Is This the End of the Royal Navy?

It is hard to tell at this point who is the biggest winner from this week’s decimation of the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense and slashing of the Royal Navy’s budget. British Navy chiefs are confirming that after losing their only current carrier at the end of this year, HMS Ark Royal, the United Kingdom will not have a fully operational aircraft carrier until 2036. After the devastating cuts, the British Navy will be at its smallest size since the time of Henry VIII and will be roughly half the size of the current French Navy.

The Russians could not be more pleased. For decades, British carriers of the Invincible-class have been a sturdy cork keeping Russia’s Northern Fleet bottled up in the Barents Sea. Without the air power and anti-submarine warfare capabilities of its light carrier force, Britain’s coast-guard-sized collection of frigates and destroyers will be little match for Russia’s powerful surface ships and nuclear subs, which will now have open access to the North Atlantic.

Argentina and its Chavez-supporting first couple must also be thrilled that the Falklands—or should we now just start calling them Las Islas Malvinas?—will no longer have the protection of a British fleet that could deploy airpower to the South Atlantic. That hearty band of British sheep farmers and, now, oil and gas prospectors—who have no interest in becoming Argentine citizens—must be very nervous. Perhaps Prime Minister Cameron might just consider negotiating the surrender of the islands now to avoid the embarrassment of being defeated by Argentine forces with a Venezuelan expeditionary unit in support. He might even get a small oil royalty payment in return.

This article was originally published on CBSNews.com, October 22, 2010.

China always seems to be a winner these days and is again now. Instead of the United States being able to rely on a robust British presence in the Atlantic that would have allowed it to shift more warships and carriers to the Pacific, the United States must continue to split its dwindling naval resources between the two oceans. China’s announcement last week that it is launching thirty new patrol boats in the aftermath of the Senkaku Island incident with Japan makes the British cuts even harder for the West to bear.

Of course, the French, Spanish, and Italian navies will also be happy that their forces all will have more capacity and outnumber the vaunted Royal Navy. This may allow the European Union to further integrate the United Kingdom into its super-state, as Britain will be forced to rely on other navies’ carriers and amphibious ships to land Royal Marines on foreign shores or to rescue British citizens in crisis zones such as Britain has previously done—on its own—in places such as Lebanon and Sierra Leone.

While Britain turns inward and disarms, America and its remaining naval allies cannot afford to close their eyes on the increasingly dangerous world in which we live. In the coming years, China alone will launch four super carriers, two of them nuclear-powered. Russia is also using its mineral and oil wealth to reactivate its carrier program. Iran and other littoral states are deploying scores of small boats and, like the Chinese, are making extravagant claims regarding their territorial waters. The freedom of global navigation and the seas are at risk.

Last month, I predicted that the United Kingdom would try to sell one of its new carriers. That is apparently now the case. In an article for the Australian Conservative, I urged that Australia step forward to purchase the warship. The United States and Britain, for that matter, should do all that they can to assist Australia in reaching that conclusion. America needs a robust allied navy that it can depend on in any crisis. Australia will have to take over that role from the Royal Navy, at least in the South Pacific.

India, which is being encircled by a network of Chinese-built ports and possible future naval bases, and is confronted by Islamic extremists operating from neighboring Pakistan, has a history of operating British-built light carriers. The current flagship aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, INS Viraat, is the former HMS Hermes, and has a complement of Harrier jets. India has demonstrated a commitment to freedom of the seas and understands that it will have to confront Chinese domination of the Indian Ocean and continued terrorism in the region. The Indian Navy would be an excellent home for the newly decommissioned Ark Royal. There, the ship and its aircraft could be put to great use defending sea lanes and defeating terrorists.

The United States must understand that its traditional allies in Europe are not going to increase their contribution to global security, especially in guaranteeing the freedom of the seas. Accordingly, it is time for the United States to end the Obama administration’s decommissioning spree with the US Navy. Last month, America announced that eight additional warships would be taken out of service. The navy’s shipbuilding budget is chronically underfunded. Both trends must be reversed now. America must recommit to its Navy.

The United Kingdom is facing the results of decades of welfare state overspending and its armed forces and global security are paying the price. It is not, however, too late for Prime Minister Cameron to change course and reverse the cuts to the Royal Navy. It would be incredibly sad to see that great institution, which has survived onslaughts by the Spanish Armada, the French Navy, and the German High Seas Fleet, be done in by Tory accountants.