Dismal State of Britain’s Military
Britain’s failure to deploy the Royal Navy to defend its sovereign bases on Cyprus – attacked by Hezbollah drones on 1 March – has raised alarming questions over the readiness of Britain’s military to project force overseas.
On Tuesday, the Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon was seen moored in Gibraltar, some 2,200 miles away from its intended destination after it left Portsmouth last week. It is scheduled to arrive in Cyprus next Monday, some three weeks after the strike by Hezbollah on the RAF base on the southern tip of the island.
There is now no British presence in the Persian Gulf region for the first time in 50 years, and its Cyprus bases are unprotected.
Three of six Type 45 destroyers are in deep maintenance and only three are deemed “operational”. Of seven frigates, only three are operational and neither of the two aircraft carriers is at sea.
The submarines fare little better. So, how’s our staunch ally’s Army doing these days? Morale good?
Friendly Fire: British Army to Punish Soldiers Writing Satirical Songs as Morale Plunges
Oliver JJ Lane
British Army soldiers have been reprimanded for lampooning the low morale among troops amid warnings from the top brass that they would likely be wiped out if a major war broke out.
Today, the navy comprises just 13 principal surface combatants, namely six Type 45 destroyers and seven Type 23 frigates. In addition, there are ten submarines, 26 patrol and coastal vessels, and two aircraft carriers.
A British Army Major was “summoned for a telling off” after it was revealed that he created a satirical song reflecting on the official position of senior officers that, should a big war come, they in the “first echelon” would have to be quickly replaced with new recruits if the country had a hope of winning the conflict.
The song, which quickly spread among the personal mobile devices of serving soldiers, expressed in its chorus and final verse:
…we keep on getting told that wars are won by the second and third echelon, but fuck that because we’re in the first one.
But don’t worry about it… because we’re all dying in the first wave.
Don’t think about the tactics or question the plan, there’s no kit but the [NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps] all over it so bring back the glory days and earn the parade of our coffins…
The line speaks both to a recent remarkable speech by General Sir Patrick Sanders about the inevitability of the “first echelon” of the British Army being expected to suffer badly should a major war come, and the institutional memory of when exactly the same fate befell soldiers in the First and Second World Wars.
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The report states that the Army Major who created the song and has now been “summoned for a telling off”, pending formal punishment, did so while attending the Intermediate Command and Staff Course for newly-promoted Majors at Shrivenham Defence Academy. The course is described by the Army as “a 26-week residential, comprehensive and generalist mandatory career course” for newly promoted Majors, training them for their mid-careers through to Lieutenant-Colonel.The Daily Telegraph reports, shockingly, that the whole class on the residential course were threatened with being failed unless the person responsible for the song came forward and confessed. After the man responsible did, other songs were created by unidentified further soldiers, including a sardonic apology that stated:
Last week I wrote a little song. Pushed send and then it went wrong, my intentions were good, no clue it would spiral…
…I didn’t mean to offend about the lack of kit, or the fact that we might be a little bit shit… if one little song, one little homage can cause such irreversible damage then perhaps problems lie a little deeper than a bored student with inadequate teachers.
… sorry for saying we don’t have enough artillery, and not enough kit on land, air, and sea. So when it’s my turn to charge the enemy, I’ll take the bullets through the chest gleefully.
A spokesman for the Army reportedly said: “Content of this kind falls short of the standards we expect of our people, particularly those undergoing professional military education.”
Wonder how well the RAF is faring after screening out “useless white pilots” as Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston was insisting on a goal of 40% female recruits and 20% from ethnic minorities.
Britain- not so great anymore.
Category: NATO
There is a gentleman named Mark Feldman on youtube who does military history related videos. He is quite the scholar and very well researched. The other day he did one about the condition of the Brit Navy. His analysis is very damning. The one carrier that is seaworthy is incapable of projecting power because there are insufficient other ships to provide even a hint of security. AS he stated, should something like the Falkland invasion happen today, there is virtually nothing the Brit Navy could do about it. Pretty sad that the nation that always had one of if not the best Navys in the world now falls behind several third world countries.
Feldman’s video is worth the watch.
The UK Navy was THE barely contested world power from Trafalgar until WWII (1805-1945). Even from 1648-1984 the nation held sway over much of the world. Now they are a museum of what once was.
Here is the YT video of which you speak:
Unfortunately, he is pretty woke too. Had to unsubscribe from him.
His name is Mark Felton. He is a military historian and has a great many videos on 20th century military weapons, aircraft, ships and events. This is the first one I have seen on the current status of the Royal Navy.
I’m late to the party, was about to link to Mr. Felton’s videos.
It always seemed fascinating to me that a tiny island nation could leverage superior technology, strategy, training and organizational skills to conquer one quarter of the world. Those days are long gone by. In the modern era no nation really has those extreme advantages any more.
The sun set decades ago on the British Empire.
Other than Pakistan, Britain has become another Islamic country that possesses nuclear weapons. That’s probably a bigger concern than the state of its military.
Britain is starting to feel the pains of what it asked for.
Perhaps.
Were you aware that the UK actually doesn’t have any nuclear missiles? All of their Trident II D5 SSBNs are on loan from the US, which is the only delivery system for their nukes since the retirement of their air delivered bombs. Four submarines and 50 weapons at a time is all there is. Take out those four subs in a first strike and they are neutralized.
The Trident II is the delivery system and the warhead is the payload the missile carries (distinct components).
