Naval failings

SIR – The report (January 28) that Royal Navy ships are unable to fire land missiles is indeed a scandal. Let us also not forget that two aircraft carriers were launched with no jet fighters, and that this once-proud senior service is close to being an international laughing stock.

To add insult to injury, the Royal Navy is now scrapping ships because of a lack of sailors. Yet in November 2023, nearly 60,000 civil servants were employed by the Ministry of Defence.

What are all these people doing? Kim Potter Lambourn, Berkshire

SIR – Reading Daniel Johnson’s analysis of the situation in Ukraine (“Why it may already be too late for the West to avoid war”, January 28), I was reminded of an incident early in my career as a cadet at the RAF College Cranwell, when I was sharply ordered by a visiting senior RN lecturer to “shut-up, sit down or leave” his presentation.

The gentleman had been explaining existing and projected fleet assets, and had touched on aircraft carriers. I had politely inquired whether carriers might run the risk of becoming expensive targets, as they had to be heavily protected by other surface and sub-surface ships.

Mr Johnson writes that “neither [aircraft carriers] Queen Elizabeth nor Prince of Wales has ever been allowed near a conflict zone”. He goes on to say that “the MoD treats these carriers like Ming vases”. So it seems that I might have been right after all. Flt Lt Simon Green (retd) Abbotskerswell, Devon

SIR – During the 1980s and 90s I was very involved in military passivedefence preparations. This included gaining defensive skills to survive and operate following a conventional, nuclear, biological or chemical war. Cold War Russia was then the threat.

Our now-depleted services have a very limited passive-defence ability, if any at all, and our island nation is largely unprotected from weapons of mass destruction. For example, who can name one shelter that is staffed, equipped and managed, in which the public would be able to take cover in the event of an attack?

It is laughable for defence ministers to suggest a “can do” attitude will overcome all. Our post-Cold War governments have ensured that the general public and most of the Armed Forces will not survive an attack by weapons of mass destruction from Russia, China or any other foe. Philip Congdon Poyntington, Dorset