The UK has expanded its military presence on Cyprus at RAF Akrotiri with additional aircraft, helicopters and surveillance assets.
In an update released by the MOD, officials said the United States has begun using British bases for defensive operations aimed at preventing Iran from launching missiles into the region.
RAF Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets have continued conducting defensive air operations across Jordan, Qatar, Cyprus and the wider region in support of British interests and allied forces.
The Ministry of Defence also confirmed that a Merlin helicopter is being deployed to the region to provide additional airborne surveillance capability. The aircraft will reinforce defensive assets that were already pre-positioned earlier in the year.
The update follows an earlier announcement outlining additional deployments to the region. According to the MOD, Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters equipped with Martlet missiles have begun arriving in Cyprus. The missiles are designed to counter uncrewed aerial systems, including one-way attack drones.
Four additional RAF Typhoon aircraft are also scheduled to arrive in Qatar, further increasing the UK’s air power presence in the region.
The MOD said that during recent operations UK F-35 and Typhoon aircraft, supported by Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft, conducted defensive patrols over Qatar, Jordan and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Prince of wales has been moved to 5 days notice so it sounds like they may be thinking about sending a carrier battle group to the eastern med now..
Operation FIRECREST Is probably pretty screwed now.. as I’m not sure this will be over by April..
Europe probably needs to show up to be honest… the UK especially.
Indeed, I think this will perhaps be the first real test for an emerging ENATO. Can they agree and work together sufficiently? Let’s hope so.
What can the POW give that the ‘fixed’ carrier Akrotiri can’t provide? Apart from defensive actions are you suggesting that We and European countries join in the bombing? Anything that we could provide would probably get in the way of offensive operations,and political hassle the yanks wouldn’t want.
I was thinking the same. What does the carrier bring that we can’t deploy from Cyprus or nearby allied bases?
It would make more sense if it went south of Suez to help defend oil tankers, but I’m not convinced we have the escorts to do that.
I’m thinking east of Suez escorting tankers, maybe with US destroyers as escorts in the straight of humus (spelling).
Carriers don’t escort tankers.
Not the carrier itself, the aircraft on it providing air cover for frigates
A static airfield is easy to target with missiles, a carrier a lot less so and there are a lot of ballistic missiles flying around.
Lots of things in the Gulf or outside the gulf, it’s a long way to the gulf from Akotiri. Plus the fuel and weapons can be shipped out there on the carrier itself rather than in a trail of supply ships.
It’s about messaging.. this is an opportunity to show Russia what ENATO can put into an area where a threat exists… exercises are easy because they are planned.. if ENATO can put 2 carrier battlegroups worth of ships into an area of threat to Europe within 2 weeks of an event just happening that is a massive show of capability and communication of deterrent to our main enemy Russia..
This is not about going all gung ho and joining in with the US in an ill thought out war.. it’s using a crisis as an opportunity to show how ENATO can respond with forces moved into an area of threat…
Deterrence is
Capability
Credibility
Communication
Let’s not waste an opportunity to increase our deterrent by showing all three…. Not reducing it by showing the opposite..Russia is watching.
We know the Americans rushed USS Ford into place, lengthening its deployment time beyond the normal, so they will be looking to replace it at some point. If Prince of Wales and Charles de Gaulle take its place rather than an American carrier it will be seen as E-NATO stepping up. However, either it will have to be a new phase of the war, once all the attacking is complete, or the whole question of legality will have to be revisited by the Attorney General, Lord Hermer.
Agreed. There is a lot of ENATO hardware on the move south at the moment. Add in POW and Dragon plus a T23, and you have a major non-US carrier group. If nothing else, it’s good practice.
Show up and do what? Launch an illegal war against Iran without any clear objectives. Give a load of excuses for terror groups to attack the UK.
No thanks, protect our own assets for sure but stay well out of this mess.
TBF 20 odd attacks by Iranian backed groups have been foiled before this kicked off so I don’t think these Herbert’s need much of an excuse do they?
That’s the problem. For sure the Iranian government is considering how to strike back at the US and it’s allies and the only way it really can is terror attacks. The UK tends to be a good proxy as we are perceived to effectively part of the US without actually attacking the US directly.
It’s been like that since 1979!
Ummm that’s what I said… eastern med gave it away mate.. you don’t attack Iran from the eastern med do you..
Exactly. Let the clown in the White House make his own mess.
