MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
The Royal Navy with more admirals than surface warships?
London's Daily Mirror had taken on the Royal Navy arguing that the shrunken service now has nearly twice as many admirals as surface warships. In effect despite destroyers and frigates being cut to a paltry 19, the Senior Service still boasts 33 admirals on £100,000 a year. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesHmmmmmmm.....
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:17 am - Link - Report abuse 033 Admirals for 22 surface warships....
And how many Vice Admirals...?
How many Rear Admirals...?
Commodores...?
Captains...?
Armed Farces, alright...
Chuckle chuckle
Could be worse I suppose, our Navy could have warships sinking in port and submariners going to see for 6 hours a year.... chuckle indeed!
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina has more presidents than effective fighting warships...
Oct 19th, 2014 - 10:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0There is not a doubt in my mind that at some point this century, we are going to have to defend our own overseas territories militarily.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The thinking has been that a reduced navy in size has been due to an increased sophistication meaning that we do not require as many ships to get the job done as we once did. If one ship, as claimed, could hypothetically destroy every military aircraft in south america, then we don't need 20 of them.
What it does mean is that we should pick our wars carefully and not spread ourselves too thin by fighting other nations battles for them.
If Iran, Saudi, Jordan, UAE, Turkey and Egypt don't like the sound of an Islamic state Caliphate on their doorstep, then they should be the ones putting the lions share of troops, jets and military hardware on the ground to defeat them.......NOT US. Saudi Arabia has 700 military jets, why do they need our 8 tornados?
As regards 33 admirals, if it hits the press, becomes an issue and reflects badly on the government, i'm sure they will axe them in the run up to the election, that is the way things get done here these days.
Hmmmmmmm.....
Oct 19th, 2014 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I was going to write about the Argentinean Navy after reading post #1.....
But not even I can kick a dog when it's down.
“Stick close to your desks and never go to sea
Oct 19th, 2014 - 12:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And you will be the rulers of the Queens Navee”
-Sir Joseph Porter, HMS Pinafore 1878
So whats new?
Admirals do not command ships, Lt Commanders through outright Captains do. Command Admirals typically command a task force or a battle group......or even a fleet. Admirals or Generals also serve in government position, in the US, the presidential staff, intelligence, even as a liaison between defense contractors and defense dept. Somewhat of a no article of an article. Interesting to see what RG trolls jumped on it.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 01:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There must be a Brit Sailor here somewhere......do you really use a Commodore? In the US that is a wartime commission.
Not all naval personnel are permenantly at sea... for example, James Bond was a Royal Naval Reserve Commander. Fleming based his fictional creation on a number of individuals he came across during his time in the Naval Intelligence Division...
Oct 19th, 2014 - 02:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0:-)))))
... Not hugely relevant to mention a fictional character, but as Cap Poppy pointed out, this is a bit of a non-story anyway. Admirals are more involved as strategists, planners and liasion brokers, or In Intelligence roles these days.
A British, vaguely leftwing, tabloid rag is obviously short of a decent headline or two this week... just trying to stir things up to reach its sales targets is my guess.
@4 makes the most pertinent comment, thus;
“As regards 33 admirals, if it hits the press, becomes an issue and reflects badly on the government, i'm sure they will axe them in the run up to the election, that is the way things get done here these days.”
A free press and a functioning democracy, works quite well in the long run I have found...
Porteña married Yank at (7)...
Oct 19th, 2014 - 02:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0...That would undoubtedly be an easy question for our resident RN Commander (retired) Mr. DoveOverDover...
@5. Why would you characterise argieland as a dog? Argieland is a slug. Any problem standing on a slug?
Oct 19th, 2014 - 02:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The important thing is to consider what's coming. Two 70,000 tonne aircraft carriers. The Type 26 escorts. The Type 45 air defence destroyers. The Astute class fleet submarines. The reprovisioning vessels. A carrier group of 10 vessels. Isn't that an admiral's command?
