who said anything about 6 destroyers and 8 frigates? In my opinion, the RN will probably end up with 20 proper escorts.

Britain is modernising its armed forces and numbers mean very little in this hi- tech era - any nation can build fifty or sixty cheap corvettes and and call them proper escorts, but they would be kidding themselves. Consider that 1 type 45 is said to be more capable than all 8 type 42s put together and the RN is getting at least 6 type 45s.

Then you have the amphibious capability - The RN now has the ability to lift the entire 3 Commando Brigade, it couldn't have done that 25 years ago. All this together with the new proper carriers, 2 maybe 3 LPH helicopter carriers) carrying apache attack choppers, the Astute subs with their block IV tomahawk capability, makes the RN very strong force indeed. The generals in '82 fancied their chances against the old cold war RN with its plentiful numbers, but I can assure you they wouldn't dare take on the RN of tomorrow.

Michael, Brisbane, Australia

I have to say that our Canadian friend has hit it on the nail. - although his maths are slightly out. As currently planned the RN will have 13 Type 23s and 4 Type 22s, totaling 17 frigates, not the 8 he suggests. In addition 6 new Type 45 air defence destroyers will replace the 8 Type 42s remaining in service, giving a total of 23..Sadly it would appear that the Navy has been forced to make a hard choice between loosing the carriers, or loosing the additional 45s, and the right decision has been made. Without the carriers the RN has no future, and they know it. For the type of operations we do today the carrier has got to be the vehicle of choice, allowing air operations free from reliance on land locked bases, and without constant threat of attack from rocket, mortar or suicide bomb The problem is that with only 6 Type 45s, and knowing the RN as we do, 2 will be unavailable at any one time in refit or maintainance, leaving only 4 available to task. This is surely just too tight?

Matthew Haines, London, UK

Having only 6 destroyers and 8 frigates is unthinkable for the Royal Navy, even Canada has 12 frigates and 4 destroyers. It would be downright embarassing for a former colonial power to sink beneath it's colonies.

Jeffrey , Burnaby, Canada

Could the fact that one of the shipyards is in Scotland have anything to do with the spin for this announcement on the building of 2 aircraft carriers so soon after our Scottish PM has come to power?

Harvey, Nottingham,

The two new carriers and shrinking of the fleet could be the best thing to happen to the Royal Navy in a very long time.
We no longe have hundreds of merchant vessels that need protection from hundreds of enemy frigates, so we dont need hundreds of frigates to patrol the world to protect them.

What would be useful, is a few carriers (we're getting two) and the destroyers and frigates to protect them (which we have and are getting)

2 carriers, 4 destroyers and 8 frigates is a small but very powerful navy, that serves a purpose, sail someone and bomb someone into submission.
A selection of 80 or 90 frigates destroyers and cruisers cannot boast the same effect.

Dominic, Manchester, UK

The FRES project is fundamentally flawed in that requirements are too broad and the vehicle has to be capable of airlift in an A400M transport plane. Given the armour weight needed to protect troops against large explosive devices found in Iraq it is difficult to see how a workable solution can be found. I'm also concerned the vehicles will be wheeled, not tracked like the FV430, Spartan etc, and this may limit usefulness in rough terrain and survivability.

The aircraft carriers are a sensible contribution to UK and EU power projection capability. However they will lack adequate supporting ships if there are to be only 6 type 45 destroyers. These destroyers are not revolutionary, the US has had this capability for decades and furthermore many of the systems deployed on the Type 45 are the same as on the old ships it replaces (Phalanx, 114mm gun). A pity, the technology was available to fit a 155mm gun and cruise missile compatible launchers to broaden capability and safety.

Stephen Bathgate, Edinburgh, UK

I agree with Brian. Labour have done little for the Armed Forces throughout their time in power - the "skeleton crew" that was the Royal Navy has had its arm bones taken away, the vast majority of ship building programmes they boast of were actually ordered or developed in conservative power - 6 ships isnt enough escort! and to add to that they cancelled the FSC.. to sum up: labour have kicked the RN repeatedly around the face and ribs when it was already on its knees.

Lucky for the army (who's needs are both cheaper and in the limelight far more than the RN) they managed to convince the government that a desperately needed vehicle programme wasnt to be cancelled - says it all doesnt it; even a high-priority programme to replace dinosaur-vehicles isnt safe from the dreaded axe.

Ross Hobson, Baldock, UK

Brian, you may not realise this but just about every major country has national debt.

To pick some examples, France's is 64.7% of GDP, as is the US'. Japan's is 175.5% of GDP. Even China has a debt of around 23%.

The UK's is 42.2%. Nothing to be proud of, but a lot better than many OECD countries. If we're in trouble, so is most of the world.

Francis, Bristol,

The time it has taken/will take to get the 2 carriers into the water (assuming they don't get cancelled before they are completed, which is very likely), is longer than the 2 world wars put together.

And will they have enough supporting ships with the mothballing plans? And enough people to man them (or should I say people them these days?) with the idiotic deferred promotion plans: now there's a great morale booster.

Presumably the hidden powers have got to Brown and Milliband to staunchly say the UK will continue to support the US alliance. Mind you, what choice have they got? Given a choice between "Europe" and the US alliance I would choose the latter every day.

Gerry Watts, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

But the government has not got £30 billion. It has £2 trillion of debt. Why do we have to learn economics and correct accounting the hard way.

Brian Gilbert, Hampton, m