Reference News Network, November 21 report - According to the UK's Daily Telegraph website on November 16, the UK Royal Navy's "outdated" support ships are stranded in ports, seriously restricting the UK's combat capabilities.

Experts said that the UK Royal Navy's logistics fleet, which is responsible for providing fuel, ammunition, and supplies to the Royal Navy, has serious problems, leaving the Royal Navy almost "paralyzed."

All three amphibious warfare ships of the logistics fleet are unavailable. In addition, the only fleet solid supply ship of the Royal Navy has been stranded in the dry dock for more than a year.

At the same time, the hospital ship "Argus" of the logistics fleet failed to pass a safety inspection in June and has remained in Portsmouth Naval Base since then. Inspectors found asbestos on board and determined that the ship's hull was unsuitable for navigation.

Tom Sharp, a former frigate captain of the Royal Navy, said that the poor condition of the logistics fleet is posing a serious threat to naval operations.

Sharp said: "This situation is undoubtedly causing the navy to become paralyzed. The logistics fleet is the navy's logistics department. Without logistics, it's not really a blue-water navy. If you can't provide long-range support, what's the use of having a navy?"

A source from the UK Ministry of Defence insisted that the Royal Navy's logistics fleet "is basically still conducting global operations," but he admitted that the Royal Navy "has become aware of the problem" and is "doing its best to solve it."

The 28,000-ton "Argus" hospital ship was first put into service during the 1982 Falklands War (known as the Malvinas Islands in Argentina). According to sources, the current maintenance condition of the "Argus" is extremely poor, with the ship's shaft requiring urgent welding to prevent the stern sealing device from bursting and water entering the ship.

Lord West, a former head of the Royal Navy, said: "It's shocking that the 'Argus' is so outdated that it has become unsuitable for navigation."

The Royal Navy's logistics fleet's "Lyme Bay" docking ship has become the latest "injured." This ship is one of the three "Bay" class docking ships of the Royal Navy.

The "Lyme Bay" ship's sister ships, the "Mount Bay" and "Cardigan Bay" docking ships, also cannot be used. These ships were intended to replace the "Fortress" and "Neptune" docking ships, which were retired by the British Defence Secretary John Healey last year, to serve as the UK Navy's amphibious forces.

However, Lord West said that the logistics fleet "was not prepared for this task." He said: "Our amphibious capability is much worse than before."

The UK's only fleet solid supply ship, the 35-year-old "Fort Victoria," is also placed in a "mothballed" state. If the Royal Navy does not spend a large amount of money on repairs, the "Fort Victoria" will not be able to go to sea again.

Sharp said: "Having aircraft carriers without fleet solid supply ships is really alarming. We want to be a global power and have global ambitions, which is fine. But if we can't get the logistics fleet to operate, we might as well give up and abandon the aircraft carriers, building only frigates and destroyers. On this issue, someone must take bold action to address the logistics fleet problem." (Translated by Liu Ziyan)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575075230029234729/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [up/down] buttons below.