Nearly missed this one.
Yesterday was the anniversary of the sinking of the HMAS Canberra (a Kent class heavy cruiser and at the time only one of two ships of that size in our fleet) in the aftermath of the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. 83 of her crew were lost in the operation with many more wounded.
The only ship in the history of the United States Navy to bear the name of a foreign capital, the USS Canberra was named in her honour.
Today our Canberra makes up a large chunk of the iron in the Solomon Islands’ “Iron Bottom Sound“.
In keeping with determined Navy tradition the next HMAS Canberra is going to be the biggest ship ever operated by the RAN when she enters service in 2012.
Skip the meatsacks and go straight to un-manned if they’re clever.
That’s right – you buy this capability to kick arse! 🙂
Bring back the FAA, I say!
Mælinar – *spoiler alert* I’ve seen S04E13 said :
Things aren’t that bad.
As for assistance, sure they’ll do that too, but it’s not why you buy one, let alone two.
Or, the other side of the coin – use the capability to assist our neighbours during times of disaster?
A cash-strapped one.
What government of busybodies can resist the capability to drop an air-supported tank battalion wherever they please?
“In keeping with determined Navy tradition the next HMAS Canberra is going to be the biggest ship ever operated by the RAN when she enters service in 2012.”
Unless Swanie and Ruddie pull the pin on them to balance the budget!