Posted on 01/23/2008 7:14:39 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
No.
England is 200 years of history, unhampered by progress.
My understanding was they were actually going to base those carriers here in the US, since the US has the only facilities capable of servicing such warships (of which we have ten...each displacing between 81,000-100,000 tons)
I can’t wait for the UK to get these...it’s always good when one’s allies are strong...
Rikstir,
don’t get sucked into the banter...all of us here understand the proud heritage of the British Military (especially it’s navy), and are grateful to call you all allies...
As I recall the US Marine corps. is based on the British model of Marines...so...our militaries are uniquely tied throughout history, we’d all best remember that.
The military channel here in the states had a documentary on about the SAS a couple nights ago...awesome stuff....
No doubt we will be required to either adapt one of our current ports for carrier use. I’m sure as an island/archipelago we will have enough natural deep water harbours to utilise. Scapa Flow? Somewhere near the Hebrides?
It wouldn’t really enhance our military capabilities if we berthed our two best military assets an ocean away.
Thanks for your other comment as well mate, but I am struck by the choice of threads US contributors to FR made. A day earlier you could all have had a look at the task force as it left portsmouth, pics included, but you chose this thread and used it to highlight weaknesses that we all know exist. The Invincible class aren’t big, but they fulfilled a role the US wanted us to have during the cold war, namely ASW. We can see that we need bigger assets, and have begun upgrading all our military equipment, right across the board. The RN after all, is getting brand new Air Defence Destroyers, new Astute class subs to carry our nuclear arsenal and 2 new carriers. This is an addition to the Albion Class amphibious assault ships that have been around for a few years.
I love banter, for goodness sake we Brits invented the thing! But good banter is an intelligent, well meant, discourse that illuminates as well as rebukes. All I have read in this thread is the same old stuff of ‘yours is s**t, ours is better’. Your allies are strong with or without this new material, otherwise what have we been doing for the past 5 years in Iraq and Afghanistan? Lets not forget that our Navy sent a sizeable task force 8000 miles south to defend crown property 25 years back too.
200 years of history?
More like 2000, and in that time there are new nations that can equal the scope and influence that the UK has had on the world.
You made my point, 2,000 years of history yet for the past 200 nothing.
I think you have a typo or a pint to much at the pub - “new nations that can equal the scope and influence..”
I think you are trying to say no country that can equal the previous UK influence — but that would not be accurate.
Yeah, it was a typo. It should have been ‘few’, but in my haste I erred. Bit early to head to the Traveler’s Rest in any event...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_revolution
Check out that link to see one example of what Britain has contributed to the world in the past 200 years. That kind of research took me 2 seconds, and it shouldn’t take you much longer mate.
nothing for 200 years????
Lets take a quick look at the Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis pictured above.......
Steel ship, Steam Turbines, Screw Propellors, Steam Catapult, Jet engines, Radar, Aircraft arresting cable, Refrigeration! The US Navy!!! all British inventions....
These are just the obvious ones, need I go on and actually do some research?
Ah, yes. I remember well the Lucas electrics on their automobiles and motorcycles. I believe the insulation on the wiring on My Morris Minor, Vauxhall, and BSA Rocket 3 was made of some kind of candy.
Lucas: The Prince of Darkness.
If you couldn’t repair the 9 candy sticks that make up a Morris Minors main wiring harness then I dont think you have any room to comment on a thread about a sophisticated Warship doing a 100 mile detour to have an unspecified repair carried out on her fridge plant in the comfort of a home port.
If you read the article, you will see that it appears to make sense as the ship will return to port, have the repair carried out then catch up with the rest of the fleet.
If there is even a story here, it should be how easily joe public is manipulated by the media.
They should spice their meats and pick up some more in India! (Sorry, 15th cenutry joke)
Normally, I am skeptical of that kind of speculation, but I think you might be right in this case. It is impossible that this ship would not have the parts and skills onboard to fix a simple galley fridge. As other posters have pointed out, the ship is loaded with cooling and HVAC gear and similar technology. They are going back for something else and the admiralty does not want the details made public.
angled deck.
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