Recent deliberations within the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) hinted at the possibility of dispatching one of its two conventionally powered aircraft carriers to the Middle East, potentially in lieu of the United States Navy’s nuclear-powered USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), currently on deployment since October last year.

Questions have arisen regarding the readiness of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier for such a mission. HMS Queen Elizabeth and its counterpart, HMS Prince of Wales, operate with considerably smaller airwings compared to their American counterparts. Despite being equipped with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, the Royal Navy’s flagship, valued at £3.5 billion, has never accommodated more than eight of these aircraft at once.

However, the discussion is now moot as HMS Queen Elizabeth faces mechanical issues, rendering it incapable of participating in significant NATO operations. The Royal Navy has redirected the recently repaired HMS Prince of Wales to partake in Exercise Steadfast Defender, the largest NATO exercise in Europe since the Cold War.

“Routine pre-sailing checks identified an issue with HMS Queen Elizabeth’s starboard propeller shaft, preventing her from sailing as planned,” stated Royal Navy Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns. “HMS Prince of Wales will assume her duties for Exercise Steadfast Defender promptly.”

Exercise Steadfast Defender, scheduled off Norway’s Arctic coast in March, will involve more than 40 vessels from over two dozen NATO nations and international partners. Prior to this, the carrier strike group was slated to participate in the annual Joint Warrior exercise off northern Scotland before engaging in Exercise Nordic Response, the maritime segment of Steadfast Defender.

The recurrence of propeller issues, previously affecting HMS Prince of Wales, underscores the need for added caution. The carrier experienced a similar setback, disrupting a deployment intended to take it across the Atlantic to the United States, necessitating the deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth instead.

While the presence of two carriers theoretically enhances operational flexibility, it will likely require at least a week to ready HMS Prince of Wales for sailing. This process entails expediting ongoing maintenance tasks, transferring equipment from its sister ship, and fuelling and provisioning the vessel.

The sidelining of the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier coincides with warnings from UK ministers regarding the nation’s inadequate preparedness for full-scale conflict, exacerbated by stockpile shortages and a recruitment crisis within the armed forces. Once a dominant force at sea, the Royal Navy now grapples with challenges in maintaining the operational status of its carriers.

Subjects: The Big Peace – Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor

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www.dutyfirstpodcast.com.au

After seven long years in Vietnam, the Regiment went through an unprecedented period of peace, however this was all about to change as the international peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Rwanda and East Timor in the 1990s.

Featured interviews:

General Sir Peter John Cosgrove, AK, CVO, MC – 9RAR, 1RAR

His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia – 1RAR, 5/7th

BRIG Pat Mcintosh AM, CSC (retd) – 2/4RAR

MAJGEN Stuart Smith AO, DSC (retd) – 1RAR

Episode cover image:

Somalia. 1993-01-20. Private Paul Ingram, 1RAR (1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment), of Balwyn, Vic, with supplies for food distribution to the village of Sahmandeera. He is serving with the Australian contingent to the Unified Task Force in Somalia (UNITAF). By Dex, T R courtesy of AWM.

Produced by Pivot Studios for the Department of Veterans Affairs and The Royal Australian Regiment Foundation

#ausarmy #rar

 

In the aftermath of the devastating drone attack on a US base in Jordan, the United States, led by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, retaliated with a series of fierce strikes on Iranian forces and Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria. The strikes, aimed at more than 85 targets across 7 facilities, were a resounding message of strength and resolve.

The human cost of these strikes was significant. The Iraqi government reported 16 casualties, including civilians, while 23 lives were lost in Syria, according to Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The strikes stirred a global impact, prompting the United Kingdom to join forces with the US in a massive airstrike campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. The coordinated effort targeted 36 Houthi locations in 13 different areas.

As the dust settled, the Houthis, undeterred by the military onslaught, vowed to escalate their actions. They pledged to disrupt regional trade, regardless of the cost, potentially ushering in further instability and economic repercussions. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan defended the strikes on Sunday, emphasizing their necessity and effectiveness. He also did not rule out the possibility of directly targeting locations in Iran.