Re Twinky's comment. Just how many serviceable surface warships does argieland have? SIX! But argieland never reveals how may occifers it has. Probably about 12 admirals. Argies like the gaudy uniforms. It's all machismo. Uniform doesn't stop you getting shot or blown apart, Twinky. How unfortunate that war criminal Anaya couldn't have been captured by British forces. But he was hiding behind his desk. He would have been shot. Just like all argie invaders should have been shot. But we've learned. Just watch how your future war criminals are shot! The evidence is compelling. An argie on the Falklands. War criminal. Sentence is death by machine gun. No-one EVER returns. War criminal in argieland? Bombs and missiles. Until the slug is given up.
sack 'em.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 04:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0there's no doubt whatsoever that there is a huge top-end bloat in the command structure and that some of these positions are nothing but left-overs from previous decades when there was a decent sized navy.
so sack those (retire them) whoa rent fulfilling an active and serious role.
there's absolutely zero point trying to defend this service top-end bloat as if its not an issue - just kick the fuggers out - we simply do not have the navy we used to and we dont need that many admirals and staff.
COnqueror - youre simpoly doing waht the Malvos do and pointing your finger at osmebody else and saying “they're just as bad” as if that makes out situation any better... waste of time and energy.
admit the problem and fix it, dont try to fob it off as somebody else problems or ignore it exists.
we've got a bloody tiny navy regardless of how modern it appears and we dont need the command bloat.
anglotine
Oct 19th, 2014 - 06:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I was going to write about the Argentinean Navy after reading post #1.....”
the good thing is that you don´t need to write anything about the argentinian navy.
we already know it is a mess.
the funny thing here is that these imbecile english wannabes still think that the english navy is powerful.
these halfwits still live in the 18th century.
You would Think these silly argies would understand catch 22,
Oct 19th, 2014 - 07:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Its our navy, so worry abt your own fine sinking navy,
chuckle chackle. chickle
The 70000 tonne carier has been designed by Spanish engineers by the Spanish company Sener...not bad spain!! not bad at all!!
Oct 19th, 2014 - 07:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0That these imbecile English wannabes still think that the English navy is powerful.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Think..THINK
For your information the English navy IS the most powerful navy in the world,
15 aircraft carriers
12 heli carriers
57 battleships
21 cruisers
67 frigates,
27 assault ships,
And over 200 other various ships,
Including 45 missile subs,
And 27 nuclear subs,
Plus 175,000 royal marines.
And 3 Argentine admirers..
So don’t cry for us Argentina
P/S
As soon as you THINK you have found this new super stealth navy let us know,,,,,
Then we can laugh at you…
In the meantime the ROYAL NAVY is doing just fine, thanks for the interest..
Twit twats..
14,
was this not a contract to build 5 for air fix...lol
“The Royal Navy with more admirals than surface warships?”
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0D'oh!!! Then increase the number of warships!!!
Sandy Woodward was “Rear Admiral, 3rd flotilla” The Flotilla being “made up of 20 destroyers and frigates”
I'll say that again, 3RD flotilla.
The UK's defense budget really does need to increase by about 3 x as much as we are spending at the moment....... oh and if we stop HS2, there's another £70 Billion we can use for defense.
oh forgot to mention!! Sener the Spanish engineering and technlogy group will be also designing the new nucleur ships and the new Type 26 frigates for the Royal navy.......
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 07 Captain Poppy
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“There must be a Brit Sailor here somewhere......do you really use a Commodore?”
I am not a navy man but yes we do still use the rank of Commodore.
The officer in charge of the landings for operation Sutton ( retaking the Falkland Islands ) was known as COMAW ( commodore amphibious warfare ) Mike Clapp
aussiesunshine
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0exactly.
they are using the program foran of sener.
it seems these english fools finally realized that their programs / engineers are as useless as their products.
“Revealed: Shock 'Code Red' safety report on British nuclear subs as fleet is hit by leaking, cracked reactors and lack of trained staff”
not to mention that even the aussies prefer to hire a spanish company (navantia) than that joke of english companies.
“Navantia LHDs Being Built for Australian and Spanish Navies”
17 aussiesunshinee
Oct 19th, 2014 - 08:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“oh forgot to mention!! Sener the Spanish engineering and technlogy group will be also designing the new nucleur ships and the new Type 26 frigates for the Royal navy.......”
Your point being......................... what exactly?
The spanish already built a ( small ) part of the Eurofighter...... The new aircraft carriers are jointly built along with Thales, a french company.
So........... what point are you trying to make?
