tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post2126765717060808205..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: There is Nothing Soft About Power.Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-61589646996429806072013-11-21T06:29:22.000+00:002013-11-21T06:29:22.000+00:00As a Filipino, i really appreciate the aide UK pro...As a Filipino, i really appreciate the aide UK provides. I've been a long time follower of your blog and i do sense cynicism and doubt about the power and influence of the UK in recent times when i read your entries. I do not have deep knowledge about UK defence issues but the fact that it could provide military assistance is a tremendous feat considering the distance and the overstretched resources of the UK armed forces. It is logical that countries such as Australia, Japan and Korea could provide humanitarian and military assistance (i doubt the latter) because of their proximity and of course the full might of the US military with their Ospreys flying non stop in Leyte but to send a RN warship to help out with the effort shows that the UK still has that ability to deploy globally with short notice compared to other nations. I have seen the Sembawang yard in Singapore and it's quite big considering the limited land in SG. I think that the naval yard should be improved in the future considering all of the "developments" here in the Far East.<br /><br />I want to highlight the importance of UK soft power and how it influences the Philippines in many ways. I have read your previous entries about soft power compared to hard power and here you can see Union Flags anywhere from clothes to bags and even Jeepney decorations. There is great potential for the UK to expand influence here. The British embassy contributes a lot to the country even before the typhoon disaster. Soft power cannot be underestimated. I'm looking forward to a deeper relationship between UK and PHL in the future. (hopefully joint military exercises)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-72457173736235611322013-11-19T00:42:30.935+00:002013-11-19T00:42:30.935+00:00Um, check your history. Haiti was a mess LONG bef...Um, check your history. Haiti was a mess LONG before the earthquake. Very weak government, massive poverty, high crime rate. Are you going to blame all that on the U.S.? The feeble UN mission there certainly didn't help, too. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-79808230470180621172013-11-16T22:10:25.551+00:002013-11-16T22:10:25.551+00:00I read article with interest. Although any help is...I read article with interest. Although any help is useful our responce has been poor. This was predicted, tracked and the outcome known over 2 weeks ago. We need next time to have a large LPH ready in the area prepared with 20 helicopters, trucks, buldozers, engineers, hospital kit to go ashore and an accute facility on board. <br />This is all possible if we stop inter department arguing. The Dfid has money, the MOD has the skill set, the Navy has the design and BAe has the spare shipyard to build them. Old non ied proof 8x8 trucks are being offloaded, heck Lusty herself having been refitted will be sold of for £3m for scrap soon. <br />So why don't we put it all together, call it an RFA assett with secondry war fighting role if the ballon goes up. Now how do you get Dfid, MOD, aid agencies like British Red Cross to talk together. Stick a high speed Container Ship with it stuffed with aid from Red Cross etc ready. You'd need one in SE Asia and one in Carribean. Next time maybe it doesn't take a week before anything arrives. It deploys for 3mths until the main run ways are open and the main agencies can come in.<br />So anybody know how we do that ? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-29065558993962291532013-11-16T11:03:23.814+00:002013-11-16T11:03:23.814+00:00you better go back to school-- it is an example of...you better go back to school-- it is an example of soft power. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-68455336649637423002013-11-16T11:01:02.156+00:002013-11-16T11:01:02.156+00:00quick? It was quick enough. Daring was on Ex Bersa...quick? It was quick enough. Daring was on Ex Bersama Lima a strategic FPDA exerciseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-7713832258024090792013-11-16T10:59:39.635+00:002013-11-16T10:59:39.635+00:00Often the Us military has not really helped to rel...Often the Us military has not really helped to relief disaster zones. Look at Haiti, it it still in a mess despite the media images of the large US military effort there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-76661812388946111782013-11-15T20:01:30.214+00:002013-11-15T20:01:30.214+00:00Waylander posted above, as confusing otherwise wit...Waylander posted above, as confusing otherwise with so many "Anonymous".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-10021467171906182202013-11-15T19:48:36.061+00:002013-11-15T19:48:36.061+00:00The RFA already compares quite well with the auxil...The RFA already compares quite well with the auxiliary capabilities of most fleets, especially other European navies.<br />eg <br />RFA<br />5 tankers<br />3 Replenishment ships<br />3 Bay class LSDs<br />1 Forward repair ship<br />1 Aviation training/PCR ship - also been deployed as LPH<br />6 Point class Sealift ships<br /><br />Plus 4 larger Tide class tankers in build (to replace the 3 older Rover & Leaf class ships) & the 3 planned Solid Support Ships.