They must be having a right laugh

[Spectric]

Anyone seen that TV program called life at sea, about the crew onboard a navy ship that is on it's last legs and should have been called carry on navy because you expect Sid james, Barbara Windsor and the rest to appear if they were still around as it is such a farce. If the Russians are watching they must be having a great laugh at such antics and wondering why this crew believe that the UK is at war with Russia, I suppose it makes good reality tv. The sad thing is that we used to have a navy that was probably the envy of the world but like everything else it has long gone, in 1953 the Queen reviewed her fleet at Spithead and we had 193 vessels, six carriers, about fifteen submarines and so many other vessels with something in the region of 150,000 sailors, my old man was on the submarine HMS Aurochs at the time. This navy ship also highlights an issue that our government seems to overlook and that is that having something is just the initial cost, you then need to maintain and keep it in good condition and upto date so HS2 is costing a fortune just to build, but if you watch the program about the Japanese shinkansen trains then you see just how much is needed to keep them running.

 

[doctor Bob]

I find it very annoying that they keep saying the Russians are going to destroy UK coms, no they are not.
The captain seems a perfectly nice but dim chap, good rugby player I suspect and good school.
The ship has a major catastrophe every few hours, and the sonar equipment looks knackered.

Quite enjoying it Rule Britannia and all that.

 

[Spectric]

I find it very annoying that they keep saying the Russians are going to destroy UK coms, no they are not.

Gives our goverment an excuse to waste taxpayers money on defence!

 

[Jameshow]

What ship is it?

HMS Duncan looked quite modern and we'll run?

Cheers James

 

[Distinterior]

What ship is it?

HMS Northumberland.....A Frigate.

 

[Jameshow]

25yrs old.

I once worked on the Canberra now that was an old ship!

 

[Droogs]

@Jacob apparently fixed a leak on the Mary Rose, once

 

[Jacob]

@Jacob apparently fixed a leak on the Mary Rose, once

Yef, forry about that chapf, it faid "Ye Olde guaranteed NeverLeak" on the tin.
Ihfructionf faid 'apply generoufly to hole in bottom'
Muft have been paft itf buy-by date.

 

[Jameshow]

@Jacob apparently fixed a leak on the Mary Rose, once

I thought he was assistant to Noah!!

 

[MARK.B.]

Remember the Canberra James, was my first ship in 1975 ,lasted precisely two months before being told politely that perhaps A general Cargo ship would suit me better as i seemed a tad passenger unfriendly , apparently you were not allowed to threaten passengers even though one of them had thought it funny to shove me into the swimming pool fully clothed and on duty . Spent the next 12 years on cargo ships and had a great time

 

[baldkev]

Its sad that the forces have been eroded so badly. It was the same before both ww1 and 2, we were dangerously underpowered and had to work hard to play catchup. Years before ww2 the admiralty were shouting for more ships.

If there were a ww3, the Russians would indeed cut the fibreoptics. They developed a submarine specifically for it. It wouldnt happen in peace time though

 

[Glitch]

I've watched it and it is interesting but embarrassing. I'm hoping it's a double bluff to lull the Russians into thinking we are incompetent.

They had fire, flood, power cuts and ran out of sonar buoys.

 

[shed9]

There isn't a need for military might in terms of national defence anymore? In reality there hasn't been for quite some time now. There is no point having a flotilla of ships when the current threat is someone in their back bedroom on the internet or multiple semi-organised idealists prepared to die for their cause. Most recent defence has predominantly involved localised geopolitics typically based around protecting or removing access to certain resources such as oil. This is likely to shift to water in the short term as ironically, climate collapse may invoke the rebuilding of militaries around the world for this very same reason of resource access. There is a double irony here in that I'm also inclined to think that again, climate collapse may end up feeding those potential internet activists and idealists prepared to die. Only a matter of time before we see the rise of climate terrorism and indeed extra resource for counter terrorism.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I imagine the captain of the Russian submarine got a good shoeing when he got back to port for not checking his mirrors properly before changing direction and hitting Northumberland.

 

[selectortone]

I imagine the captain of the Russian submarine got a good shoeing when he got back to port for not checking his mirrors properly before changing direction and hitting Northumberland.

More likely a medal for deliberately knocking out Northumberland's sonar array!

 

[Glitch]

There isn't a need for military might in terms of national defence anymore? In reality there hasn't been for quite some time now. There is no point having a flotilla of ships when the current threat is someone in their back bedroom on the internet or multiple semi-organised idealists prepared to die for their cause. Most recent defence has predominantly involved localised geopolitics typically based around protecting or removing access to certain resources such as oil. This is likely to shift to water in the short term as ironically, climate collapse may invoke the rebuilding of militaries around the world for this very same reason of resource access. There is a double irony here in that I'm also inclined to think that again, climate collapse may end up feeding those potential internet activists and idealists prepared to die. Only a matter of time before we see the rise of climate terrorism and indeed extra resource for counter terrorism.

I'm all for having a small navy but let's make sure it's modern, effective and fit for purpose.

 

[Spectric]

I imagine the captain of the Russian submarine got a good shoeing when he got back to port for not checking his mirrors properly before changing direction and hitting Northumberland.

That could have been a deliberate manouvre to disable the sonar, had that been in a real conflict then I would say the Northumberland would have been sunk because even before that they lost sonar due to a malfunction.

There is no point having a flotilla of ships when the current threat is someone in their back bedroom on the internet

Very true, we are so reliant on the internet now that hacking can do so much damage, financial, ultilies and imagine if suddenly social media went down long term, all those screen staring phone zombies could go on the rampage as it would be like disconnecting them from a collective and they would be totally lost and out of control.

Another thing these days is a fleet of ships, an army of ground troops or an armoured division is no more than a sitting target for someone holding a joystick on the other side of the planet and to them would be no different to any other game except there would be real lives lost that they would be emotionally disconnected from, not like having to actualy do the deed face to face.

 

[Jacob]

There isn't a need for military might in terms of national defence anymore? In reality there hasn't been for quite some time now. There is no point having a flotilla of ships when the current threat is someone in their back bedroom on the internet or multiple semi-organised idealists prepared to die for their cause. Most recent defence has predominantly involved localised geopolitics typically based around protecting or removing access to certain resources such as oil. This is likely to shift to water in the short term as ironically, climate collapse may invoke the rebuilding of militaries around the world for this very same reason of resource access. There is a double irony here in that I'm also inclined to think that again, climate collapse may end up feeding those potential internet activists and idealists prepared to die. Only a matter of time before we see the rise of climate terrorism and indeed extra resource for counter terrorism.

Already happening.
Navy is supposedly being mobilised against boat people.
Climate change is already a major factor in the refugee situation and is only going to get more severe.

 

[Orraloon]

What is a navy going to do in the modern age. It's whole reason to exist was to protect a merchant fleet that could supply the nation in time of need. As that merchant fleet is no more and has been contracted out to the main rivals the time of need is going to be very needy in deedy. A little bit if a sniffle has already caused supply chain problems around the world even without a war.
Regards
John

 

[Jacob]

.