Whatever it is could you please make it and then GFO 'cos it's boring the hell out of me, although Paulie is working himself into quite a lather over it ( what ever “it” is...... )
And...if they axed all 33 of the admirals for some saving of £3M or so, that would pay for the operation of 1 surface vessel for about 2 months of the year, ignoring capital cost. Its a nice easy target for the press to bring up but it is not in the least bit material.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 09:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Paul-carrion is to too ignorant to understand how global corporations work together across international boundaries.
Oct 19th, 2014 - 10:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0He should look more closely at how Argentina got its tinpot little satellite into Space.
Come on paulie-parasito, where was it launched from? Whose technology actually put your bag of spanners up there?
Lol!
imbecile 22
Oct 19th, 2014 - 11:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0you are not too bright, are you?
who cares about that argentine satellite, you forro?
we are not brainwashed ignorants like you and the rest of the english wannabes.
we know that argentina is irrelevant in technology.
the thing here is that you, genius, think that england has the most powerful navy (lol), that they are capable of building their own ships (lol), and that they are a 1st world nation (lol).
sorry to burst your bubble but you are wrong, you boludou.
and you should thank god and the whole world that england realized they are incapable of building anything.
their relation with technology has had the worst results ever, from nuclear accidents to the worst ecological disaster.
they suck.
Ummm. ..
Oct 19th, 2014 - 11:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am currently in London. Global financial capital. Doesn't seem very third world to me.
I could prove you wrong on every thing you said but I just can't be bothered. You know you are talking shit anyway, as does everyone else.
where are you paulie?
Can you drink the water there?
Arf!
Pablito,
Oct 20th, 2014 - 12:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Can you list some first world countries for me?
Can you also list some navies that are stronger than the UK's?
@2, 3, 5
Oct 20th, 2014 - 02:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0And right on queue, here arrive the hypocrites being caught in the black light like flies (but I may be shortchanging fly intelligence).
Posters 2, 3, and 5 are just some of the same poor fools that have lashed at me like squealing pups in the Argentina topics all these years for “going off topic” by making comments on the state of affairs of their countries, and others, in whatever the topic the article is talking about (economy, crime, sport, etc).
Yet here they appear, on a rare England topic in this news site, and what do they do after reading a whopping 1 reply? They make the topic Argentina's military. So in effect, in the Argentina threads if they discuss and humiliate Argentina is fine, and we cannot talk about their countries because it is off-topic... But here we have Think making a completely valid comment (which these morons just happen to not like very much), so they immediately switch from talking about the topic at hand, which they completely avoided, to trying to soothe their pique by attacking Argentina.
I rest my case on this pack of anti-argie, Pecksniffian, boorish Claque.
Do these “Pecksniffians” make you feel humiliated?
Oct 20th, 2014 - 03:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Add 27 to the list of incapables to sticking to topic.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 03:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0What do you have to say about the topic?
Oct 20th, 2014 - 03:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0Excuse you, I have no interest in the topic. Even if I did, I am not informed enough upon it to make an educated contribution.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 03:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0I know those are standards which are given a wide berth by the anti-argie crowd here (commenting on a country they know scant nothing about), but they are my standards.
The topic here is the English navy and what do most of you talk about? Argentina's military... certainly a sad commentary on the state of affairs of the UK when they have to bring Argentina's military up to feel better about their own.
So you aren't going to say anything about the topic?
Oct 20th, 2014 - 03:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0Nostrils
Oct 20th, 2014 - 04:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0- can't say anything nice, but doesn't stop at saying, nothing at all, just nothing on topic.
The UK has a Navy that is well trained and builds and designs their own ships and systems.
Hmmm, apart from the U.S., is anybody else doing much better?
@23. Selective memory moron.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 05:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0Spain sorted out the problem of their Ultra Modern one way submarines yet?
Great at submerging, not so clever at surfacing! Must be a Latin thing?
Not to worry though. A Spanish source said, “We should have built them longer, but no problem, the Germans are going to sort it for us.”
@26
Oct 20th, 2014 - 08:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0Top marks for your witticism regarding the intelligence of flies etc.
That was quite good really.
The emphasise on Nuclear submarines by the MOD to avoid the question on UK's conventional forces decline, is daft.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 09:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0What use are nuclear weapons anyway. There's no such thing as a tactical nuclear weapon. Such talk of that assumes a definite outcome. It assumes nobody would go beyond that in retaliation.
