Trying to keep up our guard: too much ocean, not enough ships
Naval conflict in the Gulf?
In a recent speech in Washington, Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond stated that any attempt to block a key trade route in the Gulf will be met with military force from the Royal Navy. “Our joint naval presence in the Arabian Gulf, something our regional partners appreciate, is key to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for international trade.” Of course protection of trade is the fundamental role of the Royal Navy, but have successive governments so hollowed out the navy it is now unable to fulfil that role?
Like in most conflicts, war with Iran will mean everyone loses in some way. Iran’s fragile economy would be destroyed and because it would have no allies, would ultimately suffer military defeat. Make no mistake, the Iranians have the ability to sink ships and kill sailors. However it would be madness for them to block the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of the world’s oil passes. The US and UK would respond and have support across the region and even from China which is now the biggest customer of oil passing through the Strait. Oil prices would rocket, further damaging the fragile world economy and the UK could suffer gas shortages as we are heavily reliant on supplies of Liquid Natural Gas from the Middle East. And of course the UK can ill-afford another conflict, even the ‘relatively simple’ Libya campaign may have cost the UK around £1.75 Billion. War with Iran could be much more dangerous and costly.
Unfortunately logic may not be enough to prevent the unstable and sometimes crazed Iranian regime lurching to war. Further provoked by Israeli assassinations of key nuclear scientists, the mad mullahs and extreme elements may be gaining the upper hand, even Iranian students are marching to “Give war a chance”.
So where are the Royal Navy’s big-hitters?
As the Mr Hammond contemplates the appalling prospect of war with Iran, it’s clear the Royal Navy would be very much in the front-line with the US Navy. Having hastily axed the UK strike carrier capability (until at least 2020), we would again be reliant on expensively deployed land-based aircraft and US naval airpower. Due to the short-sighted decision not to fit the Type 45s with Tomahawk, we will have only 1 or 2 submarines as launch platforms to attack Iranian land targets such as naval installations, airfields or missile sites.
Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring will arrive in the Gulf in February and will replace HMS Argyll. (part of the routine cycle of RN warships present in the Gulf since 1980). If the Type 45s work as advertised they should have few problems dealing with missile and air attack and should be able to provide area defence for a large group of ships. The Type 23 frigates with upgraded SeaWolf missiles should also be effective against missile attack but they can really only defend themselves or another ship in very close company. RN presence in the Gulf is significant but inadequate to make much difference without international support. Simple lack of numbers is the problem – just with 1 Destroyer or Frigate, 1 Submarine, 4 Mine hunters & 3 RFAs. Of course the RN could send more ships but there are precious few available.
The biggest threat to RN surface ships and merchant vessels is probably from Iran’s midget submarines which would be incredibly hard to detect in the warm shallow waters of the Gulf that cause problems for both passive and active sonars. Swarm attacks by multiple small craft or suicide boats may also be hard to counter and there is no navy in the world that has significant experience of dealing with this. At least 13 oil or gas tankers per day would require escort through the Straits, and even in convoys they it will require a lot of capable surface escorts.
Modern mines are also a serious threat but the RN’s small mine-hunting force is probably the best in the world and has extensive experience operating the in Gulf, dealing with many mines in the aftermath of the first Gulf war. The RN has been gathering very accurate seabed surveys over that last decade which are very helpful in mine warfare.
2010 Defence cuts, unwise then, frightening now
While this government justifies its defence cuts with the dogma “our most important strategic aim in to maintain our triple-A credit rating by cutting the deficit” they may like to consider the state of our strategic interests around the world. As discussed above, a naval conflict with Iran in the Gulf is quite possible this year. Despite the vague intention to leave Afghanistan in 2014, the Taliban seems far from defeated (43 UK troops killed in 2011). At a time when the UK has wisely begun to distance itself from the basket-case that is the European Union, the US has announced it will be more focused on the Pacific and rightly expects European nations to do more to defend themselves. Argentina is becoming more belligerent over the Falklands which David Cameron has promised to vigorously defend. It is possible that international intervention in Syria may become necessary in order to protect the population from it’s increasingly violent government. The RN is committed to providing a significant contribution to security for the Olympics in London this summer. It is time for the government to take bold, possibly unpopular decisions and get to grips with defence funding & procurement and re-build the Royal Navy for the safety and security of the nation.
Related articles
- MoD confirm the Type 45 destroyer will join British presence in the region (Daily Mail)
- Britain threatens military action with Iran (Telegraph)
- Captain says ‘we’re ready for anything’ as HMS Daring heads for Gulf (Portsmouth News)
- Warning over the size of the Royal Navy (Portsmouth News)
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Nelson must be turning in his tomb! The UK with no aircraft carrier(s).
This is the country that invented them.
I would go so far as to charge the PM with treason.
My father was in the RN, after Dunkirque they were issued with cutlasses as there were not enough small arms to go round. We have always looked seeward for our stamping ground, now we are fast turning into a banana republic.
I wonder if anyone reads these,
Anyway, dare I say it, the prime minister, and no one else is to blame for this mess, sorry David, but this is what happens when you take advice from fools costing millions to tell you nothing,
Your prediction of no problems in the world for the foreseeable future, has frankly hit the wall has it not, we have [Libya] and what did you and the military brass do abt other possible threats, oh of course their was none, now we have the Falklands and we have IRAN where’s you planning then,
But enough of that, the problem at hand, what are you doing abt it, are you stopping any other ships or planes or redundancies, just in case, have you secretly put HMS ark royal back onto repair and getting it fit for sea, are you re-entering into service the ships that you have just taken out, and that lovely new ship in limbo, perhaps you have secretly got the harrier re-ready just in case,
Have you stopped any more reduction in army things like the tanks, perhaps you are giving some troops desert training, perhaps moving some RAF planes to the gulf,
Perhaps you have done precisely nothing, but hey, nothing will happen, we can cope, no problem,
All I ask is this, the ball stops with you, no excuses no passing the buck, if you get caught , and British personnel die in your governments incompetence, you and only you will carry the can, your career will be finished, your government will probably collapse, this country will be in turmoil, the lib-dems will never see the light of day again, and you will hand this country back to the same party, that had 13 years of un-interrupted incompetence, , your choice your decision,
But please for the sake of great Britain, don’t let us be humiliated and destroyed, because of your ego, a government without a back up plan, is no government at all,
Just my opinion and no offence intended,
Thank you .
Worth mentioning Iran also has a 3 Kilo submarines (1 or 2 can be deployed) an old foe from the RN cold war days these are one of the quietest Subs in the world.This may limit what type 23s that can be deployed as only 8 have the modern anti submarine sonar to cope with the threat.Also the iranian airforce has a fairly modern air force a few F-14s Mirages and MIg 29s for air superiority role. Thease threats would be annihilated by US firepower but iran may attack the weaker RN which could be seen as politically embarrassing and weakening for the British Government and Military but also a tragedy of loss of life.