British warships get iPod docks, surround sound

Here's a question for our British readers: does it bother you at all that your government is spending your tax quid on outfitting each berth in the Royal Navy's six new, £6 billion Type 45 Destroyers with iPod docks and surround sound (along with CD players and Internet access, but hey, those are obvious necessities)? The first of these new warship-cum-luxury-liners, the HMS Daring (the others are the Dauntless, Diamond, Defender, Dragon, and Duncan), left her dry dock in Glasgow today with a ceremonial send-off, complete with confetti and missle-firings. Unfortunately for the people on shore waving and watching for their loved ones, most of the crew immediately headed below deck to their mini-apartments, cranked up the Spice Girls, and began applying some bronzer in anticipation of their first party destination assignment.

[Via GigaOm]

[George @ Feb 11th 2008 7:43PM]

Dear god man are you an idiot or what?

You complain that the Royal Navy are spending money on conforts in warships? The people in these warships are some of the bravest people our country has got and you would deny them the luxury of being able to listen to their music during their down time? These people are willing to lay down their lives so that you can drink your coffee and complain on petty little internet blogs that theyre allowed to have some method of relaxation while out on tour.

You really should be ashamed of yourself man!

[andrew clough @ Feb 27th 2006 11:21AM]

as a serving member of the ROYAL NAVY may i add that there is not ipod docks on the ship i am joining and would like to see some of the kids out there today do six months away from their mothers. also i like how everyone has a go at the forces all the time until we either stop millions of pounds of drugs every month or win another war!!!!!!!!! just for those that dont know we are busier now than we were during ww2 yet were a quarter the size if not smaller.

[Dave @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:21PM]

Hi Evan

Nice comment there, though i'd like to ask you a couple of questions:
1. Have you ever been on a RN warship?
2. Have you ever experienced life at sea?
3. Why are you opposed to the MOD finally doing something up to date?

Try answering these questions after you've just come back off a 7 month deployment, sorry, party trip to the south atlantic having not seen your family for all that time. Everthought listening to their recordings on, god forbid, a modern i pod might provide a degree of comfort to these people considering the crap most of them have to put up with? Try doing the job and maybe you'll understand.

[steve @ Sep 29th 2006 3:17PM]

Hello,

I will be one of the first to serve on DARING, the first 45. I volunteered to set this unit up and if you can imagine, I know it's hard, working 18 hour days to turn a lump of iron into a living breathing team of 200 people who are prepared to go anywhere and do anything in support of their country and it's people then you will understand their dedication and pride. Frankly, everyone else in the UK can go home and use whatever kit they like but when this is your only home for up to 9 months at a time a poxy I pod dock is small beer. Remember he said Dock, not the IPODs themselves.
The next time you get a paper cut or the bus runs late or you take a sicky to watch the football remember there are people like us who put ourselves in harms way so you can dream away that the world is a safe place and sleep at night. Get a life or find out the truth.

[Euan @ Aug 15th 2007 10:12PM]

I think that it is a bit daft having surround sound and ipod docks as when onboard you actually have very little time to use an mp3 player and aye whoever put it 100k is'nt a lot out of the budget but if they build 7 of these ships as planned that's what 700k which could be spent helping those who have fought and been in a war. I have not served in the armed forces yet but i have relatives and one in the Royal navy who says he hardly gets any time to relax or listen to mp3 players and when he gets back to his berth he sleeps.

[rikki1982 @ Sep 2nd 2007 10:11AM]

hello, i am curently serving in the navy and find some of your comments a bit pathetic. After being away from home for up to 9 months ( yes not just a few days!) a little bit of home makes us feel 10 times better. I dont think half you idiots could cope being away from wives, children and loved ones like we do, and yes we volunteered to join the navy but we didnt volunteer to leave all our families at home without their dads!! that precious thing that we dont get to ourselves is time and that time alone is spent thinking about our families. i am looking forward to this new ship and being abke to keep in touch with my family more than i have ever been..or have you forgot mp3 players hold pictures and videos?? mine is full of pictures of my friends and of my wedding day and i look at them when i miss my wife.

honestly 3/4 of your comments ar sh*t when youve been in our situation then feel free to write what you want.

