英国第一海务大臣出来表态了，反对却又不得不接受的态度

10月21日特拉法尔加海战纪念日，英国第一海务大臣，海军上将马克 斯坦霍普爵士就那份英国政府提出的国防审计报告发表公开演说。从演讲词来看，他是很反对这项裁军计划的，但是又不得不接受，闲的很无奈啊！以下是他演说的全文和演说视频链接：
视频链接http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news ... news/first-sea-lord

演说全文：
As you all know, Britain is facing its toughest economic situation for a generation and cutting the size of the UK’s deficit is a priority.  For Defence, the strategic priority must remain the Joint Campaign in Afghanistan.  At the same time, however, the UK must continue to guarantee its security today, while preparing for the uncertain security challenges of tomorrow.  

Doing all three at once is a tall order, but it has to be done.  The Strategic Defence and Security Review is part of that process.   

Today, the Government published the outcome of the Defence Review, so I want to share with you what it will mean for us as a Navy – and what it will mean for all of us as individuals.  

Everyone in the Naval Service – sailors, Royal Marines, our Reservists, and our colleagues in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the civil service, will see considerable change in the coming years – some positive, some painful.  

We are not alone in that.  Not just the other Services, but everyone in the public sector, is facing cuts.  Defence cannot be immune.

My aim throughout the Review has been to maintain a balanced maritime force, one which is affordable, but more importantly, one able to deliver on today’s tasks while preparing for whatever tomorrow may throw at us.  

In fighting the Navy’s corner, I have been fortunate in being able to demonstrate to those in Government that the Naval Service is globally deployed, every day, protecting, promoting and defending the UK’s interests all over the world.  It is your contribution, your commitment, guts and professionalism that have allowed me to make the Navy’s case.

Thanks to your efforts, the National Security Council understands that the Naval Service lies at the heart of the UK’s Defence and security – an Island Nation needs its maritime defences.  

But we have to be realistic about what is affordable, especially in the next few years.  That has called for some very difficult decisions – some of the toughest I have been called upon to make in 40 years in the Royal Navy.

Along with my Navy Board colleagues, I have reluctantly（极不情愿地） accepted some force reductions and cuts in personnel in order to maintain the Navy’s progress towards a more capable maritime force in the future.  
That means removing some of our ships, in order to ensure the delivery of a fleet centred around modern, highly capable ships.  That in turn means fewer ships and aircraft, and it will mean less people.  

It brings a number of challenges, none of them straightforward.  

The decision to build the two new carriers is both welcome and critical to our future as a Navy, but the removal of Harrier and our present carriers poses the challenge of how best to transition the skills needed to operate carriers in the future.  

The reduction of the escort fleet to 19 frigates and destroyers, a better outcome than I feared at one point, nevertheless means we have to look again at how we generate these units to meet their Standing Commitments.


The reduction in our specialist amphibious shipping, realistic under the current constraints set by Afghanistan, maintain our amphibious capability at a smaller scale.  This key intervention capability will provide critical contingency over the coming years, using elements of our Royal Marines Corps.

Important as these capabilities are, important as our future capabilities will be, the thing that has kept me awake at night has been the impact on our people.  In the next 5 years, the Naval Service will lose around 5000 uniformed billets.  Force reductions will also impact on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and our civil servants.   That means redundancies and early release schemes are inevitable, and we can expect them from as early as next year.  

They will be managed carefully, and targeted to ensure that we achieve 2 things: firstly, that we maintain a meaningful career structure and opportunities for those that remain; and secondly, that we retain the skills and experience we need today and will need for tomorrow.  Further details will be made available in the coming weeks, and I will ensure that you get to know of them as soon as I can.         

I fully expect that the outcome of the Review will disappoint many, but there are 3 positives from all of this that I want you to remember in the coming months.

For better or worse, the Review has, for the first time in many years, left us with a clear idea of what we can afford and a clear vision for the future.  That gives us the means to chart our way forward in the coming years.  

Secondly, we are and will remain operationally committed, everywhere from Afghanistan to the Gulf, the South Atlantic to the North Sea.  

Thirdly, be assured that I am not prepared to place any more pressure on our people or our force structures.  You all work hard enough as it is.   

Change is never easy, but the Naval Service has been through change many times in its long history.  That is why we are still here.  The implementation of the Defence Review will test us all, and I will continue to rely on your leadership, guts and professionalism in making sure that we shape a Navy that, as now, is balanced, capable and ready for business today and in the future.  

