The expense of the ill-conceived war in Iraq, combined with that of the battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan, may force the British to bid farewell to their once-proud blue water navy. According to a story in the Telegraph, the Brits are connsidering mothballing as many as one-half of their 44-ship fleet in order to cut costs. The ministry of defense cites a need to cut the defense budget by 250 million pounds.
The reason for the demise of what was once the world's most formidable fleet, defenders of an empire that circled the globe? According to Stephen Bush, editor of the monthly magazine "Warship World," the MoD is bankrupt from fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More below.
The storied tradition of the Royal Navy has been sacrificed on the altar of the "special relationship" between George Bush and Tony Blair. Blair blindly followed his role model King George into a foolish adventure in Iraq that made even less sense for the Brits than for the US. Now, his country is reaping the costs, and the teeth-gnashing in Britain is palpable:
A senior officer, currently serving with the Fleet in Portsmouth, said: "What this means is that we are now no better than a coastal defence force or a fleet of dug-out canoes. The Dutch now have a better navy than us."
Even worse for the Brits, it means their long-time rivals the French will now outgun them on the high seas:
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.
The ships to be mothballed or decommissioned include six frigates, two destroyers and one aircraft carrier. It is even possible that the historic Navy headquarters at Portsmouth may be axed. Two new destroyers slated to be added to the fleet will no longer be purchased.
The British, like the Americans, have poured out their treasure in gold and blood on the sands of Iraq. Their legacy is the irreversible hollowing out of the true security of both nations.
MoD sources have admitted it is possible that the Royal Navy will discontinue one of its major commitments around the world at a time when Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord, has said more ships are needed to protect the high seas against terrorism and piracy.
Bush's Iraq folly will bequeath to America and Britain a broken military and has gutted our defense against terrorism, our true security interests sacrificed for a neocon pipe dream.