RFA to be privatised??

[Major Catastrophe]

Following on from the recent RFA spat on here, The Independent reports today (Toad it must be true as it isn't The Mail) that the MOD is taking steps towards privatising the RFA.

The Indy speculates that in the future we will see RFA ships manned "with cheap labour from countries such as the Philippines."

I was wondering what these 'cheap seamen' will be doing if a shooting war starts. Will they stay and fight with the RN or cut and run to safety.

For some reason I am not convinced that foreign crews of privatised RFA ships will stay with their ship just as the incredible Chinese laundrymen do on Royal Navy ships.

The Independent also says that companies building and running privatised RFA ships will more likely have them built abroad.

Of course they will, after all what does a few thousands more British shipbuilders thrown out of work matters?

The entire sordid truth can be read here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...atised-as-mod-seeks-163200m-cuts-1835048.html

 

[David_Jersey]

Apparently a consortium from Somalia is putting a bid together.........just trying to tie up the last bit of funding before their bid goes public

 

[monkfish24]

If you heard of every plan by the shovelment to cut costs within the MOD, you could easily be led to believe that the whole armed forces would be privatised. I wouldn't worry too much about these plans as they're normally just strategies put together to evaluate cost effectiveness versus need.

The Harrier fleet was mean to be scrapped by now if what you heard from the press originally is to be believed, yet they're are still flying and could well be up to mid 2010's.

 

[capnsensible]

Lets go the whole way and get some corporate sponsorship??

How about H.M.S. Terrys Chocolate Orange, or the 3rd Battalion Mothercare lLght Infantry??

You could have a National 'buy a bullet' day, or even donate lots of scrap metal to build aeroplanes.......

 

[monkfish24]

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The ministry is looking at ways we can improve efficiency across defence. We are considering a number of options how we achieve this, and trade unions are fully engaged in the process. No decision has yet been made."

They could start by scrapping the whole procurement process, getting rid of the c**p and allowing the system to be smooth, useful and accurate without wasteage.

[/rant]

 

[l'escargot]

The RFA has always been Merchant Navy. I was an officer cadet at a civilian merchant navy college in the early 70's and trained alongside RFA officer cadets. When I subsequently visited RFA ships there seemed to be no shortage of foreign crews, much like the rest of the merchant fleet - they have never been a "fighting force", they are supply ships. Very few merchant ships are now built in the UK, I don't see the RFA being any different.

 

[daveyw]

The RFA has always been Merchant Navy. I was an officer cadet at a civilian merchant navy college in the early 70's and trained alongside RFA officer cadets. When I subsequently visited RFA ships there seemed to be no shortage of foreign crews, much like the rest of the merchant fleet - they have never been a "fighting force", they are supply ships. Very few merchant ships are now built in the UK, I don't see the RFA being any different.

Which one? I was at Southampton '76-77 and 79 with P&O

 

[Bilgediver]

They could start by scrapping the whole procurement process, getting rid of the c**p and allowing the system to be smooth, useful and accurate without wasteage.

[/rant]

You don't ask for much!!!!!!!!

 

[l'escargot]

Which one? I was at Southampton '76-77 and 79 with P&O

Were you a deckie? I was an engineer with Turnbull Scott, trained at Poplar 73/74. The deckies trained at Greenhythe and subsequently I think both moved down to Warsash? I remember going to somewhere in Southampton and having a go at steering model ships with a video camera on the bridge round a big tank - an early "simulator" and all very high tech in it's day.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

The Indy speculates that in the future we will see RFA ships manned "with cheap labour from countries such as the Philippines."

I was wondering what these 'cheap seamen' will be doing if a shooting war starts. Will they stay and fight with the RN or cut and run to safety.

Don't you mean "will they stay and fight, or run to safety with the RN" ? Which is probably unfair to the RN (sorry chaps) but their rep isn't what it once was.

The RFA aren't a fighting force. And for that matter we are dependant on foreign civi manned ships in any emergency anyway sionce there really isnt a British merchant marine any longer.

The Independent also says that companies building and running privatised RFA ships will more likely have them built abroad.

Of course they will, after all what does a few thousands more British shipbuilders thrown out of work matters?

UK commercial building of big ships died years ago. And one of the reasons the MoD is in trouble money wise is that it tries to buy British and is taken to the cleaners. Why do you think that BAE got out of civilian aircraft and concentrates on military. Maybe thats where the easy money is?

 

[duncanmack]

Following on from the recent RFA spat on here, The Independent reports today (Toad it must be true as it isn't The Mail) that the MOD is taking steps towards privatising the RFA.

The Indy speculates that in the future we will see RFA ships manned "with cheap labour from countries such as the Philippines."

I was wondering what these 'cheap seamen' will be doing if a shooting war starts. Will they stay and fight with the RN or cut and run to safety.

For some reason I am not convinced that foreign crews of privatised RFA ships will stay with their ship just as the incredible Chinese laundrymen do on Royal Navy ships.

Think outside the box Major.

Offer a bounty to crewmembers for each (non-crewmember) scalp lifted. Incentive! Sorted!

 

[daveyw]

Were you a deckie? I was an engineer with Turnbull Scott, trained at Poplar 73/74. The deckies trained at Greenhythe and subsequently I think both moved down to Warsash? I remember going to somewhere in Southampton and having a go at steering model ships with a video camera on the bridge round a big tank - an early "simulator" and all very high tech in it's day.

I was an engineer too, trained at the Argyle road complex in Southampton. Did my firefighting and survival at sea bit at Warsash and my 2nds ticket there

 

[Bosun Higgs]

The assertion that we could somehow privatise the RFA is ludicrous... though there may be some room to commercially charter some vessels for certain low -risk tasks.

Most of the vessels in the Falklands were chartered.

 

[photodog]

The RFA are already a low-cost version of what most other navies do in-house... (as it were..)

In theory not a fighting force... but in reality in a modern three dimensional battle they are the number one targets.....

The ships are armed... some more than others.... and they take losses. Witness...

The assertion that we could somehow privatise the RFA is ludicrous... though there may be some room to commercially charter some vessels for certain low -risk tasks.

 

[Brian blue bear]

Apparently a consortium from Somalia is putting a bid together.........just trying to tie up the last bit of funding before their bid goes public

Just need another £100,000,, not funny, but everything the goverment does makes it hard for satirical comics, since making satire out of the authorities thes days will sound like factual advertisments.