Nobody would win. I'd seen the Nagasaki and Hiroshima effects, and the subsequent tests on Christmas Island and Bimini Atoll...The horrors and effects of were Chicken feed, compared to the results on uses of today's nuclear weapons, which would destroy all practical life as we knew it.
Forget useless academic discussions and theories, because none of us would be around to talk about it afterwards.
Let's just throw stones at each other: at least some of us would be around to compare notes. We could still have an Arms Trade. Granite rocks versus sandstone
Paulecedron- Please explain to me why then does the US Navy have a type 23 RN frigate as part of the defence screen for the US Navy carrier battle group on active service in the Middle East?
Oct 20th, 2014 - 09:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0I will tell you - because it has a British designed close range anti aircraft radar system that is better than anything the US Navy has got.
Oh - and also if the Royal Navy is so obselete and useless etc etc - Why does your Country mess its pants and squeal to the world every time a RN warship makes a routine patrol around the South Atlantic?
Your like Think - there is no such thing as an English Navy - has not existed for several hundred years.
Get up to date for once in your life.
I think the emphasis was placed on nuclear-powered submarines, rather then any specific warheads they may be armed with.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, clever isn't it.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0**33 deep shit. In reference to your question, yes, Spain has sorted out its engineering problem and five new subs will be be patrolling The oceans very soon.......while Navantia ( Spain´s biggest naval group) continuous to sell logistic ships to Australia,twelve landing crafts.They will operate with the ALHD ships that were also built in Spain.The S80class submarine and the LHD carriers will be a great export for Spain, as seen by Turkey ordering a LHD for its navy and India and Australia looking at the s80 submarines for their fleet.....
Oct 20th, 2014 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Still the navy has the ability to deploy a search and rescue helicopter and its pilot to the Falkland Islands leaving the entire Argentine government and defence establishment quaking in their boots and crying that the UK is militarising the South Atlantic.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 01:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Don't admirals etc also manage the submarine service?
Oct 20th, 2014 - 01:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I imagine one admiral managing the trident arm of the submarine service is in a much more powerful position than any number of 'surface' admirals.
41- Correct, Admirals and Vice Admirals would only go to sea if operating a fleet or battle group etc - rest of the time they are in charge of strategic planning and port ops etc in UK. But 33 of them does seem a bit topheavy! My guess is that when some retire they will not be replaced.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 01:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's fun to note that no one has noted the number of senior officers currently serve in the Argentine Navy in comparisons to the number of operable vessels in the fleet.
Oct 20th, 2014 - 05:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 039@
Oct 20th, 2014 - 06:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Spain has sorted out its engineering problem and five new subs will be patrolling The oceans very soon
Please provide details, thank you.
==
And to those who feel that the English/British cannot build,
What abt the English castles built over a thousand years ago and still standing,
Please name me one Argentine building that was built by Argentina and still standing after at least 500 years…lol
.
43 chic
Oct 20th, 2014 - 11:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“It's fun to note that no one has noted the number of senior officers currently serve in the Argentine Navy in comparisons to the number of operable vessels in the fleet.”
No ships, but I hear their Senior Officers make great waiters when they leave the service.
Sorry, that was not nice.
The current CFK government has emasculated the Armed Forces. It's very sad that they must be humiliated in such a manner.
I am sure they have a grand history of professionalism and many proud traditions.
It would be a shame to see that legacy lost.
Not that anyone wants to see them behave like the Spanish Garda Civil or whatever they call themselves, bullying and harassing pleasure boaters, but Argentina does need a professional navy.
One with an honour code, as opposed to a bunch of thugs paid to do the Government's bidding.
Oh well , if the Royal Navy does need to suddenly expand , I am sure the Gibraltarian shipyard that built the replica of the Hermes in 2 months in 1982 to replace the one one sunk 7 times by the Skyhawks /Super Etendards /San Luis /Salta ( delete as appropriate ) will no doubt be brought back into use , with Spanish labour, no doubt .
Oct 21st, 2014 - 07:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0Briton (#44)
Oct 21st, 2014 - 09:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0'Please name me one Argentine building that was built by Argentina and still standing after at least 500 years…lol'
Not so much in Argentina, but there are lots across South and Central America.
