Thin Pinstriped Line

  One of the most interesting debates this week on the defence Twitter space has been on what sounds like an utterly dull subject – ‘should denim be allowed in the mess’? A binary question that has generated a huge number of twitter engagement – one tweet alone by the author has had nearly 80,000 views in less than 48rhrs. There are some issues in the Defence blogging world which should come wrapped in a large sticker, with warnings in every language known to humanity saying “Do not, under any circumstances go here unless you really want to upset people”. Mess dress is without doubt one of those issues. At its heart is a debate which is less about what we wear, but the social structure and roles through which we view the role and position of the military as career, a profession and as a lifestyle. In the spirit of full disclosure, Humphrey should confirm before entering the fray that he has been a full time ‘liver in’ (e.g. periods of over a year as his main residence) in both ...

  Today marks the 357 th birthday of the Royal Marines, founded on 28 October 1664. The Corps has been through many different campaigns and operations in its history, and today finds itself as an amphibious force and specialist light infantry organisation par excellence. It is perhaps fitting that for an organisation intended to go to sea and support the Royal Navy, the Corps has been rediscovering its maritime roots, after a period of sustained ground operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today HMS TRENT is operating off the West Coast of Africa, engaged in maritime security patrols, with a detachment of Royal Marines embarked from 42 Commando. Their role is to provide regional training and assistance to help improve the overall levels of security in the region. Image by Ministry of Defence; © Crown copyright When we think of the Royal Marines, its perhaps easy to think  back to the days of D-Day or the USMC operations in the Pacific, with vast fleets and large numbers of ...

  The winners of the annual Royal Navy photographic award (the Peregrine Trophy) have been announced. These fantastic photos highlight the range of work done by the Royal Navy on land, sea and air on operations across the globe. (All images in this article are  © Crown copyright) It is this story that is a good reminder of the soft power impact of a well-judged photograph, and how potent it can be in telling and shaping the power of a story. The curious challenge facing the military as a whole is that the public so rarely come into contact with their actual work, or see them except in highly controlled and perhaps somewhat artificial situations (e.g. State Ceremonial or recruiting days). The chance to see the magnificent women and men who serve in Defence (as military or civil servants) ‘in their element’ is rare. Image by Ministry of Defence; © Crown copyright It is also hard to sometimes see the incredibly capable military equipment that has been built for the armed force...

  The Royal Navy has recently returned to operating multiple strike carriers at sea after a gap of almost 50 years. The news that both HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and PRINCE OF WALES are operational and able to embark and operate the F35 jets is a welcome signal that the Royal Navy retains its place as one of the worlds most powerful and capable navies. This return to capability marks the ending of a story that dates back to the 1960s, and the cancellation of the planned aircraft carrier ‘CVA-01’ which would have been the then next generation of carrier for the RN. The decision to cancel the ship and then withdraw from the fixed wing carrier business in the 1960s tore the heart out of the Royal Navy, which had spent the 20 years since WW2 building itself as a ‘carrier navy’. The shockwaves of its cancellation led to massive changes in the fleet, which in turn helped set in motion a chain of events that resulted in the restructuring of the RN as an ASW force in the Eastern Atlantic for ...

 The Royal Navy has continued to demonstrate its impressive global reach and presence in the Pacific Ocean. The Carrier Strike Group deployment has been operating across the region, with ships calling in various ports, and jointly operating with friends and allies in a range of exercises. Perhaps the defining point of the deployment thus far has been the stunning images released showing HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH steaming alongside a pair of US carriers, and a Japanese helicopter carrier, along with escorts and support ships. This image of a coalition of willing allies working together at sea sends a powerful signal to a variety of nations. For the Royal Navy the CSG21 deployment has marked a welcome return to operating strike carriers globally for the first time in many years. It has been an extremely useful deployment that has helped not only visibly demonstrate the renewed British interest in the Indo-Pacific, but also begin to rekindle defence links that had become somewhat atroph...

  Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Royal Navy, has been confirmed as the next Chief of the Defence Staff. The first RN incumbent of the role in 20 years. This choice, made personally by the Prime Minister, will generate significant speculation among many, who will read a great deal into it and what this may mean for the future of the armed forces during their tenure. The reality though is that it probably means less than many may think. Image by Ministry of Defence; © Crown copyright The role of CDS is in effect a simple one – the postholder acts as the senior advisor to the Prime Minister on matters of defence and is the most senior military officer. The post holder is essentially the Permanent Secretary for the Armed Forces, in that they represent and are accountable for the armed forces to Ministers. They provide advice to the PM, offering insight and guidance as to the merits of different courses of action. Behind the scenes their role is to provide counsel on the art of the possibl...