👍
A ‘carrier battle group’???? Seriously? PoW cannot sail without suitable escorts which is a T23/T45 combo. Where are they coming from???
You are actually joking… this will see the biggest combined ENATO deployment of frigates and destroyers seen to respond to an attack against NATO This is about ENato and there are a shed loads of escorts heading to the eastern med…
French
Air Defense FREMM Frigate Alsace (D652),
Horizon type air defense destroyer Chevalier Paul (D621),
Horizon type air defense destroyer (Italian Navy) Andrea Doria (D553)
ASW FREMM frigate Languedoc
Spanish
Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Cristóbal Colón AAW frigate
Dutch
frigate HNLMS Evertsen AAW frigate
Italian
frigate Federico Martinengo ( GP FREM)
Greece
Kimon FDI AAW frigate
Psara Meko 2000 hydra class.
Uk
Dragon T45
Even if we only send dragon, that will be 10 modern escorts if we can send a T23 as well 11 modern escorts..
As France is sending a carrier at present there will be 10 escorts for 1 carrier.. with the RN showing up with only 1 escort.. essentially to respond to an attack on our soil..
I don’t know about you but I think the biggest carrier navy in Europe needs to send a carrier, when ENATO responds to an attack on its soil by sending a carrier and 9 escorts…
This is Europe and the UKs opportunity.. our fellow Europeans are stepping up.. are we going to be the weak ass cynical shit show that shows the worth Donald Trump and Putin are correct about Europeans… fuck that send the carrier have ENATO park 2 carriers and 11 escorts on the axis of threat and show the world European power actually exists… this is not about the RN being the best navy in the world..or rule Britiania this is about the RN as one of the 3 large European navy’s turning up with it conventional strategic capability ( carrier) as part of a European response to a threat.
Jonathan, are any of these 10 ships able to break away from their current task and escort PoW from Pompey to the AO and then stay with her, rather than acting in line with their Government’s current orders?
Yes at present the Dutch frigate is preparing and on notice, as is dragon.. that’s 2 for the trip to Spain. The Spanish frigate still around Gib..if the Italian escort then meets it as it enters the eastern med it will arrive with 4 escorts and even in the safe bit of the Atlantic have 2/3 remember none of those 10 escorts were meant to be in the AO and most are still getting ready.. just needs ENATO to gets its act together…. After all the primary function of NATO is deterrence.. this is what it was built to do…
FYI – Dutch frigate Evertsen is already with the french carrier strike group, in fact it was already escorting the carrier in the Baltics before the group was retasked to the Eastern Med.
The carrier group was joined by spanish ships (Alvaro de Bazan frigate and Cantabria resupply ship) and now all past Gibraltar somewhere in the Med. ETA not sure, but probably later today or tomorrow
FYI – France has 11 warships + 1 resupply ship deployed in the region -> 1 carrier, 1 attack sub, 3 Fremm, 2 Horizon, 2 FLF, 2 PHA, 1 BRF
– The carrier group is already past Gibraltar and in transit to eastern Med (CdG carrier, SSN, Fremm Alsace, Horizon Chevalier Paul, BRF Jacques Chevallier) + Spanish Alvaro de Bazan frigate and Cantabria resupply ship + Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen
– Fremm Languedoc -> off the coast of Cyprus
– PHA Tonnerre + FLF Le Courbet -> off the coast of Lebanon for assistance and possible evacuation
– PHA Dixmude + FLF Aconit -> in the Red Sea on mission Jeanne d’Arc 2026 (Indo-Pacific deployement), they are holding station in the north by Egypt
– Horizon Forbin + Fremm (ship unkown) -> in the Red Sea on mission Aspides 2026 (protection against Houthi attacks)
PHA = Mistral class amphib LHD
FLF = Lafayette class frigate
BRF = resupply ship/tanker
It’s certainly a worry with just 6 destroyers, 3 available and now only 6 active frigates, 4 available that means a carrier group with 2 type 45s, 2 type 23s represents the vast majority of the RNs available fighting power. Sad to see how awful and perilously low the armed forces have become
With RAF Akrotiri, I’m not really sure what PoW can add in the Eastern Med.
RAF Akrotiri is easily large enough to house a substantial NATO deployment.
What assets has Germany forward deployed yet, I’m guessing nothing….
Why send a carrier to the eastern Med when you have an RAF base there?