The UK designs and manufactures its own warheads, so yes, the UK does have a nuclear capability.
“Tommy” (Rudyard Kipling)
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool — you bet that Tommy sees!
‘RIGHT Kipling! You’re on REPORT!
Report? I give you report. “Well I’ve beaten you and flayed you, by the living God that made you, you’re a better man than I am Gunga-Din.”
We’d also have missed out on this gem, if that policy were in effect long ago:
The General inspecting the trenches
Exclaimed with a horrified shout
‘I refuse to command a division
Which leaves its excreta about.’
But nobody took any notice
No one was prepared to refute,
That the presence of shit was congenial
Compared to the presence of Shute.
And certain responsible critics
Made haste to reply to his words
Observing that his staff advisors
Consisted entirely of turds.
For shit may be shot at odd corners
And paper supplied there to suit,
But a shit would be shot without mourners
If somebody shot that shit Shute.
Sub-Lieutenant A. P. Herbert
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Shute
Don’t tell Argentina, but the Brits couldn’t conduct the Falklands War like they did 40 years ago. The Royal Navy would have serious trouble with anything more than a defensive action at the point.
That’s ok, Argentina can’t do anything anyway. They had a decent sized fleet in 1982, about the half the size of the UK fleet today.
Now Operational:
Air Craft Carriers = 0 (last one scrapped in 2000)
Submarines = 0
Cruisers = 0
Destroyers = 3, the newest being 42 years old
Frigates = 0
Corvettes (littoral) = 6
Naval Aircraft
Jets = 0
Armed Helicopters = 1
Surveillance Aircraft = 1
Things aren’t much better at the Air Force
A4 = 23
F16 = 6
Ground Strike = 0
Bombers = 0
EWR = 2
A mixed bag of transport helicopters.
Guess they lost interest in the submarine business after they lost that one a few years back.
And they’re still pissed about 1982. Saw many signs like this when I was in Ushuaia last year.
Why would they claim the Falklands are theirs? Obviously the Brits have owned that island since discovery.
Mr Churchil is turning over in his grave right now..
We were pier berthed behind HMS Ark Royal when we pulled into Portsmouth Navy base in 1964 for a visit and Liberty after OP Steel Pike 1.. Had a Limey Squid aboard as a co ordinater and he stayed overnight and slept in the bunk in front of mine. I asked him if he would trade his donald duck hat with my white hat. He didn’t want to so that was that…I don’t know,, Nelson did pretty good with his Doubling on the rear tactic against the French back in the day of sail… The Brit Navy should get their shit toegether and try and get AJ Squared away…
They’ve got to get the money for the “refugees” and their extensive social programs from somewhere. I guess that their military (that kept them somewhat safe for centuries) was the obvious choice since they’ve voluntarily let the invasion in.
Reprimanding Soldiers for lampooning? Sounds like “ATTENTION: Beatings will continue until morale improves.”
Think a US Major would fare any better? Their career would not end at RET, it would end at RIF.
I remember seeing some units in the early 90’s keeping a subpar Major or two around in anticipation of the next RIF, they were the “ash & trash” ready to be thrown to the wolves.
We hung a sign over our MSgt’s desk with that inscribed on it. Right next to it were three sticks, each with a name inscribed on it. Those were MSgt’s “XXX be good!” sticks.
Everyone, including our CO and XO, found that funny as hell.
So glad we weren’t the Brits.
I’ve seen guys go to mast for just having unauthorized boat patches. And that was going on 30 years ago. Can’t imagine what it’s like now.
I have a recurring opportunity to train with the folks who deliver this UK school, ICSC, the Intermediate Command Staff Course. They do pretty good work, but, having listened to the full song, wow. Is it one punk student, a damning indictment, or a little bit of both?
I am about to listen to it again, it’s pretty catchy.
Say the military should be funded better, do nothing then hassle anyone who agrees it should be better funded… modern Britain.
I was in the Boy Scouts in NoVa back when most of our Scout leaders were professional military. We were taught the following song lyrics: “ I’ve got sixpence, jolly jolly sixpence; I’ve got sixpence to last me all my life! I’ve got tuppence to spend, got tuppence to lend, and tuppence to send to my wife, poor wife! “. ( etc. etc. )
That sounds rather seditious by modern British standards.
Elizabeth I and Lord Nelson would be appalled at the British Navy today. They have gone form a world power to not even a regional power.
More Admirals than ships and likely both groups are useless as hell.
Lest we be too quick to point and laugh, USS Boise (SSN-764) lost her dive certification after her FY2016 overhaul was delayed.
That was back in 2017. She’s still in drydock and won’t be back at sea until the end of 2029.
Then we’ll get to see how many hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars and years it’ll take to get FORD back up to snuff after their little weenie roast in the Gulf. 9-10 figure damage bills ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Next time, clean the fuckin lint filters better, boys.
Oh, hey, just in… the Royal Navy has to borrow a ship from the Germans to meet the UK’s NATO requirements:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/royal-navy-forced-borrow-german-171113623.html
Brittania rules the waves??? Yeah, not so much… Nelson weeps…
Heck, anyone who celebrated Jutland weeps.
The late CJCS, Air Force Gen George Brown, caused a stir in the English Parliament & the MoD in 1974. When asked about his opinion of the readiness of the British military, Gen Brown quipped ‘The British military consisted of generals, admirals, and bands’. He got blowback from many MPs (members of Parliament), and senior ranking British officers, but there were also many who thought Gen Brown’s remark had a lot of truth to it.