Editorial: Naval Review 113/4
Churchill’s final volume of his war memoirs is titled Triumph and Tragedy: the theme of the volume is “how the great democracies triumphed and so were able to resume the follies which had so nearly cost them their life.” What did Churchill mean by tragedy? Was he referring to the incredible loss of life caused by the firestorms of Dresden and Tokyo or by the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Or was he lamenting the tragedy that, for most of Eastern Europe, he foresaw that one jackboot was to be replaced by another. As it wasn’t just the democracies that triumphed, the most successful victor of the Second World War was indeed Stalin claiming territories and spoils both in Europe and in Asia. Once again, we risk another tragedy as it looks increasingly likely the jackboots are on the rise.
Some 80 years on, the democratic world is in deep crisis once more and rushes to understand the motives of the ill-disposed but increasingly organised authoritarian states and a joined up axis of Russia and China. The fog of Western malaise and ignorance is slowly clearing as important people recognise that whilst hot war rages in relatively small pockets in many other areas, particularly in Europe we are fully engaged in a ‘war of denial’ – a grey zone war of constant probing of the rules-based international order, from airspace to cyberspace and all points in between. Authoritarians hate rules unless they have made them. Clearly, in the maritime domain we need to be alive to these threats and get ahead of the game to deal with them more effectively, we must become a lot better at fighting fire with fire and dealing with such seemingly poor behaviours. As I write this the Finnish court case has inevitably collapsed against the tanker crew accused of dragging their anchor for 90 miles and damaging vital Baltic undersea cables. Four years into the Ukraine War and we still don’t have a collective, holistic solution to effective sanctions on Russian oil exports. Grey zone mischief both at and from the sea is both a realistic and most unwelcome development, please share your thoughts in these pages!
Thank you to all those members who have given up their winter fuel payments to help pay for the required renewed investment in defence, but the sums necessary to make this work need the government to get serious about funding defence and security, not fudging the books by moving pension pots around: to do this they will also need a compelling cross-government narrative. When it comes to the cash, I recognize the cupboard is bare and that Covid did the National Debt no favours, our interest payments on it are running at over twice annual Defence spending before we start. It is, of course, pleasing to see Defence reform on the agenda and an industrial strategy along with the appointment of the National Armaments Director but there are many other indicators of intent required to assure that these issues are being taken seriously and not just sitting on the national risk register and being ignored. The Budget in late November will be another indication as to whether or not, forgive the pun, the penny has dropped!
What of the Royal Navy’s response under our new First Sea Lord? In my experience Special Forces have special brains for special thoughts – but they also have special budgets along with a disdain for complex process, particularly when time is of the essence. General Jenkins’ recent speeches recognise that a very real threat requires swift action. I am sure we all wish him and his new senior team well in fighting the cloying processes and massive challenges which currently exist in procurement and capability. Of course, world class kit requires world class people. It would also be great to hear how they were going to be provided with world class accommodation and other improved parts of the offer which are more retention positive. If we are to be ready to fight sooner rather than later our young professional cohort need to get salt in their veins, if the grey funnel line is struggling to enable that basic experience, there are others who can help. A year as OIC ‘tea boat’ is not the answer.
Some Parish notices: As we go to print Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjamin Bathurst crossed the bar. We are indebted to the Daily Telegraph and Peter Hore for allowing his obituary to be published in these pages. Sadly, recently we also said farewell to Professor Commander Steven Haines RN, a former Trustee. We will aim to publish his obituary online by the time you read this. Website developments worth checking out at www.naval-review.com: The new Podcast library, USNI news, NR and ANI newsletters, adverts for the latest must-read Naval Books, today’s Naval News from BFBS, 1SL’s interview with the RNRMC’s ‘View from the Bridge’ team, not to mention the latest articles and book reviews along with the Forum.
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