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Rochey wrote:I doubt the US or Canada has any real interest in us.

Let us hear that you can power a car with peat moss, though, and you're f***ed!

That picture made me nausious; do you know how many bacteria are on that poster?

stitch626 wrote:That picture made me nausious; do you know how many bacteria are on that poster?

Do you know how many bacteria are in Kosovo?

Let us hear that you can power a car with peat moss, though, and you're f***ed!

That's where being a country that's generaly liked by other countries comes in handy.

Hmm, 12 aircraft carrier. Why was I thinking the US had 15? Ah, well.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:Hmm, 12 aircraft carrier. Why was I thinking the US had 15? Ah, well.

A lot of countries would consider our amphibious assault ships which launch Harriers to be carriers if they had them.

sunnyside wrote:

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:Hmm, 12 aircraft carrier. Why was I thinking the US had 15? Ah, well.

A lot of countries would consider our amphibious assault ships which launch Harriers to be carriers if they had them.

Hmm, interesting point. In a good way, there. Yeah, we got a lot of toys.

I find it a bit strange that the UK is the 3rd biggest military spender in the world (above France - they include their police budget). Where is all that money going? We've got good training, and good equipment. That's it. We don't seem to have enough equipment and we're low on troops/tanks/aircraft. Only 1.5 billion/year is going towards illegal wars - where's the other 65 billion?!

Thorin wrote:I find it a bit strange that the UK is the 3rd biggest military spender in the world (above France - they include their police budget). Where is all that money going? We've got good training, and good equipment. That's it. We don't seem to have enough equipment and we're low on troops/tanks/aircraft. Only 1.5 billion/year is going towards illegal wars - where's the other 65 billion?!

You're doing a lot of R&D and aquisitions. Especially in the power projection department as opposed to defense. They are doing the research and aquiring F-35s, Eurofighter Typhoons, the new Queen Elisabeth class carriers, and multiple ships for amphibious assault.

In short it seems that the UK is once again gearing up to get into the @$$ whuppin business. With France recently falling behind in their own military docterin's suggested number of carriers. It's quite possible in the near future the UK will be the only other nation capable of waging unilateral war outside its immediate area.

Thorin wrote:I find it a bit strange that the UK is the 3rd biggest military spender in the world (above France - they include their police budget). Where is all that money going? We've got good training, and good equipment. That's it. We don't seem to have enough equipment and we're low on troops/tanks/aircraft. Only 1.5 billion/year is going towards illegal wars - where's the other 65 billion?!

Well, the SAS finally gave up on their Browning High-powers, and the new Sig-Sauers are VERY expensive...

The Brtish have always had good R&D and high class equipment.

Teaos wrote:The Brtish have always had good R&D and high class equipment.

Well yes but it's a matter of how much, and perhapse more importantly what for.

As I understand it during the cold war there was a focus on developing nuclear deterence and building up anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

Immediatly after the cold war there was at first a stepping down of military manpower at the least.

In very recent history things are ramping up with a focus on taking the fight abroad. For example there really isn't a defensive role for an amphibious assault ship. Also main battle tank squads are cycling out in favor of lighter fighting vehicles that are easier to deploy and more useful in "peacekeeping" type battles.

I think it was 9 billion that was going towards our military nuclear programme, it just seems that the fact we have such an enormous budget and presumably one of the best militaries in the world, that it is swept under the carpet, because I'd never have thought we had that big a budget. Probably to keep the pacifist section quiet.

How much of that was R&D which would eventually be recouped? The UN and other multilateral forces often use British-developed mil-spec tech.

Britain spending that money on R&D earn themselves a place at the big boys table in world politics.