Macron sends ships to defend British bases

[HappyFace2025]

So we are reliant on our nearest European neighbour to defend our bases in Cyprus 🤔

I’ve been wondering that too!

It's curious how after well over a decade of fierce discussion and demonstration of the various biases and blatant mendaciousness of the UK media, all of a sudden any "news" about military operations is treated as gospel.

Since Churchill has frequently been invoked, folk would do well to recall his observation of the orders of casualties in war.

Aside from the practical difficulties of having fighters on CAP 24/7 or on readiness state not a lot for an indeterminate period - and with your background you'll know the limitations of that, you'd need look at what the RAF, specifically the RAF Regiment have in the way of suitable equipment...

The Army might have something useful but if they have whether it would be deployed....way above any paygrade I ever had.

It's another case of follow the money or lack of it.

People not wanting the UK to get involved in offensive action doesn't equal support for the regime in Iran.

The grossest act was October 7th.
None of the subsequent deaths would have happened were it not for Hamas.

Israel will prevail.

I dunno. Depends how performatively thick you are being.

There is a rule of thumb that I just made up that states the number of options you can derive from a given set of circumstances stands in direct proportion to your intelligence. The fewer you can find, the dimmer you are.

Well, given that one of the RAF Regiment’s roles is base defence, I’m a bit surprised that they weren’t already in Cyprus based on events over the last six - twelve months, or that they didn’t/ can’t get one or two Sky Saber batteries air lifted out - that’s what the things are for. While it might look impressive to have a ship deployed, I’m not sure it’s totally necessary, given that the threat is primarily from a few drones from Lebanon. It’s not even as if it would be much use for evacuation of UK citizens from Israel and I’m assuming we wouldn’t be sending it through the Suez Canal to the Gulf.

Blimey.

That’s good. The question was what should Iranians do about their situation instead?

If no one acted should they just wait out a few more decades of oppression or..?

It’s fine if you say yes you’re ok with that, it’s a position some will take, I’m wondering if you do

@EasternStandard are you happy to go and fight the Iranian regime?

The question was what should Iranians do about their situation instead?

If I knew the answer to that I would have let the Iranians know a few decades ago.

Answer me this: if the answer to the agony of the Iranians' situation is for Trump and Netanyahu to start a war, why have they waited so long to do so? Why have they let the Iranian people suffer for so long?

That’s a switch up. So now it’s too late?

How about an answer to my question first?

Yes, the RAF Regiment's main role is base defence but (and I stand to be corrected) I'm pretty sure it lost the anti-air element of that when Rapier was retired on the noughties - from that point on Ground Based Air Defence was an Army job..

If the Army deployed with anything...don't know....if they didn't...don't know why not

Just to avoid misdunderstanding here I'm an very time expired ex-Crab Air Defender myself but despite that I'm not trying to indulge in a bit of inter-service blame shifting here.

I suspect the decision to deploy, not deploy or wait must have been at senior political level...not by someone wearing Dark blue, light blue or Brown.

Many people have turned a blind eye, look on here many posters still are, plus control over what information gets out. Do you think that means they haven’t been suffering?

Mutual defence is the whole point of NATO. I thank the French and I know we would do the same to defend their interests from attack.

Despite the pearl clutching on another thread, of course we would.

I hope we would.

Good.

Barrot has been saying all week that France will defend targets of Iranian attacks as requested/needed - not just Cyprus and its UK bases but, for example, Jordan specifically. If France has the bandwidth, why not send the (totally on-brand) message? Do you not think the practical help will do more good than harm to the actual victims?

The grossest act ever does not write you a blank cheque to do whatever you please to whoever and how ever many you choose. We are each responsible for our own actions whatever the provocation.

Pushes buzzer: Complete lack of investment in defence due to complacency, or short sightedness, or hoping someone else would take responsibility for it?

Thank you for your service.

Long time since I was in, but as far as I can tell, Sky Sabre replaced Rapier and should be deployable by air whether operated by the RAF or Army. That said, we’ve deployed one to Poland (which is probably a good idea) so only have another 8!! I would have to thought it faster and cheaper to air lift one of those across than send Dragon. I’ve also got to think that the Sky Sabre interceptor missiles are cheaper than what Dragon would be using to shoot things down, especially when you have the cost of getting her out of dock and round the Med - and never mind the lack of cover for the next week or two til she arrives.
Not trying to apportion blame across the services either - just seems very posturing to send Dragon when there seem to better options. But it does show “something is being done” for the political side and I’m sure there’s an Admiral getting excited somewhere :-)

What are you talking about. Its our own base with our own people and we can't even defend it. Its pathetic. We are in big trouble. And its not the fault of the military.

Spain is sending a frigate to Cyprus

What made them grow balls?