“We intend to take additional strikes and additional action to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, or people are killed,” Sullivan declared.

The significance of the US and UK’s military actions lies in the clear signal they send – a resolute willingness to respond forcefully to attacks on their forces. However, the repercussions of these strikes remain uncertain. The Houthis, vowing retaliation, could shape the course of the conflict in the days and weeks to come. The international community watches with bated breath, uncertain of the twists and turns that may unfold in this tense geopolitical landscape.

The flag has been hoisted, it flutters on high

This always brings a tear to my eye

Some say our flag needs to be changed

I believe those people are totally deranged

Along with the date-change bullies

And the virtue signalling mob at Woolies

Some are on this earth to complain

Where we see sunshine, they see rain

I cleaned the Barbie, forks and tongs

And put on my trusty well worn thongs

Rugger shorts and a singlet top

And plenty of sunscreen Slip Slap Slop

I mowed a strip for the backyard cricket

And grabbed a wheelie bin for a wicket

I managed to get the kids on side

By rigging a temporary water slide

I dragged some chairs under the trees

The bureau is predicting forty degrees

The esky is loaded with champers and beer

Time for a coldie before the mob gets here

While waiting for the guests to show

Our Kiwi neighbour said “Greetings Bro “

“The mussus and kuds are on their way

We’ll help you celebrate Australia Day.”

Time to play games to soak up the beer

Winning shots are greeted by jubilant cheers

The girls watched on; but disowned the boys

Who carried on like kids with new toys

The backyard cricket was declared a draw

After it descended into total uproar

Batsman Kiwi Bob lost his calm

When Gazza decided to bowl underarm

Openly gay, and very good looking

Tony has offered to do all the cooking

Asif and Mustafa from the Middle East

Have prepared an enormous exotic feast

Prawns, burgers lamb chops and snags

Under the weight of this fare the table sags

The Middle Eastern food was a new taste treat

But Kiwi Bob says a Hangi is hard to beat

Indigenous Dave is an interstate trucker

He surprised us with authentic bush tucker

While Vietnamese friends, bless their souls

Brought a big plate of rice paper rolls

After lunch and the booze had kicked in

It was time for the karaoke to begin

The National Anthem, in patriotic roar

Pity the poor neighbours next door

The setting sun marks the end of a great day

The girls want to leave, the blokes want to stay

It’s not hard to guess who’ll win that debate

Though nine o’clock is hardly late

I guess that the knockers will feel that they won

By refusing to embrace it and join in the fun

My message to them is loud and clear

Wake up and get onboard next year.

If you need assistance with lodging a compensation claim with DVA, or with your wellbeing journey, and don’t know where to start, engaging an Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) advocate might be the answer you’re looking for.

Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) advocates play an important role in supporting veterans and families through the claims process and helping find supports for improving wellbeing. Importantly, these services are provided free of charge (some may charge a small administration fee), meaning there is no need to pay someone to help.

ESO advocates can be found on the Advocacy Register, which is a national database that provides contact details for advocacy services across Australia.

ESO advocacy is delivered in line with service delivery standards and ESO advocates are trained through the Advocacy Training and Development Program to meet national training standards for advice they provide to the veteran community.

It’s important to remember that DVA does not give any particular provider or advocate special access or treatment. Using a provider who charges for their services does not guarantee a successful claim or faster processing.

Veterans and families also have the option to engage with DVA directly online by using MyService. Through MyService veterans and their families can lodge claims and track their progress, apply for a Veteran Card, book transport and more.

For more information please visit What to consider if you’re looking for help.

ED: From my inbox … thanks Ralph.

My father was born and bought up in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia and from an early age, [1930/40s] introduced the family to the ‘Waking up the Dragon Ceremony’ at Easter.

He was at school with many children of Chinese descent.

