I generally avoid dramatic takes. But I’ve found myself wondering over the past 24 hrs whether we’ll look back on these announcements as the point the Royal Navy really ceased to be a credible navy. I say that with the deepest respect for the RN. What has been announced is still largely theoretical. They hope to have it operational in around 10 yrs, based on platforms, designs & capabilities that don’t yet exist. While Russia continues to press, harass & the prospect of conflict sits on the horizon. To me, this looks less like making the hard spending decisions and more like managing the Royal Navy’s decline. I genuinely hope I’m wrong.