Perception and deterrent Graham
What is deterrent if it’s not providing that you can do something.. exercises are easy, everyone does them and we all know the RN can do a set piece as can France ect.. but can Europe respond to a crisis point with overwhelming force without the Americans..
This is Europes chance to prove it can.. not to rationally send a few fighters to balance the threat in a minimalist way but to use the threat as an opportunity to prove decisive Capability, Credibility and Communication of that fact by dumping 2 whole carrier battle groups on a threat within 2 weeks..
Our E NATO colleagues are responding by sending no less than 9 AAW and ASW escorts down tTo Cyprus to help defend it and our base.. including one carrier.. we should take the opportunity and form a second carrier battle group.. this is better than any set piece exercise and is as real as it gets without their being a true existential risk to a carrier battlegroup..if France, the UK, the Dutch, Greece and Italy can generate two whole CBGs in 2-3 weeks into a threat area Putin and the rest of the world will notice.. and the whole Europeans cannot defend themselves will have taken a massive kicking..
This is Deterrent.. not to Iran but to Russia and all the rest…a line in the sand and proof of what Europe is… we cannot get that from sending a few more fighters to an airbase.. because deterrent is not about and never has been about common sense.. it’s about perception of overwhelming power.
“Show up.” Is this political only? Thank Trump has already snuffed it out
No it’s about deterrent.. it’s about the fact so far European has sent 10 escorts.. France is sending a carrier.. if the RN send a carrier.. that is 2 carriers and 10 escorts..so 2 whole carrier battle groups, generated and sent within a few weeks.. not for a set piece, but as an urgent response to an attack threat and escalation.. that is the Ultimate show of Deterrence.. not to Iran but to Putin.. if European nations put 2 carrier battle groups on the ground in 2-3 weeks the world will notice.. that is massive levels of Communication of Capability and credibility.. the 3 Cs of deterrent.. it’s an opportunity only idiots would not take up considering the threats in the world.. it’s essentially a free display of a wartime response without the real risk and that is not a set piece planned exercises.. these Geostrategic “proving points” hardly ever come up without real and significant risk of an existential war.
A carrier with no escorts is no good to anyone. Other than becoming a Target.
The thing is we are Europeans and Europe is sending 10 escorts to Cyprus so it will have more escorts than a U.S. carrier battle group if we sent it and work as part of NATO..which is the actual point…stronger together….
In defence of interests and allies …yes.
in direct support of Trumps diversionary war…No.
There was zero evidence of an imminent threat and good faith discussions were continuing.
Tricky times as Cyprus may resent uk air base. Yanks probably should not operate out of there during hostilities. Bibi and Iran want chaos , trump wants peace prize. Secondly I cannot see uk facilitating heavy bombing of Tehran, allowing use of our airbases, a replay of the levelling Gaza. No fan of Iran regime or Hamas, just to put on record.
This is purely a political move to gaslight the public into thinking we still have a powerful navy. Where are the orders for more air power – with just 100 Typhoons the RAFs going to be in the same situation as the RN
This needs to be about more than that.. this is a test of European NATO.. a response to a threat is just what European NATO needs to show its ability to COMMUNICATE, CAPABILITY and CREDIBILITY.. there are 10 ENATO escorts heading to Cyprus.. France is sending a carrier if the UK does as well that’s 2 European Carrier battle groups sent to a threat in 2-3 weeks.. you don’t prevent a war with Russia by being sensible.. your bold and brash and take every opportunity to show what EUROPEANS will send into Putins bastions if he crosses our lines.
Sending fighters is not brash or bold.. it’s low visibility sensible response..we as in EUROPE need to communicate the 3C right in Putins face and this is the perfect geopolitical opportunity to do it.
I’m more of the opinion that PoW is intended to replace CdG in the North. There’s almost nothing we would do that justifies two european carrier groups in the Med, so perhaps they are going to bring Firecrest forwards.
The (ignorant) press and public would have a field day with that. “Starmer sends warship to the wrong place! Has he forgotten where Iran is?”
We now have 10 or 12 Typhoons in Cyprus plus 6 F35Bs. And another 8 Typhoons in Qatar. That’s significant airpower.
Indeed. The T45 and the Wildcats with Martlet have a relevant use. Along with the Typhoons and F-35s Akrotiri is protected. A UK Youguv poll says voters are against the UK joining the US and Israeli action against Iran by 2:1. Deploying POW bolsters Starmer’s weak poll ratings and prepares his left wing MPs for an increase in defence spending.