<br /><br />The Marine Nationale only has 4 Replenishment ships/oilers & 2-3 leased sealift ships, most of the other Euro navies only have one or two fleet Replenishment vessels. <br /><br />It was however a mistake to axe the very capable (but expensive to run) RFA Fort George in the SDSR.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-51295135303582171182013-11-15T17:56:43.480+00:002013-11-15T17:56:43.480+00:00As per below I think it is related to the lack of ...As per below I think it is related to the lack of RFA support. I see things this way. We have more capabilities than anyone (apart from the USN of course.) However we have allowed capability gaps to appear, in this case RFA's and soon to be flat tops. This in turn results in a ship building gaps and redundancies. We have paid handsomely for the ability to build some of the most complex warships afloat. I see no reason why this does not enable BAE to bid for the higher value end of the commercial market, which in turn can make subsequent follow on MOD orders more cost effective. If this were the case we could have been ordering the extra RFA's and Ocean/Amphibs we clearly need from British ship yards. No one would have lost their jobs and our global reach would be enhanced. We really need some joined up thinking and everyone pulling in the same direction. Recent civil engineering projects, the aerospace and car industries have all proved we are more than capable. I would argue we now need to get, what should be for Britain, our most fundamental and strategic industry right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-39795928992311507772013-11-15T15:12:38.533+00:002013-11-15T15:12:38.533+00:00I forgot to add this link - RAF C-17 loaded with e...I forgot to add this link - RAF C-17 loaded with equipment for Philippines http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/raf-aircraft-departed-for-the-philippines-15112013<br /><br />WaylanderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-6495676859782628022013-11-15T14:20:09.576+00:002013-11-15T14:20:09.576+00:00I think it is a good response all things considere...I think it is a good response all things considered. Once again the RN has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time, and as you say the Singapore facility is well placed. I think the response is being a little hampered though by the lack of RFA support for several reasons. Had this been available I feel HMS Daring may have been able to set off sooner, could have made better speed knowing fuel was readily available (no doubt the US will be supplying when required) and the RFA itself would have been an excellent disaster relief platform (with the manpower from Daring) when it arrived. The US response has been most impressive in stark contrast to the Chinese! This is exactly the point of maritime strength and global reach, it influences peoples thinking deeply, about who your real friends are and who your alliances should be with! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-9559002405234162662013-11-15T13:59:35.092+00:002013-11-15T13:59:35.092+00:00The relatively quick UK response...
I'd disa...The relatively quick UK response...<br /><br /><br />I'd disagree I think it was actually quite slow. It was well known that this Hurricane was moving in. We could have easily set the ships moving towards the Phillipines several days ago and been on the scene much quicker. <br /><br />TopmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-36608348845803234482013-11-15T13:50:08.374+00:002013-11-15T13:50:08.374+00:00The two RN vessels should be able to make quite a ...The two RN vessels should be able to make quite a significant contribution, Daring obviously has a Lynx & RIBs, but also RM engineers, a doctor, dentist, chaplain, medics, and various equipment and supplies including generators, fire fighting equipment, TICs, ration packs, bottled water, and is able to provide around 20,000 litres of "potable water". Lusty's 7 helicopters, although a small air group, will still be a useful contribution to the overall effort, the US strike carrier has around 20 helos on board, so the RN is uplifting the numbers by a third.<br />Obviously of no use for this operation, but I thought Illustrious was deployed with 2-3 Apaches aboard, for the anti piracy operation off the Somali coast, so she would have an air group of 10. Perhaps they have been flown off? I think the UK is going to send a second C-17 Globemaster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-65630734350885021982013-11-15T05:50:29.099+00:002013-11-15T05:50:29.099+00:00Time to use our 'new type of alliance' wit...Time to use our 'new type of alliance' with Japan? They could replenish at sea, after all that practice in the Indian Ocean a few years ago. Would be a good bit of cooperation for the region and the 'alliance'. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-65680559654507440622013-11-15T00:28:19.651+00:002013-11-15T00:28:19.651+00:00Whenever anyone talks about U.S. "decline,&qu...Whenever anyone talks about U.S. "decline," I love bringing up examples like natural disaster response. No country even comes CLOSE to matching the U.S. in skills, capabilities and deployment for these types of event. As it stands now, I think the U.S. is deploying an entire Carrier Strike Group (USS George Washington), a hospital ship, numerous aircraft, and more than 2,000 Marines). I'm sure I'm missing some stuff but it just goes to show you how capable the U.S. military is when responding to natural disasters; especially in Asia-Pacific.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com