Agence France-Presse, Britain’s naval fleet risks losing its flexibility if the government cuts back too much on warships or manpower, the head of the Royal Navy said in comments published Nov. 12.
Speaking to The Times for the paper’s Tuesday edition, Adm. Jonathon Band acknowledged that improved technology had made it possible for ships to be sent on missions with smaller crews, but he said if the “human element” were reduced too far, the Royal Navy would lose its flexibility.
“To carry out missions properly, we need three warships for every one that’s out on patrol,” Band told the daily.
He added: “There will come a moment, fairly shortly, where we’ll need to bottom out the reductions in manpower.”
Band said that he envisaged a new type of navy eventually emerging, with warships able to carry out both anti-aircraft and anti-submarine tasks, and not either exclusively.
He added that with tight resources, the emphasis would have to focus on “quality, not quantity.”
He said he would be making his views clear within the defense ministry.