Yep, announce we are going to a 3% defence budget. Then tell Trump to go F@@k himself. Instant polling improvement. 👍 And tell the Chancellor to find the money. Or he’ll find another one who will. Boom.
That requires decisive leadership.
Doris was more decisive. However, Starmer does have moral manoeuvrability -> U turns down to a T….
That’s about the entirety of what we can deploy and still have a semblance of UKAD.
The cupboard really is bare.
We do.. but I think we are missing the point.. this is one massive opportunity for E NATO to do the 3 Cs of deterrent in a big way.. nothing tells the world you can kick their faces in like carrier battle groups.. now set piece deployments are all very good but everyone knows they are planned over years.. this a a crisis and Europe is sending 10 escorts.. France is sending a carrier, this gives us the opportunity to use those escorts and the crisis to form a send European carrier battle group and put it in the area of crisis.. Europe putting two carriers and 10 escorts into a crisis point within 2-3 weeks will send a message to the world that will not be missed.. Putin will know what it’s saying..
This is Europes opportunity to take a crisis and shoes the world that Trumps and Putins words of European weakness are not true..
CAPABILITY, CREDIBILITY, COMMUNICATION.. we and the rest of Europe would be idiots not to be all over it like a rash.. forget the set piece plans.. this is the best opportunity we have for essentially showing what Europe can do…
If this doesn’t show why we, and the European nations need a larger Navy, I don’t know what will.
Between the whole of Europe, we have 3 proper aircraft carriers (2 British and 1 French). CdG is only sometimes available, and generally one RN carrier is available – so 1-2 carriers at any one point. Even if the RN did have both carriers available at once, we only have 40 F35s at the moment. With some in maintenance etc, that means 24 to 28 max available, so 12-14 per carrier if they had to go to different places, or more likely 18-24 on one.
Another European nation really needs a proper carrier (or France needs have two instead of one).
This reply drives the point home that the Royal Navy needs 24-30 escorts and 10 SSNs as an absolute minimum.
To be fair all it’s shown is the special relationship is dead. Clearly the US didn’t give it’s European allies or the UK the heads up for this attack, as if they did assets could have been freed up. For sure we need more but that pales in comparison to the consequences of that.
The US didn’t need our help in this but if Starmer had let them use Fairford and DG (as he is now)at the start probably this shit with Trump would not have happened!
Stuff Trump.
His not letting them use them, not fully. The legal advice was published, it’s legal to take defensive actions.
Mindlessly attacking another country without a justification is not legal.
We are not a state of the US, Starmer job is to do what’s best for the UK not the US.
But he hasn’t been doing that for the last 18 months so at least in this he was being consistent!
Wake up Steve, Starmer and his ilk loathe the UK. They will do nothing to advance your national interests. Terrorist groups have been infiltrating your country for years via the open borders policy. Internally, the UK has been balkanised. It has been pretty obvious for some months that military action might be coming, and yet the UK did nothing to reinforce its bases.
Wake up yourself and look at history. We went into two wars with the US without clear legal basis or clear win conditions and lost both badly with many dead British service man for nothing. Do we really want to do it a third time, especially considering how badly trump has treated the UK over the last few years with tarrifs etc.
Steve, are you rewriting history? We did not go into the two world wars with the US – they arrived several years later.
We entered WW1 in 1914 to honour the 1839 treaty guaranteeing Belgium’s frontiers (Treaty of London); the Kaiser refused to respond to a British ultimatum to withdraw forces from Belgium. Thats as close to a legal justification as you can get.
We entered WW2 after Hitler breached the 1938 Munich Agreement and also to honour the Anglo-Polish Agreement of 31 March 1939.
We lost both wars? I thought we won both!!
Ww1 and 2 were 80 odd years ago, a lot has changed since and a lot of wars. And Iran is not nazi Germany. Russia is a closer link and look at the lack of interest by the US.
I would consider the invasion of Iraq to be on a very weak legal footing but Afghanistan was and remains a clear case of self defence. That our political elite blindly followed US policy is obvious but the fault lies with us as we are allegedly a sovereign state and we could certainly have walked away from Afghanistan after 6 months with no impact on our relationship with the US.
My problem with our current policy and the keenness of many on the left to put two fingers up to the US is that they seem unaware that we are no position to defend ourselves and are totally reliant on the US.
