๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐จ
Britainโs aircraft carriersย are not ready to be sent to the Red Sea because of theย recruitment crisis engulfing the Armed Forces,ย The Telegraph can reveal.โ
It comes as Britain and the US launched airย strikes on Thursday night against Houthi rebelsย over their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, with Rishi Sunak warning it would โcontinue to take actionโ if the Iranian-backed rebels did not deescalate.
โThere have been calls to send HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UKโs ยฃ3 billion aircraft carrier to the region, as part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), which is made up of a ring of advanced warships, submarines, helicopters and fifth generation fighter jets.โ
However, The Telegraph understands thatย RFA Fort Victoria, the only Solid Support Ship capable of providing the CSG with the amount of ammunition, aircraft, spare equipment and food required for a full deployment, is unable to sail owing to a lack of sailors.
โIn normal times it operates a crew of 100, but is understood to currently be working with a skeleton crew.
โWhile the merchant navyโs vessel was due to be back on the water last year, having undergone extensive repairs since it sailed with the CSG to the Indo-Pacific in 2021, it is still in Liverpoolโs Cammell Laird shipyard, despite the fact it is understood to be mechanically fine.
Admiral Tony Radakin has criticised the poor care of Fort Victoria as ‘atrocious’ – Max Mumby/Indigo
The Royal Navyย describes the โroleโ of the CSG as being able โto act as a self-contained force that can work independently or as part of wider operationsโ.โ
It is understood that the Navy has prioritised crewing other Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels over RFA Fort Victoria, such as tankers, which provide fuel for ships, and bay class landing vessels, which deliver humanitarian aid and act as a mothership to mine-hunting vessels.โ
Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said: โItโs atrocious the Navy has let Fort Victoria get to the state itโs in. Bearing in mind she [Fort Victoria] is the only one, there should have been a very high priority when she returned from the CSG 21 to make sure she was in tip-top condition should she be needed.โโ
On Thursday night, four RAF Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a Voyager air refueling tanker, used guided bombs to conduct precisionย strikes on two of the Houthi facilitiesย in Yemen. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that โseveral key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraftโ.โ
However, the former head of the Navy cautioned that there was a โgeneral lack of understanding of the capability of an aircraft carrierโ in response to the recent strikes.โ
โItโs extraordinary that when things started hotting up in the Red Sea region there wasnโt the immediate move to send an aircraft carrier there,โ Lord West said.
โโIf we had an aircraft carrier there we could have had 24 aircraft only 100 miles from Yemen ready to go at any moment and reattack.โ
Although RFA Fort Victoria remains in Birkenhead, defence sources insisted โthere would be other ways of supporting the aircraft carriersโ if the warship were to be sent to the region.
โIt is understood this could include working with other nations to ensure solid supplies such as obtaining more ammunition.
โIt has been suggested that naval chiefs could move sailors to RFA Fort Victoria from other merchant navy vessels, but they would need time to be trained.
โPete Sandeman, a naval expert, said: โThe Carrier Strike Group is missing a major supporting element. Itโs not a big problem just for exercises, but if something more serious happens then it is a problem. You can only rely on friendly nations for logistic support up to a point.โ
โIt comes after The Telegraph revealed that the Navy has so few sailors it has to decommission warships HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll to staff its new class of frigates.
โThe Navy has suffered a collapse in the flow of new recruits into the service amid a recruitment crisis that is affecting the whole of the Armed Forces and its support arms.
Danielle Sheridan
January 13, 2024ยท5 min read
The Armed Forces have been forced to turn to Serco to try to recruit deckhands – Matt Cardy/Getty
Britainโs aircraft carriersย are not ready to be sent to the Red Sea because of theย recruitment crisis engulfing the Armed Forces,ย The Telegraph can reveal.โ
It comes as Britain and the US launched airย strikes on Thursday night against Houthi rebelsย over their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, with Rishi Sunak warning it would โcontinue to take actionโ if the Iranian-backed rebels did not deescalate.
โThere have been calls to send HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UKโs ยฃ3 billion aircraft carrier to the region, as part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), which is made up of a ring of advanced warships, submarines, helicopters and fifth generation fighter jets.โ
However, The Telegraph understands thatย RFA Fort Victoria, the only Solid Support Ship capable of providing the CSG with the amount of ammunition, aircraft, spare equipment and food required for a full deployment, is unable to sail owing to a lack of sailors.
