it uster be:

Royal Navy commanders were in uproar yesterday after it was revealed that almost half of the Fleet's 44 warships are to be mothballed as part of a Ministry of Defence cost-cutting measure...

The Government has admitted that 13 unnamed warships are in a state of reduced readiness, putting them around 18 months away from active service. Today The Daily Telegraph can name a further six destroyers and frigates that are being proposed for cuts...

The six warships to be mothballed are the Type 22 frigates Cumberland, Chatham, Cornwall and Campbeltown and two Type 42 destroyers Southampton and Exeter.

It is likely that they will eventually be sold or scrapped. There are also fears in the Admiralty that two new aircraft carriers, promised in 1998, might never be built.

Merde alors!

Meanwhile the French navy, which will be far superior to the Royal Navy after the cuts, will announce before the April presidential elections that a new carrier will be built.

Mark C.

Update: Further to the comment by Wednesday Keller on carriers (text subscriber only):

With maximum commonality now assured, British and French military planners are beginning to discuss a structure for tying together their new aircraft carrier programs...

U.K. and French planners have arrived at a carrier design showing "better than 90% commonality" between the two British CVF vessels and France's PA2...

Now, will the Brits build their two carriers?

Posted by markc at January 4, 2007 10:26 PM