wobbly_coffee

@FennellJW It’s not a win if the projects requiring funding equate to £28 billion. It means cuts to future programmes that’s never a win .

@wave_hoppa If HMT stumps up £18bn extra as is reported that is a win, that MoD has to make some comprises on timelines to get it is not the end of the world if BAES is busy building Type 26 and other types and there is no loss of shipbuilding capacity. The extra money is a better outcome.

Realistically, Type 45 have had little use and are being heavily upgraded and Type 83 can move to the right a few years to enable more urgent programmes to be funded first.

@WarshipsIFR @GOVUK More industrial action for RFA on the cards. Treasury refusal to increase funding to allow acceptable uplift. When RFA vessels are required , they might not be there because treasury will not pay them industry going rates for leave and salary. Goodwill has definitely gone now.

1/9 As part of an alleged £10 billion in @GOVUK defence savings - amid major wars in the Ukraine (with the Russians having the UK high on their current & future hit list) and in the Middle East (exposing the poor state of the Royal Navy) - it has been reported, the RN will suffer yet again. This time due to a reported delay in its Type 83 future destroyer programme and key projects to plug capability gaps. So, let's take a look at a few instances of how the naval fleet of the UK has fared under the current Labour government (which took office following 14 years of Conservative and Liberal Democrat cuts). Photo: HMS Duncan - one of the current Type 45 destroyers @StephenJagger4

@pegge49 @vcdgf555 Amazed that the uk couldn’t provide at least one ship now/ OPV for that

@vcdgf555 It's prior to a Naval Review at Sydney on 21st March to celebrate the 125th Anniversary Royal Australian Navy.

There is a PHOTOEX going on off the coast of Australia. I count 24 ships. 🇦🇺🇨🇰🇨🇦🇫🇯🇫🇷🇮🇩🇮🇳🇯🇵🇰🇮🇲🇾🇳🇿🇵🇬🇵🇭🇸🇬🇹🇭🇼🇸

@FennellJW Moving to the right , kicking the can down the road until it’s forgotten about or people get used to the bad news until it’s no longer news . Isn’t that how it happens ?

@wave_hoppa That's not what is reported, its about moving the programme to the right not reduction or cancellation. This will be because Type 45 has been underused.

@MarkPiesing Can’t see that happening . Wouldn’t be surprised if FSS doesn’t get cut to two ships. Either way less ships coming . Could this be the death nail for RFA. MRSS gone . Reduced FSS, RN to slowly integrate RFA roles completely.

@wave_hoppa Absolutely, that’s a very real possibility. It’s all been decided upon already. But let’s be optimistic as leaks can also be designed to sabotage said plans.

All based on unattributed sources but appalling if true “Insiders now believe the long-awaited defence investment plan (DIP)… had gone from having a strategic basis to looking like a “spreadsheet exercise”, adding: “They’ve lost the plot.”

Actually it wouldn't be so pathetic if the following had not happened: the 17 year failure to order any frigates; the accelerating departure of knackered T23 frigates from service years before new frigates are in service; the decision to sell T26s to the Norwegians off the RN production line, thus worsening the UK ASW gaps; the utter shambles of recruitment...ALL while the First Sea Lord identifies the High North (he means the rapidly expanding Northern Fleet submarine and specialist undersea warfare forces) as our main threat, while we send our sole available SSN to Australia for months, stall in pursuit of our own specialist undersea surface vessels...but, hey no urgency needed because of drones, the new silver bullet (in reality an excuse to fiddle around at the periphery while failing to properly rearm fast). Yes, they are needed, but the Atlantic is not the Black Sea and the Northern Fleet is a potentially world-ending power. No other so-called mid-maritime power has made such a horlicks of its best defence and so carelessly ruined its navy in the past 30 years. And the ruination looks set to continue.

@larisamlbrown @MtarfaL Don’t worry about the war , labour will send them a strongly worded letter of disapproval. This century’s Neville chamberlain.