โIn normal times it operates a crew of 100, but is understood to currently be working with a skeleton crew.
โWhile the merchant navyโs vessel was due to be back on the water last year, having undergone extensive repairs since it sailed with the CSG to the Indo-Pacific in 2021, it is still in Liverpoolโs Cammell Laird shipyard, despite the fact it is understood to be mechanically fine.
Admiral Tony Radakin has criticised the poor care of Fort Victoria as ‘atrocious’ – Max Mumby/Indigo
โThe Royal Navyย describes the โroleโ of the CSG as being able โto act as a self-contained force that can work independently or as part of wider operationsโ.โ
It is understood that the Navy has prioritised crewing other Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels over RFA Fort Victoria, such as tankers, which provide fuel for ships, and bay class landing vessels, which deliver humanitarian aid and act as a mothership to mine-hunting vessels.โ
Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said: โItโs atrocious the Navy has let Fort Victoria get to the state itโs in. Bearing in mind she [Fort Victoria] is the only one, there should have been a very high priority when she returned from the CSG 21 to make sure she was in tip-top condition should she be needed.โโ
On Thursday night, four RAF Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a Voyager air refueling tanker, used guided bombs to conduct precisionย strikes on two of the Houthi facilitiesย in Yemen. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that โseveral key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraftโ.โ
However, the former head of the Navy cautioned that there was a โgeneral lack of understanding of the capability of an aircraft carrierโ in response to the recent strikes.โ
โItโs extraordinary that when things started hotting up in the Red Sea region there wasnโt the immediate move to send an aircraft carrier there,โ Lord West said.
โโIf we had an aircraft carrier there we could have had 24 aircraft only 100 miles from Yemen ready to go at any moment and reattack.โ
Fort Victoria is the only ship capable of providing CSG with provisions needed for full deployment – Sally Anderson/Alamy
โAlthough RFA Fort Victoria remains in Birkenhead, defence sources insisted โthere would be other ways of supporting the aircraft carriersโ if the warship were to be sent to the region.
โIt is understood this could include working with other nations to ensure solid supplies such as obtaining more ammunition.
โIt has been suggested that naval chiefs could move sailors to RFA Fort Victoria from other merchant navy vessels, but they would need time to be trained.
โPete Sandeman, a naval expert, said: โThe Carrier Strike Group is missing a major supporting element. Itโs not a big problem just for exercises, but if something more serious happens then it is a problem. You can only rely on friendly nations for logistic support up to a point.โ
โIt comes after The Telegraph revealed that the Navy has so few sailors it has to decommission warships HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll to staff its new class of frigates.
โThe Navy has suffered a collapse in the flow of new recruits into the service amid a recruitment crisis that is affecting the whole of the Armed Forces and its support arms.
A Typhoon aircraft returns to base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus – Sgt Lee Goddard/UK Ministry of Defence
โJohn Healey, Labourโs shadow defence secretary, accused the Conservative Government of having โhollowed outโ the Armed Forces.โ
โOur Navy support ships are spending less time at sea, and ministers have failed to get to grips with the growing recruitment crisis,โ he said.
โMr Healey pledged that under a Labour government, all three forces will have โthe kit they need to fight with confidence and fulfil our Nato obligationsโ.
โWhile the RFA currently maintains the fleet requirement of 11 vessels, recent figures show the availability of the support ships to be sent to sea alongside theย Navy has halved in the past decade.
Figures obtained by Labour showed the RFA vessels spent fewer than 1,200 days โat readinessโ for deployment in 2022, compared to more than 2,400 days in 2013.
โTobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Defence Select Committee, called on the Government to increase pay for military personnel to resolve the crisis.
โHe said: โUnless pay and conditions for both the RN and RFA are immediately addressed the shortage in personnel will result in a reduction of maritime operations at the very time our wider security interests are being threatened.
โโThe Mod has long understood this โ but not the Treasury who need to be persuaded.โ
โA Royal Navy spokesman said: โWithin the last three months both of the Royal Navyโs aircraft carriers have been at sea on operations, ably supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The RFA continues to fulfil all its commitments.โ