Royal Navy Intends HMS Queen Elizabeth to be Integrated into U.S. Carrier Operations...this is a sign of a dying Navy

via USNI News.

The U.K. Royal Navy intends its largest, most advanced warship ever built to be considered interchangeable with U.S. Navy carriers, its top admiral said on Thursday.

HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) is indicative of both Great Britain’s return to carrier-based fixed-wing flight operations after a decade’s absence and the strength of its cross Atlantic partnership with the U.S., said Adm. Tony Radakin, the First Sea Lord and U.K. Chief of Naval Staff. Radakin was in Queen Elizabeth’s hangar bay addressing the second Atlantic Future Forum, while the ship was moored in the Chesapeake Bay just offshore of Annapolis, Md.

“As she has demonstrated already, we can successfully field a combined U.S., U.K. carrier strike group,” Radakin said. “I look forward to this developing further, moving to the point where we are not only talking about interoperability, but we are looking for interchangeability. ”

Story here. 

I really want my Brit readers to chime in hard on this one but the way I see it this is a sign of a dying Navy.

Let's get real.

During the 80's and 90's you never ONCE heard a Royal Navy Chief talk about integrating his big deck much less considering interchangeability.

This is a bad look.

Even worse.

Military leadership appears to be taking their civilian masters in a direction that I have yet to hear either the DoD or MoD weigh in on.

What happens if Falklands 2.0 (or some variation happens) and USMC F-35s are on deck?  Do we fight that war because of this "interchangeability" or do we bring them home and leave the Brits in the lurch because we decide to sit it out like we did the first time?

US interests and Brit interest are NOT the same.

Neither are decisions about using forces!  But this type of talk will intertwine our forces so closely that they could get dragged into our craziness and we could get dragged into ours.

You say that's no big deal?

Ok, but riddle me this.  How will the relationship hold up if the above scenario plays out?  It was damaged badly when Blair sided with Bush Jr in the war on Iraq so that would be a crippling blow.

The cart is before the horse on this one.  The Royal Navy is dying and they're trying to wrap themselves around the US Navy to keep from going down (well that and making a play for more of the budget...always follow the money or a monetary reason for weird ideas).