Strong navy is crucial to see off Russian and Chinese threats says British Admiral

As an Island Nation our Navy is absolutely essential.

Times radio went from declaring Putin can't win to dire proclaminations in less than a day

How're we going to revive shipbuilding at the same time as shutting down steel production and port Talbot?

You need ship building in the UK for resilence, technical capability, experienced workforce and scaleability. Fleet Auxiliaries need a defensive capability overseas manufacture unwise and balance of payments wise wasteful. Build capacity and enable capacity for overseas orders as well. Government said they want to build increased ship building capacity in UK they have to mean it and stick to it.

He'd hardly say anything else would he?? But lets take a good hard look at the problems, we no longer produce steel, we have no shipyards or drydocks, nor skilled workforce, we can't get crews, we have no overseas bases and Cameron is about to give away the most important Gibraltar, we no longer have a Merchant Navy and would starve in a conflict, but perhaps the greatest obstacle is time, if we ordered a new fleet today it will be years before it is delivered and ready, we are finished, face it.

The navy think it needs more big ships. Nooooo

Lord West was instrumental in cutting the Navy for the sake of aircraft carriers.

Given the number of MPs and Brexiteers with links to Russia, maybe we need a full Russia investigation first.

The conservative/liberal coalition from 2010 cut defence spending year after year. Under Labour we was spending upwards of 5% or 6%. Labour needs to have 4% on defence as a manifesto issue and actually campaign on that

Lord West is correct. The priority is to increase the size of the Royal Navy and the RAF. European NATO partners must provide the backbone of land forces. UK needs to get to 3% GDP by 2007. That's for starters.

What everyone seems to be missing is it’s okay to build your ships in uk. But where is the steel coming from. As far as I know we seem to have given all our steel industry away. 😊

Really old guy says 'things need to be more like it was when In was younger'. He might be right, but being an ex-Admiral does not change the fact that he is behind the times. What do current admirals think? Personally, I give them more credibility than some guy who does not have justify his choices.

Since 1970's British manufacturing has gone down hill. Shib building Nuclear power stations Aircraft All the thousands of jobs and the skill sets if generations have been lost. So design and build in our own country. Don't forget that roughly 30% of the money spent goes back to the government in tax, it doesn't if you pay somebody abroad.

NHS waiting lists are dangerous, nobody is invading us

15 years ? 30 years more like. I would have asked Lord West why the Type 22 frigates were disposed of without being replaced under the last Labour government ? Why the Type 45 order was halved, from 12 to 6 ships, under the last Labour government ? These reductions had implications not only for our defense but also for our ship building and steel industries that they have never recovered from. The same for many of our tank factories which shut under the last Labour government due to no new designs or orders being received. And of course government departments can't beat the Treasury. The Prime Minister is First Lord of the Treasury.

Reckon we are 40 years away from getting back our Navy, if we build ships and train fighting men...NO WE HAVENT CUT OUR NAVY IN THE PAST 15 YEARS...ITS BEEN AT LEAST 50 YEARS

Thoroughly RETIRED British Admiral says exactly what one might expect. Rain expected later. Cat found after massive local search. Wind variable.

Why bother we have lost this country already

Its the Banks putting in the money for Harland and Wolff. The government back the loan through UKEF. This will create 1000s jobs in Northern Island and create competition within the Brutish ship building industry.

Strong (and inexpensive) aerial and naval drone game