Navy ‘too weak’ for big role in Korea blockade

The United States is leading attempts to put together a force that would prevent suspect cargoes from entering the Marxist dictatorship and stop North Korea exporting weapons of mass destruction technology to rogue regimes such as Iran and terrorist groups.

But senior Royal Navy officers last night cast serious doubt over Britain’s ability to make a significant naval contribution to the proposed UN force, claiming that drastic cuts in government spending on the navy over the past decade had severely reduced their ability to participate in major foreign operations. “I am staggered that the Government is trying to make this commitment when it knows what our Armed Forces are going through,” a senior Royal Navy officer last night told The Daily Telegraph.

The state of the Royal Navy is a disgrace. Britain deserves better than this, especially given the historical record and role of the Royal Navy in protecting the island since the days of Drake, Frobisher, and the Spanish Armada.

As a result of government cutbacks any British ships deployed to the South China Sea to enforce the UN resolution would depend on the American or French navies to provide “beyond visual range” air defence with their aircraft carriers.

The Brit navy dependent on the FRENCH? Nelson must be turning in his grave!

The Navy has been cut by almost a third since Labour came into power, and the admission by Royal Navy commanders that they were struggling to find suitable ships to deploy to the UN force will raise further questions about the Labour government’s handling of the armed forces’ budget. Britain’s military commitments to Iraq and North Korea have exposed glaring deficiencies in resources and equipment.

Sic transit gloria Britannia.