The UK – What Special Relationship?
Folks who listen to the podcast know that I’m very upset at the United Kingdom for their behavior regarding access to runways and their position on defending Diego Garcia.
One of my main gripes against them is their unwillingness to spend enough money to meet their NATO requirements. They claim to meet the 2% spending threshold, but that was always through accounting tricks.
And here is another example of the proof: the UK likes to say that they have two aircraft carriers. The problem is you really don’t have aircraft carriers if they don’t have a battle group around them for defense.
Many of us who follow such issues have been fully aware for a long time that the United Kingdom doesn’t really have a navy anymore. At least not one that’s considered a great power. Their boomer fleet is on life-support. Their surface fleet is almost nonexistent at this point. And their aircraft carriers sail alone for all practical purposes.
It’s nuts. The UK Navy currently has six destroyers. Last I checked three of them are out of commission right now.
The Japanese Navy operates 40 destroyers. Who takes their self-defense more seriously? Who is a better partner to the United States? Who has the “special relationship“ with United States in 2026?
It’s NOT the UK.
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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