that’s where the RNLI dumped another couple of hundred invaders under police protection recently, isn’t it?
So you don’t reckon that the UK could mount another Falklands style response anymore? Like when the fleet left at three days’ notice to fight half way around the world? Of course, that was during the tenure of the last Prime Minister, all the government leaders after Thatcher being distinctly fourth, or at best, third rate.
However, I think that the days of carriers are over, and that the Iran war confirms that. After the laundry fire the US kept them well away from the conflict. The Russians don’t have a single aircraft carrier now. They, and other naval craft, have been made obsolete by hypersonic missiles for which there is currently no defence. The art of war has changed significantly, which is the reason why the UK can interfere so much from afar. Think about it – the fate of Ukraine is in the hands of one man. One man could stop the war tomorrow. The area that almost everyone agrees has been critical to Ukraine’s survival, and a hindrance to Russia’s success (although they were stealing it for a while) is Starlink. Without Musk the Ukrainian front line would evaporate. Drone warfare and missiles (supported by the US, UK, France etc. etc.) have taken over as the main form of attack, not big guns and aircraft (remember Saddam’s three stage gun capable of hitting Israel?). Defenses are now other missiles with lasers becoming a possibility, or for drones paradoxically moving back to the 12 bore, which is just a glorified easier-to-reload blunderbuss.
Don’t poke the bear.