If the US therefore removes its aircraft from its bases in the U.K. and the regular deployment of SSNs who pays to increase the size of the U.K. armed forces, is it more taxes, cuts to welfare or are we going to ask Mr Putin and others nicely to leave us alone.
As for Iran let’s be clear if they could get hold off of a ballistic missile that could hit the U.K. and mainland Europe they would definitely use it. We were signatories of the deal with Iran brokered by Obama but have seemed quite happy to do nothing as they have developed their conventional capabilities (not forgetting their nuclear ambitions) and become a principal supplier of drones to Russia in their war with Ukraine.
When would the U.K. actually do something because from what I see that unless the Iranians fired a ballistic missile at the U.K. the answer is very little.
Whilst I am not advocating unilateral action we seem to have become obsessed with legal niceties and soft power almost as a misguided cover for our lack of moral courage (and hardware) to deal robustly with regimes that are our sworn enemies who would gladly destroy everything we believe to be important.
Our allies have noticed this decline and worryingly I don’t just mean the US.
🤡
That’s just wrong Steve. Starmer ‘and his ilk’ love the UK as much as we all do. But they have a clearer understanding what needs to be done. Luke 19:42 ‘ If only you had known, even in this your day, which things are for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes’. As my grandmother used to say, advice is only for those who will take it’; which certainly does not include Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. Cyprus is a target because of reckless warmongering on behalf of a handful of religious, fanatic settlers who take the Old Testament literally.
Really?plenty of videos showing B1/52s coming into Fairford at the moment. I wonder where they are going🤔
Yes it’s legal to take defensive actions which is all we were ever going to do anyway! I haven’t read anywhere on this site that has said we should join in the bombing but we should have been ready for what was coming our way! Indeed the RN suggested putting a T45 in the med but were ignored.
We have given them permission to attack launchers only. Whether they are abusing that permission is another question .
Based on the advice given there is no such thing as a legal war. Based on that same legal advice Iran can keep on killing us until the cows come home and we still have no right to take any offensive action to prevent it.
😂
What is illegal is going to war based ‘on a feeling’.
Diversionary war that should not be supported.
Defending cyprus and allies after war started is legal.
We may or may not agree on the details here, but my point is that the definition of a legal military action being used by the current Govt is that you can only use your Armed Forces in a defensive manner and ONLY THEN IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVES. The definition is also so narrow that if someone was to invade the UK and take Kent and Essex, if they stopped offensive actions we would not be able to mount a counter offensive to take it back. To do so is illegal.
” The UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence IS THE ONLY FEASIBLE MEANS to deal with an ONGOING ARMED ATTACK and where the force used is necessary and proportionate.”
Trump did not consult with uk to use Fairford and DG. Would have loved to see his reaction when starmer said no. Wondering if usa has other airstrips its long range bombers can use to access Middle East? Yes there are lots of bases around but they not for these missions.
The request to use RAF bases was a fair giveaway TBH. As soon as I heard that, I assumed to myself it was going to happen in about 2 weeks.
Additional jets were sent to Cyprus following it. So it wasn’t ignored but equally you would expect your allies to give you the heads up before putting your nationals across the region in danger.
The current reinforcing of Cyprus is all just a reaction to the media stories. In theory the assets there should have been enough and appear to have been as no damage was caused.
Assets in Akrotiri were there for Op Shader, with a few more Typhoons sent a bit later. Nope, to run a 24/7 QRA to missiles and drones and to continue on Op Shader tasking then nope not enough sorry. Improved now but a little bit late.
The op shader jets could be reused if needed. Clearly an attack on the base would take priority. 12-14 fully armed typhoons, plus however many f35b were sent could take out a lot of slow moving drones.
Until we know how on earth the drone got through undedicated we cant comment on whether there was sufficient assets there or not.
Feels like the wrong asests were there and we have doubled down on that, but it’s guess work.
Sorry mate needed more, to maintain 2 Typhoons on QRA and another 2 for immediate replacement when tasked that’s 4, another 2-4 on maintenance/serviceability issues, leaving just 2-4 for Op Shader taskings. No matter how people try to cut it this was negligent by Starmer who pretty much ignored the advice from his head sheds in the job. Be aware to maintain QRA North and QRA South in the UK takes about 25% of the operational and serviceable Typhoon fleet. Cheers
Not disagreeing we need more, just saying based on the current threat level we have enough there. Would be good to have more defensive assets to protect them but we are where we are.
