Indeed, you've only got to look at how badly delayed and over budget the Astute got, although that was primarily down to poor management by BAe than lack of funding. I think the current downward trend in funding of the Royal Navy definately started at the end of the Cold War, primarily (in my eyes anyway) with the cancellation of the Upholder program and subsequent sale of the four subs that were built, to Canada. Now while this is terribly nice to the Canucks and I have no doubt they'll put them to good use (once they've fixed them after BAe screwed them up), it does put us in with the US in having an all nuke sub fleet...and I'm yet to be convinced that's such a good thing...particularly in the case of close water patrols, now I know that the Skipjacks and LAs have been doing close water survellience off Murmansk for years without many problems, but an AIP sub would probably be better for missions where you really can't make a sound. In that respect, the Germans have us nailed with the Type 214 which is probably quieter than a Kilo, with better endurance (when it works).
Still, Germany always has known how to build its subs.
So meanwhile, as we're selling our navy off to the highest bidders, the government is not willing to put the money back in to replace it, so our fleet size gets smaller and smaller and smaller, more and more people are drawn into the Army and Air force by their flashy adverts (and the fact that they're probably a little bit more funded by the gov than the Navy) and once again the Navy loses out. So here we are, in 2007, with a handful of ships, no carrier air cover, an SSBN fleet which is coming to the end of its lifespan, and a grand total of three new units being rolled out any time soon.
If any major power invades the Channel, I sure hope the French or Germans will bail us out....
