The Briefing Room

General Category => World News => Topic started by: thackney on August 10, 2019, 01:40:53 am

Title: Here's Why Naval Convoys Are An Ideal Solution Hated By Everyone
Post by: thackney on August 10, 2019, 01:40:53 am
Here's Why Naval Convoys Are An Ideal Solution Hated By Everyone
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29097/heres-why-naval-convoys-are-an-ideal-solution-hated-by-everyone (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29097/heres-why-naval-convoys-are-an-ideal-solution-hated-by-everyone)

Recently, Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, proposed a "European led maritime protection mission" in response to Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf. If you are wondering what a European led maritime protection mission looks like, you are not alone. I have talked to a dozen or so naval strategists over the last few days, and nobody is quite sure what he is talking about. The feedback I got was clear on two points, however.

First, the Royal Navy (RN), while qualitatively one of the best navies in the world, does not have the force structure required to provide constant security and coverage to all British flagged commercial ships operating in the Persian Gulf on an enduring basis. Yes, the Royal Navy might escort and protect a single ship or two through the Strait of Hormuz, but protecting all British flagged commercial ships over the long term is another case entirely.

Second, beyond the short term protection that the RN is able to provide, whatever this larger protection mission winds up being, it may not end up looking like a traditional convoy system. Why? Because every relevant stakeholder in this drama hates convoys....

- - - - -

Lots of info in this long article.

Title: Re: Here's Why Naval Convoys Are An Ideal Solution Hated By Everyone
Post by: PeteS in CA on August 10, 2019, 11:55:35 am
There are reasonable reasons to dislike convoying, but its inefficiencies and scheduling issues fade in comparison to Iranian piracy and predation.