To be honest a blind man locked in a dark box, with ear muffs on and in a dark cellar knew this attack was coming. No excuse from HMG for this absolute shit show! Yes they are reacting now, and appropriately, but the intelligence services would have advised Starmer about what is due to happening (so many signs even using OS int) and any excuse by him and his supporters is just unrealistic and patronising.
Absolutely right. Pity he did not ask the Iranians for a few weeks notice that they or their proxies would shoot at Iran to put assets we barely have into place….
However, Robert further up is right, twenty or so jets is big for the RAF, considering how small it has become.
The deployment of Merlin, assume a Crowsnest, was called by Davey B as ideal on an earlier article.
The yawning lack of AA cannons and GBAD is still present, which is why HMG is jumping up and down at how many jets the RAF has deployed.
Wish there was an edit function back on this site…Iran is, of course, Cyprus.
Agreed mate, good use of the Crows nest before it gets binned!
You are absolutely spot on but what is not being mentioned is the in year MOD budget overspend that means defence had to find £2bn of savings (cuts) for this financial year. The consequences are ships tied up and the absolute bare minimum of activity to minimise expenditure. If only Donald had asked the Treasury when it was more convenient to start a war we might have avoided some of this embarrassment.
Let’s hope the humiliation leads to some tangible consequences and an increase in the budget because nothing is going to change until it does and for a sustained period of time.
The “Special Relationship” that the left love to hate and proudly trumpet is dead whenever two politicians disagree has sod all to do with the political level.
It exists between GCHQ NSA, SIS, CIA, FBI, SS, and areas of the military. You’ll find it ticking along much as before regardless.
Partially true. Dont forget the UK refused to share intel with the US recently. Things aren’t as smooth on that side either.
We have always been their lap dog to help them justify their international intervention, but recently and not just post trump 2 but also under before, it’s come clear that it’s only a one way deal.
Yeah we refused to share intel the US might have used to murder more people on boats in the Caribbean.
We try not to be accessories to murder.
Forgot fishermen are using ultra fast speedboats, loaded with packages that they dump into the sea when caught!
I forgot that the response to drug running is to whack them with a Hellfire missile.
Not a major concern from me, 3 or 4 drug running lizards die, as opposed to hundreds of crack heads, people getting robbed and lives destroyed. Pick a side and my side is decent people. But its a Trump thing, if Obama did this the left will worship the floating remains as religious items.
I understand that Obama deported more than Trump has?
I’d didn’t say “fisherman”, I said “people”. And both the RN and US Coast Guard have been successfully intercepting these boats and arresting those aboard.
The difference is that the US has not abandoned due-process of law and it simply executing them at sea on the basis of assumed guilt.
Starmer himself said the other day that the SR is largely intelligence sharing.
He’s right.
And it continues, even if you wish it not so Steve.
So your confirming it’s over. Both the UK and the US have stopped sharing intel with each other in recent months. Basically it’s intel sharing when it suits the other countries national interest rather than anything special.
Errr, no, Steve, how is me saying “the SR os intelligence sharing” me confirm it’s over?
And how could I, or you, or anyone in the left media which trumpets stuff confirm anything at all. Go ask GCHQ at the level of sharing between ukusa, plus Canda, NZ, Aus.
Just because some data is withheld doesn’t mean all is.
Go and look at GCHQ Morwenstowe, Scarborough, MoD Digby, MoD Wyton, MoD Menwith Hill, where US civilian and military people are alongside UK staff and tell me “its over” stop being daft.
When NSA was brain dead a decade or so ago GCHQ took over for a few days, they are that linked, physically.
With respect, I think your anti American politics is clouding your judgement here, in your thirst to have all collaboration ended.
When it’s officially confirmed that US staff have left those places, when SFDD and DSF no longer train together, when CIA and SIS no longer share data, when the RN and RAF are no longer embedded in Dam Nek, when high tech classified nuclear tech is no longer shared between LANL and AWE, when we no longer share tech on SSN reactors, when the 1952 MDA is annulled, and when the US pull out of the UK physically. Then, it is over.
A media report that “some data” is withheld doesnt even begin to touch the rest, not does a statement that it’s over from non STRAP cleared posters on an Internet forum! 🙄
We’ll leave it there, as this conversation is getting silly, so I won’t be replying on this one further, except to suggest that you really do some research beyond the headlines in the papers and whatever spat happens between Presidents and Prime Ministers.