Like you, I don’t welcome these changes. It will be tough, but I am in no doubt that our Navy will remain highly capable, internationally renowned and worthy of your commitment and loyalty.  I am confident about our shared future.10月21日特拉法尔加海战纪念日，英国第一海务大臣，海军上将马克 斯坦霍普爵士就那份英国政府提出的国防审计报告发表公开演说。从演讲词来看，他是很反对这项裁军计划的，但是又不得不接受，闲的很无奈啊！以下是他演说的全文和演说视频链接：
视频链接http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news ... news/first-sea-lord

演说全文：
As you all know, Britain is facing its toughest economic situation for a generation and cutting the size of the UK’s deficit is a priority.  For Defence, the strategic priority must remain the Joint Campaign in Afghanistan.  At the same time, however, the UK must continue to guarantee its security today, while preparing for the uncertain security challenges of tomorrow.  

Doing all three at once is a tall order, but it has to be done.  The Strategic Defence and Security Review is part of that process.   

Today, the Government published the outcome of the Defence Review, so I want to share with you what it will mean for us as a Navy – and what it will mean for all of us as individuals.  

Everyone in the Naval Service – sailors, Royal Marines, our Reservists, and our colleagues in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the civil service, will see considerable change in the coming years – some positive, some painful.  

We are not alone in that.  Not just the other Services, but everyone in the public sector, is facing cuts.  Defence cannot be immune.

My aim throughout the Review has been to maintain a balanced maritime force, one which is affordable, but more importantly, one able to deliver on today’s tasks while preparing for whatever tomorrow may throw at us.  

In fighting the Navy’s corner, I have been fortunate in being able to demonstrate to those in Government that the Naval Service is globally deployed, every day, protecting, promoting and defending the UK’s interests all over the world.  It is your contribution, your commitment, guts and professionalism that have allowed me to make the Navy’s case.

Thanks to your efforts, the National Security Council understands that the Naval Service lies at the heart of the UK’s Defence and security – an Island Nation needs its maritime defences.  

But we have to be realistic about what is affordable, especially in the next few years.  That has called for some very difficult decisions – some of the toughest I have been called upon to make in 40 years in the Royal Navy.

Along with my Navy Board colleagues, I have reluctantly（极不情愿地） accepted some force reductions and cuts in personnel in order to maintain the Navy’s progress towards a more capable maritime force in the future.  
That means removing some of our ships, in order to ensure the delivery of a fleet centred around modern, highly capable ships.  That in turn means fewer ships and aircraft, and it will mean less people.  

It brings a number of challenges, none of them straightforward.  

The decision to build the two new carriers is both welcome and critical to our future as a Navy, but the removal of Harrier and our present carriers poses the challenge of how best to transition the skills needed to operate carriers in the future.  

The reduction of the escort fleet to 19 frigates and destroyers, a better outcome than I feared at one point, nevertheless means we have to look again at how we generate these units to meet their Standing Commitments.


The reduction in our specialist amphibious shipping, realistic under the current constraints set by Afghanistan, maintain our amphibious capability at a smaller scale.  This key intervention capability will provide critical contingency over the coming years, using elements of our Royal Marines Corps.

Important as these capabilities are, important as our future capabilities will be, the thing that has kept me awake at night has been the impact on our people.  In the next 5 years, the Naval Service will lose around 5000 uniformed billets.  Force reductions will also impact on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and our civil servants.   That means redundancies and early release schemes are inevitable, and we can expect them from as early as next year.  

They will be managed carefully, and targeted to ensure that we achieve 2 things: firstly, that we maintain a meaningful career structure and opportunities for those that remain; and secondly, that we retain the skills and experience we need today and will need for tomorrow.  Further details will be made available in the coming weeks, and I will ensure that you get to know of them as soon as I can.         

I fully expect that the outcome of the Review will disappoint many, but there are 3 positives from all of this that I want you to remember in the coming months.

For better or worse, the Review has, for the first time in many years, left us with a clear idea of what we can afford and a clear vision for the future.  That gives us the means to chart our way forward in the coming years.  

Secondly, we are and will remain operationally committed, everywhere from Afghanistan to the Gulf, the South Atlantic to the North Sea.  

Thirdly, be assured that I am not prepared to place any more pressure on our people or our force structures.  You all work hard enough as it is.   

Change is never easy, but the Naval Service has been through change many times in its long history.  That is why we are still here.  The implementation of the Defence Review will test us all, and I will continue to rely on your leadership, guts and professionalism in making sure that we shape a Navy that, as now, is balanced, capable and ready for business today and in the future.  

Like you, I don’t welcome these changes. It will be tough, but I am in no doubt that our Navy will remain highly capable, internationally renowned and worthy of your commitment and loyalty.  I am confident about our shared future.