Exclusive: Ministers could push back major shipbuilding programmes and other projects to make £10 billion worth of savings in the Ministry of Defence thetimes.com/article/98990d…

@UKForcesTracker Have the wildcats intercepted anything yet ?

815 NAS Wildcat HMA2 helicopters operating from RAF Akrotiri flying QRA exercises with 820 NAS Merlin Crowsnest. Typhoons and F-35 still conducting combat air patrols over Jordan and Cyprus. (Src: defenceimagery.mod.uk)

@UKDefJournal @navalhistorian Wonder if mod booked a return trip when they brought it back ?

HMS Bangor is expected to complete structural repairs by the end of April 2026, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Click image for more. ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-bangor-rep…

@enviro1993 @ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy 1996 was thirty years ago . I’ll rephrase . Contracting out is seen by mod as the way ahead and has been for years . Rmas port and deep sea contract . Foreland shipping . Fishers, they all have mod contracts previously operated by mod. RFA like RMAS will just be another one to go

@wave_hoppa @ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy "Contracting out is the way it’s always been" No it hasn't. Even tug and support boats in the naval bases used to be state run up until 1996. We just need a government to restore pay and conditions, which isn't hard nor would cost much in the grand scheme of things.

Latest figures show there are 1,733 personnel in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. This is a significant reduction from earlier this century. There were approximately 2,300 personnel in 2010 @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy @ModernNavy whatdotheyknow.com/request/royal_…

@ModernNavy @FennellJW @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy Treat people badly, don’t pay them well, they leave . Who’d have thought it ?

@DavidColby10 @ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy Incorrect . Lyme wasn’t alongside in gib due to lack of personnel . Lyme was in gib to save Costs on operating . Cardigan and tiderace however were.

@ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy That’s interesting. 1,733 personnel for nine ships. The four Tide class ships take 63 crew. Proteus 85 . The three Bay ships 70, and Fort Victoria 95. That’s 642 total. But they can only crew six ships at the moment. That’s why RFA Lyme Bay was left rotting alongside in Gibraltar

@enviro1993 @ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy Absolutely impossible to crew one FSS let alone 3 . There’s a reason tiderace and cardigan bay have been laid up . It’s all about key people or lack of them. Contracting out is the way it’s always been . Look at Serco. Foreland . They’ve been milking mod for years.

@ModernNavy @DefenceHQ @RFAHeadquarters @RoyalNavy It will be interesting to see if they can crew the new FSS ships when they arrive. Fixing the RFA is much cheaper than contracting out its operations to Serco or Inocea.

@LukePollard Will you comment on this ?

@IntercityFC @TheAngry53586 @ShipWrektPod Green grenade spotted green 45

@TheAngry53586 @ShipWrektPod Plot, Bridge Plot Sweep to 12nm. Report all contacts with a CPA of 2nm or less at 5nm or upon initial detection. Report all warships on initial detection. Visibility assessed at 8nm.

Taking Over The Plot-The Surface Picture Supervisor A throbbing 🧵 So dear reader and hopefully @ShipWrektPod fan, you are now the surface picture supervisor for the middle watch (0001-0400 hrs) and, having had a bit of sleep despite the boys having a party in the mess /1

@JohnHealey_MP Are you planning on sending any RFA ships ?

Important discussions with E5 Defence Ministers today on the Strait of Hormuz and developments in the Middle East. We are working with allies to reinforce regional security and protect British interests.

@DeptofWar Whilst crippling the worlds economies . Didn’t quite think that one through to conclusion did you DJ ?

We are executing President Trump’s orders with speed and precision. Operation Epic Fury has decimated Iran’s military.

@portsmouthnews @ModernNavy Absolute lies from the minister . No work being undertaken. Treasury said no uplift . So that’s what mod and ministers are offering . No improved offer . RMT ballot absolute rejection of offer. Nautilus and RMT will probably take strike action.

'Overworked and underpaid' Royal Fleet Auxiliary sailors strike talks ongoing amid 'recruitment crisis' trib.al/yQX4SiK