Civis Americanus sum

Susan Hill

'She married a captain from the US naveee..'
Excellent news. Make them think twice.

DB

Can we have the Royal Navy back, then, please?

Since 1990 the number of tasks asked of the Navy have remained broadly constant, with one or two additions from time to time.

The number of ships the UK can put to sea, however, has fallen drastically, and is getting smaller yet.

This Government's treatment of the forces has, at times, been scandalous. But it's gutting of the RN is nothing short of criminal.

Verity

James Forsythe, predictably, oh how predictably! - argues for more internationalism. Mr Forsythe: there is no such thing as "the international community". It doesn't exist. It is a chimera in the heads of lefties such as your own goodself.

There is no "international community". They are all after themselves, as we are. But we, the West, are the ones with power.

The Americans were superb, as we used to be, and well done our American cousins to rescue this very brave man! Every Brit who doesn't vote Labour salutes you!

How is it that the Americans produce heroes - mind-boggling hero Sully springs to mind, landing a 747 on the Hudson River in the middle of New York - the mind still boggles - as well as this wonderful, brave captain - and we are too cowed by the pinkos? Of whom the ghastly David Cameron is one. Cameron is toxic.

I will name one British hero from the past ten years, and that is the wonderful John Smeaton, who smashed a blazing terrorist who had tried to blow up Glasgow Airport, in the face. As he said, when confronted with this running amok ablaze terrorist, "I decked him."

A quick thinker and one of ain.

Fergus Pickering

Mrs Pickering suggsts that the US Navy (or ours come to that if we have the odd ship) sails into the nearby ports and sinks all the shipping. That should fix it. All sorts of African protests of course but, hell, pay no attention, what can they do? An old-fashioned but it sounds good to me.

Forlornehope

The US Navy has just cancelled their hugely complex DDG-1000, after the first three. Instead they will be building more of the smaller and more flexible "literal combat ships". The Royal Navy's new Type 45 destroyers are the most complex ever and they are only going to get half the number originally planned. Similarly the US DoD has scaled back purchases of the very complex F22 and is accelerating the F35. Hugely complex cold war systems are little help when dealing with pirates, or Afghan insurgents. More simpler, cheaper ships that are there when they are needed might be a good idea. Fewer fast high flying fighters and more support helicopters and armoured vehicles, might not save as many jobs, but they might just save our soldiers' lives.

Austin Barry

DB

Unhappily, however many ships the Royal Navy has it will remain a mess if it's run by the cowards who gave up the HMS Cornwall crew to the Iranians. And what of that crew? The weak and weepy Arthur Batchelor and the bovine, fag-smoking hijabed Faye Turney. Even Captain Pugwash would think twice about taking on board such simpering twits.

Lydia P Troyer

This can only end when a multi-national force airdrops on Puntland, the Penzance of Somalie, and hangs every man-jack of them. No argument or excuses, there's only one reason to be up there. If this is not done, then millions in treasure will be spent in a futile sod's opera of trying to harden cargo ships, train miserable Philippino sailors and fund open-ended naval patrols off not just E Africa but every other 3rd world anarcracy, too.

Admiral

In the old days - sorry - before WW2 - we duffed up Chinese pirates with an aircraft carrier using Swordfish biplanes. A large fixed wing carrier in the Gulf of Aden region could surveille a vast area and deploy counterforce accordingly. But Denis Healey (LABOUR!) got rid of them.

Susan Hill

Princess Anne`s husband Timothy Laurence will be Admiral of the Fleet before he`s much older. See if he can have a word...

Hysteria

Verity - it was an Airbus - 310 I believe - not a 747

Verity

Lydia P Troyer - Why hang them? Hanging is so formal. Why not just strafe them from the air? Or, napalm worked, didn't it? Are they still making it?

Austin Barry, thanks for reminding us of fat Faye Turney, who seemed to be in charge of the ship, and snivelling Batchelor, who wasn't bothered that a ship of HMS Navy had been captured while he should have been defending it, but that the Iranians had confiscated his favourite CD, that his girlfriend had given to him. And then the Ministry of Defence gave the crap sailors permission to sell the story of Britain's humiliation to the papers. This is all part of toxic Labour's de-Britainising of Britain and removing all reasons for us to be proud of our country.

Susan Hill, who could Timothy Laurence have a word with? The gurning, drooling Gordon Brown?

Wilhelm

Remember the British navys dhimmitude to Irans kidnapping of British sailors.

Forlornehope

Hysteria, no it was the more modern A320. You may be thinking of the American Airlines A310 that went down over Queens a few years ago.

Hysteria

Thanks Forlorne - I couldn't be bothered to look it up - just knew it was an Airbus not a 747...

Just popping back to aircraftanoraks.com !