Quote:
Originally Posted by ikalugin
This leads only to more questions, for example - why are allies accounted for and if the logistical assistance from USN is accounted for, why doesn't it make the bulk of US allied navies into 2nd class? How is the power projection and naval re supply accounted for, for example does one just bean count something (ie cruise missile capacity)? Is it accounted for now, or assuming some sort of future development?
The carrier question is interesting, because France, Russia, China, India (well 2) have the same carrier numbers at the moment (and RN has one?), by 2021 (the year RN would get the QEa done) PLAN would have 2 (maybe more if we account the ones under construction) carriers.
|
Its not just about Carriers its also ocean going landing ships and escort vessels, the Russian navy has a single carrier that is true however the Russian navy has limited capability for keeping it on station for extended periods of time (beyond 3 months).
Right now as it stands the Royal navy could in practice field a single carrier / Amphibious group with escorts and keep them on station pretty much indefinitely anywhere in the world.
What it boils down to is the ability to maintain through logistics and a support network the ability to keep on station your assets.
The Royal navy and also the French can sail to any part of the world and there are very few countries ports not open to them if they needed to use a port, secondly the RFA comprises of enough auxiliaries (Stores and Oilers) to provide Replenishment at sea on a constant basis.
Now add to that NATO and allied ships could also provide logistical support as does our maintained over seas bases Diago Garcia, Bahrain, Carribbean, Falklands to name a few.
The Russian navy simply does not have the over seas connections nor the ports open to them they also lack many auxiliaries to support a prolonged over seas deployment thus giving them category 3 in the ranking as a Green water navy.