The Mayan temples, the Inca temples all attest to an architectural history that was at least as well developed as the Egyptian and Roman dynastic buildings of their day ... and much more developed *in their day* than the buildings of the Western world.
After all, North America ( the USofA) was tepees, adobe and log huts!
OMG ... you guys are obsessed with Argentina. It´s nearly impossible to write something about the Royal Navy without you jumping into a frantic “OMG RGs are coming againnnnn”.
Oct 21st, 2014 - 02:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Give me a break.
You have way more serious troubles.
Your last PM have included you as the US´s sideshow no matter where they go. You have being involved in two wars that have lasted +10 years, with a huge cost in terms of lives and money, yet I don´t hear any cry about that. Nevertheless, as soon as your last carrier was deccomissed you all were singing the ol´and boring “Argentina will retake the Falklandssss”.
Guess what, nothing happened.
You should be way more concerned about the dozens of muslim psychos living WITHIN the UK.
You should be way more concerned about KSA, Pakistan, and Iran.
You should be way more concerned about China.
But, hey, keep chestbeating when it comes to Argentina, since it´s an easy target. Does that make you feel good?
@ 10
Another pathetic post of yours (except for the part where you call Anaya a war criminal. That´s right).
By now I´m convinced you have a sick obsession with Argentina. I´m glad NOBODY among the British forces in 1982 was like you.
But, never mind, keep claiming for blood from your comfortable couch.
OMG ... you guys are obsessed with England and Britain. It’s nearly impossible to write something about the Argentine l Navy without you jumping into a frantic “OMG brits are coming againnnnn”.
Oct 21st, 2014 - 06:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Give me a break,
Have a kit-kat,
It works both ways…lol
.
#43 would that be comparing the seaworthy vessels, floatables or all countable vessels?
Oct 21st, 2014 - 07:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 048 SS
Oct 21st, 2014 - 09:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“ The Muslims will rise from within !!”
Wow, straight out of the LA Campora daily propaganda sheet.
Captain Poppy
Oct 22nd, 2014 - 12:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0I have the great fortune to know several former members of the Argentine Navy and their hospitality was always at the highest. Their officers mess is perhaps even better that that of the British and the French.
However, in regards to their fleet, it is is a disgrace.
According to Wiki: “The Argentine Navy is under-funded and struggling to meet maintenance and training requirements, as a result only 15 out of a total of 42 navy vessels are in a condition to sail.”
N,“...The 2013 defense budget allowed for the”[eleven] “operational vessels to each spend less than” [six] “days at sea, whilst the [decertified for submersion] ”submarines averaged just over 6 hours submerged in the whole of 2012...“
BTW
”ARA Espora spent 73 days in late 2012 stranded in South Africa for lack of spares. The Almirante Brown-class destroyers are short of spares and their ordnance has expired whilst the Antarctic patrol ship ARA Almirante Irizar has been under repair since a fire in 2007. In 2013 the Type 42 destroyer ARA Santísima Trinidad sank at her moorings.”
@3frank
Oct 22nd, 2014 - 09:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0“Argentina has more presidents than effective fighting warships...”
Best throw away line I've seen on here - class
@ 49
Oct 22nd, 2014 - 10:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0he he, true that. It´s absolutely fair to say that lot´s of folks down here can´t stop seeing the UK/US/`evil imperialism´ hand in every unsolved issue.
@ 51
Bite your tongue.
The concern about fundamentalist islam activities in the UK does not come from that gang of losers, but from very UK sources. Neither the raper who beheaded journalist nor the woman who joined IS were members of that group, so don´t try to divert the topic.
Besides, the average `campora´ kid does not know where the UK is, what IS is, etc, so stop giving credit to them ;)
@ 53
... and with all of them together you wouldn´t build a raft...
#52 One thing I do know is that when military men who come across military men from another country (aside from combat) seem pretty much the same (qualities aside). Most are quite apolitical, though they may have their military type politics and have a certain code they govern themselves by. They certainly do not get to pick and choose who and where they serve.
Oct 22nd, 2014 - 12:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In the 1950s Prof. C.H. Parkinson had predicted that the RN would eventually have more admirals than ships. Now, this is Parkinson's law in action!
Oct 25th, 2014 - 07:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Philippe
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!