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrOo8vOU8FldIQAUC836At.;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1707197518/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.sbs.com.au%2flanguage%2fchinese%2fen%2farticle%2fwhat-measures-100m-has-6000-scales-and-is-set-to-be-awoken-in-bendigo%2fisjfl4cbq/RK=2/RS=Ma4ZEWJg1zgvwLPLatbohAdOz.c-

Ralph Wollmer

Washington’s ability to deter or counter the threat to Taiwan is challenged by China’s growing military advantage, driven by industrial strength, ongoing military buildup, and geographical proximity to the island. The central concern is a potential Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan, which, if successful, would establish China as the dominant military power in the Western Pacific.

The narrow Taiwan Strait, measuring only 80 miles at its narrowest point, poses a significant challenge. Chinese sensor networks closely monitor maritime and airborne traffic, making U.S. surface warships and aircraft vulnerable to attacks. While U.S. submarines are considered crucial for Taiwan’s defence, their limited numbers compared to local Chinese forces raise concerns about their effectiveness.

A potential solution involves U.S. submarines launching canisters with low-cost, unmanned drones to create a mesh network for surveillance and targeting of key Chinese assets. By deploying drones with reasonable endurance from half of the launch tubes on each Virginia-class sub, continuous surveillance of the Taiwan Strait during an amphibious assault could be maintained. Unmanned submersibles with similar capabilities could complement the manned submarine force.

These “attainable” (expendable) systems, equipped with high-frequency communication links, could resist Chinese electronic jamming. Their affordability and expendable nature make them a cost-effective option compared to Chinese countermeasures. Large-scale deployment would ensure a self-healing mesh network, transmitting precise information about high-priority targets to various users.

Companies like Sparton Corporation, a subsidiary of Elbit America, are exploring relevant technology. The concept aligns with RAND Corporation’s 2020 report on operating low-cost, reusable unmanned aerial vehicles in contested environments. While these preparations aim to deter conflict, the use of attainable payloads launched from attack subs offers a concept with few counters if conflict arises.

By Bob Buick MM

I strongly believe we are becoming a 2^nd world nation and have been since thirty/forty years ago with globalisation. We are no longer industrially capable, all self-sustainable manufacturing is gone and we import matches, pins and needles and our major exports are mineral and agricultural products.

At 83 years I’ve witnessed the nation’s halcyon decades the 50s to the 80s and I’m in no doubt the nation is in decline, and I blame all political parties, especially Labor and Liberal. They have collectively failed the colonial administers and past members of parliaments in states and national governments. 

I quote Lee Kuan Yew, PM of Singapore of the last century, when he stated that Australia will become “The white trash of Asia!”, I laughed at the time, but he had a true vision, unlike any politician of Australia post WW2. As there a few Qld LNP’s BBC to this message I am not expecting any correspondence from them on these thoughts, except the Auto-Courtesy reply.

Do they have the same vision as I and are unable to speak publicly?

Even Gen X lacks any vision of their future as they are blinded by political humbug and poor public media policies bullshit as their near to mid future is entering the sewerage system.

They have the same comms ability as I do and never voice their thoughts through the media as the millennials behave like anarchists rioting over unimportant causes like sexual preferences, or that nett zero is destroying humanity, it is a natural evolution in the planet’s cycle. Do Gen Xs remember their childhood and lifestyle with the political freedoms from socialist government controls?

Are they aware that if Australia does not sustain today’s lifestyle as a minimum there will be no prospect of improving the nation’s sustainability and self-reliant prospects, this is the real TIPPING POINT WITH NO CHANCE OF RETURN to a nation’s prosperity!

I am forming the opinion that WW3 is needed against Russia, China and rouge Iran to destroy woke socialism in Western cultures and recreate nationalism that the EU and UN have destroyed, a dream of the World Economic Forum (WEF)

With less than an expected decade to live, I have no fear for any future I’ve lived the best years of my life and will endure the future knowing that my generation has had the best of all generations to date, generations in the future have a challenge and I do sincerely apologise I was not as vigilant nor did I challenged the political system before but will in the future for as long as I’m able.

Today I started in earnest!

Bob Buick

Mountain Creek Qld 4557