And….as said, do let me know when all those joint organisations in the MoD with Americans in 24/7, sharing data, have disbanded and the US removal vans arrived.
I can list them if you want individual examples for study.
Turkey is building one.
With all due respect, please don’t project the RN shortcomings to others.
FYI the french carrier strike group just passed Gibraltar and is heading to the eastern Med and will arrive in the next 48 hours, which means France will have 12 ships in the eastern Med and Red Sea by monday: aircraft carrier, SSN, 3 Fremm, 2 Horizon, 2 Mistral amphib LHD, 2 Lafeyette, 1 BRF supply ship. (not sure if FDI is still escorting the carrier or still deployed in the North Sea / Baltic Sea)
as for other european navies, dutch and spanish frigates have joined the CdG carrier, with an italian frigate expected to join the group.
On top of that, the greek FDI frigate Kimon is off the coast of Cyprus currently
If an accurate account of naval assets deployed to the Med, it represents a quite impressive response from the MN! 🤔👍
yes, but it’s not just eastern Med, it also includes the Red Sea, french ships still doing mission Aspides vs potential Houthi drones
We already have a carrier in the eastern Mediterranean, HMS Cyprus 🤷🏻♂️
Availablity rate of UK F35 is 40%
Might be a good time to fit those missing 4x30mm onto the POW to complement their Phalanx’s and EW. There should be plenty of spares from the retired T23s lying around.
Innocent question, how agile are the drones generally? Does it take a missile to take them out or would conventional AA be sufficient in some cases? I realize that drones come in a variety of capabilities, so would woulkd require a variety of defenses.
FYI the Shahed drones fired are not agile nor fast -> you can shoot them with a marksman from a helicopter if needed, as been done numerous times in Ukraine and the Red Sea.
In fact you only want to use missiles as a last resort since they cost much much more than the drones.
This is why it’s best to use cheaper drones, airburst ammo, laser guided rockets, etc… vs these types of drones
The real trick is detecting them early enough (esp if low flying) and being there at the right place at the right time
Ah, and I suppose being able to take out a swarm all at once as well, thank you!
Good idea, add the Martlett missiles mounts to their sides as well for a really respectable anti drone capability
Better late than never on Cyprua aircraft. POW is for show and a waste of time and money.
Generally or just this possible deployment? I wonder why it’s necessary when there’s so many airfields available.
It’s not necessary, unless things escape to full WWW3… which you can’t discount with Dementia Don.
Just thia deployment. We don’t ned to send a carrier into a danger zone when we have belattedly reinforced Cyprus with fighter support.. By the time ut gets there it will be too late.
It’s less of a waste of time and money than yourself.
Thank you for the really heplful comment. Always welcome. Pity you don’t concentrate on defence.
Spock is a famously angry man on this site
Don’t take it personally he clearly has problems at home, poor fellow 😞
Thanks for the thought. 👍
He is, and he is getting worse with his child like abuse, its a shame as he can be knowledgeable and interesting. Maybe there is two Spocks?
Maybe he is bipolar?
it can also be used to evacuate people in need. plenty of people stuck and plenty of flights cancelled in that region
It’s a good thought but in this instance I don’t think it’s practical. A carrier loaded with F35’s? Now if we still had HMS Ocean or similar maybe.
I hope come November time and Remembrance Sunday we aren’t remembering UK Forces victims of this war. Not our war. It a distraction from the Epstein Files
Your travails with Trump are self inflicted. The left wing lawyers that run your country have seen to that. I never thought I’d be singing the praises of my PM Albanese, but he is Churchill like compared to your bunch.
Just a note from across the pond, this Iran thing isn’t as popular as you’d think. Gas has risen 30c a gallon already, all sorts of mixed messaging from the administration. 6 service people dead. The average civilian doesn’t like the regime in Iran, but it’s been that way for 47 years, however the American public will not support boots on the ground…. Period. Everyone is trying to figure out the end game here. Most believe there isn’t one.
Protectrd apart from incoming high trajectory bsllistic missiles which T45 cant really currently deal with. Upgrades planned but not yet executed.
Successive govts have dithered for decades on this and other such issurs
‘The Ministry of Defence also confirmed that a Merlin helicopter is being deployed to the region’
It’s all a bit back to 25 October 1415
‘We few, we happy few…’
‘The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!’
