Now we have an aircraft carrier with no aircraft
SIR – I doubt that Russia is as envious of our new aircraft carrier as our Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, seems to think (report, June 27).
Russia’s Kuznetsov aircraft carrier may be dilapidated but it can, at least, put aircraft into the sky. In that respect, we should envy Russia.
Until we get aircraft on to the Queen Elizabeth in several years’ time, it is no more than the largest and most expensive white elephant in the Navy. Grahame Atkinson
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
SIR – Prime ministers maintain that the defence and security of the nation is the first and most important duty of any government. We see defence, however, first mentioned in the 21st of 28 paragraphs of the Queen’s Speech – hardly in pole position.
The myriad threats beyond our shores do not disappear because of the domestic difficulties we face. If anything, they have worsened. Last Thursday, an admiral, a general, two marshals of the RAF and others stood to express grave concern over the state of our Armed Forces in the Lords when debating the Queen’s Speech. However, there was no media coverage of this.
We and the United States – we should be proud of this – have ensured Europe’s defence and security for 70 years. We can do so no longer.
Preventing war and defending our nation and people are more important than any other government spending priority.
Admiral Lord West of Spithead London SW1
SIR – Reviewing past carriers in your article on Tuesday, you state that HMS Glorious was launched in 1916 and “decommissioned” in June 1940.
Glorious was built as a small battlecruiser for Baltic operation, launched in 1917, and saw action in the second battle of Heligoland Bight later that year. She and her sister ship HMS Courageous were converted into aircraft carriers between 1924 and 1930. HMS Glorious was sunk by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on June 8 1940 – which could be regarded as a rather extreme form of decommissioning. Professor David Macdonald
Banchory, Aberdeenshire