Having lived in Cyprus I have seen a first hand the anti British military feeling among the Cypriot population and now they (the Cypriots) are blaming the UK’s military presence on the island for the attacks plus the fact that we have little to no protection from ballistic missiles or drones on the island. The Greek Navy (yes they still have one) was first to respond to the Cypriots appeal for help closely followed by the French navy who both have a Frigate off the Cypriot coast that along with the total lack of response by the UK government due to our inability to put a vessel to sea at short notice, we have increased the number of Typhoons and sent 2 Lynx along with a hand full of F35’s but the writing was on the wall long before this war started so the Cypriot government will use this lack of the UK’s ability to defend Cyprus as an excuse to close the sovereign bases on Cyprus or at the very least have the Brits replaced with some one with money to invest in the islands defences.
This might well be what the current UK government is after as it seems that it is quite happy reducing the UK’s armed forces to a “self defence force” so that they can then get rid of all over seas commitments like Cyprus and Gibraltar or may-be sell them to Trump so they can give themselves anouther pay rise.
Steven, the Cypriot govermnment cannot close the two SBAs – the most they could do is blockade them.
You are right Graham, normally that would be the case, but with this government happy to see the demise of the UK’s ability to wage war or even defend its overseas assets or even the UK itself and just as happy paying other countries to take control of overseas assets it raises the question who’s side is the UK political classes on, and what is their real agenda. It will only take the Cypriot government to lodge a complaint with the UN for our assets in the Eastern Med to go the same way as our assets in the Indian ocean. The government can afford to give them selves a £5000 pay rise but cannot afford to spend money of defending the UK or its overseas assets.
Would be very unfortunate if bibi / trump have stirred up local resentment to uk base in Cyprus.
I believe those two could stir up resentment just about any were they go, the resentment in Cyprus towards the UK squaddie has been there for some time but it is not helped by the lack of protection for the island as if you base a shed load of military equipment along with personnel with little to no protection it is going to get wacked along with any civilians that happen to be in the vicinity and as Cypriot economy revolves around the tourist then if they stop comming due to “in-comming” then the locals tend to get pissed off.
So you lived in Cyprus,and you didn’t know it was NOT down to the UK Govt to Protect the Island of Cyprus ?.
But it is down to the UK to protect the SBA’s
iran has to be defeated, we can’t have nut cases in charge of nuclear weapons, it’s not fair, but the world isn’t
What about the nut in the WH? Possibly leads the world in nuttiness
What nut, I know there was a dotard a year or so ago, but the Dems lost the election ?
Interesting no Sky Sabre deployment.
To be fair, a Stormer loaded with Martkey and linked to the Giraffe AMB, wound be sufficient against Shahed type drones. However, if Hezbollah use a ballistic missile, then we’d need something more than Sky Sabre.
I think sky sabre is there – also can our proud British politicians on all sides please point out to the orange oaf that Britain fought for freedom for years before the Americans turned up – it took pearl harbour to get them off their asses – our day of infamy will be when the contractor give us the bill for the hole in our roof
12 Typhoon.
6 F35B.
2 Wildcat.
2 Protector.
2 Merlin ASCS.
Rapid Sentry.
ORCUS.
Assume Sky Sabre.
Plus Typhoons in Qatar, plus a T45 and possibly a Carrier coming.
Who says we don’t defend our assets?
The problem is the optics, much of that list are late, after the event, where some should have been in place before.
As you quite rightly pointed out we are putting in place assets to defend Cyprus but this war has been on the cards for some time so a lot of this looks like a “to little To late” response, The Cypriot gov has been looking for an excuses to challenge the UK’s SBA’s on the island and given the location of Cyprus we (the UK) should have invested in a good AAA for the island years ago as again this response from Iran and its proxies has been anticipated since the 1980’s. There is also several darker sides to this, with the limited number of Typhoon’s and none on order, the extra stress on the airframes will shorten there active life span, having so few means each one is working a lot harder, the UK government is trying to use the RAF as a replacement for not having a Naval presence in the area but with the RAF on its chinstraps it will not be long before they are in the same state as the RN.
As always, courtesy of HMG.
Pure Scum.
Our political masters have just given them selves an extra £5000 pay rise this is like a pat on the back for being totally inept, we (the UK citizen) are partially to blame for keep voting these little piggy’s back into power. What is needed is a total clean out at the top and the word “accountability” put into there job description.