[Nick Bennett @ Nov 13th 2007 4:55AM]

Further to the above posts, I do believe this whole matter has been blown out of proportion by the media. I'm not entirely sure iPod docks are being provided on the Type 45s, simply some guy in an interview with the press used the word iPod as a generic term for MP3 player. It is highly likely that it will be a commercial off-the shelf audio system, with a 3.5mm line in jack or similar. As mentioned before, it is also likely it will be wired in to the ships PA system, so that "pipes" or tannoy announcements can be heard at all times.
Morale is one of the most vital aspects in the navy, as the navy's performance can be attributed to levels of morale. Life at sea is sometimes very monotonous, and there have to be interesting things for the sailors to do to keep them occupied. Everyone look at history, and the German Naval mutinies of World War I. Morale can be considered a principle cause of the mutinies, as the sailors were bored to death, had no good food, were not allowed newspapers, magazines, and were not allowed ashore.
Of course I am not suggesting the Royal Navy will mutiny if there aren't iPod docks, or indeed 3.5mm line in connections, but I am emphasizing the role of these small little details in keeping everyone's spirits up when you've spent a long period of time at sea. The ship will also include a gym area and probably a library. A small cost to retain sailors who cost thousands to train up.

[E71 @ Feb 1st 2006 11:11PM]

Hahahaha. Pansies. Nice article Evan.

[Malaycobra @ Apr 20th 2009 9:51AM]

Bad idea. If the sailors are listening to their IPODs, they won't hear the warnings of the incoming American attack...
"well shucks, we thought it was an Iraqi warship...they look mighty similar from 60,000 feet"
"But the Iraqi's don't have a navy"
"Sure? Where's my Big Mac?"

[mpmaley @ Feb 1st 2006 11:17PM]

Wow, I guess they're trying to get some more ppl, haha.

[mike @ Feb 1st 2006 11:38PM]

Spice Girls?

Somebody hasn't been out of the house in 10 yrs..

[Tbgame32 @ Feb 1st 2006 11:40PM]

Oh boy, I can wait to see what the US busts out in their next ship... obviously can't let the Brits one up us. Flat screens? XBOX 360s? Discontinued Aibo in every room?

[Spence @ Feb 1st 2006 11:53PM]

I can't beleive that someone would object to that. We are talking about providing a few relatively minor perks (in perspective to other military spending.) Need I remind the readers of this site that most of us view broadband as a necessity.

[Doughboy @ Feb 1st 2006 11:54PM]

In the navy!

Bum bum bum bummm bummmmm!!

[Seth Brundle @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:00AM]

I have absolutely zero issue with spending money to keep our troops entertained - especially while at sea for months at a time, and frequently sharing a berth in shifts. It must suck.

Its not a prison - at least new technology makes it relatively cost effective to put a little technolove in their bunk. Good for UK. Hope US follows suit.

[Matt @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:31AM]

Sorry, but does not compute Engadget. You have to do everything you can to keep your troops up to maximum, and small perks like this make life bearable for those long deployments. Good morale + good training + good equipment = badass fighting forces.

[Garrett @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:52AM]

As to comment number 4

You stupid ass american, the spie girls are brithis, the story was about british warships. Put 2 and 2 together you dumbass, or does that equal 5?

[Ben @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:53AM]

I would hate to live in england, your tax seriously does suck and they spend it on unnecessary crap like this. It's ridiculous.

[Krono6 @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:58AM]

Sweet! I love this idea :)

[Ben @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:05AM]

American ships already are outfitted with xbox's (old ones) , playstations etc. So them getting a 360 is a no brainer.

I third the opinion ... these guys spend their time to protect our respective countries so a few amenities to help them on their way is the least we can provide them.

[Daikon @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:17AM]

Great. So where do sailors dock their Zens if they don't have an iPod?
I don't think the Royal Navy should be choosing any kind of digital audio player standard over another, this hasn't been thought through properly.
Kind of reminds me of that state of the art Dutch navy ship a couple of years ago, where in order to save space in the bathroom they installed the toilet paper holders inside the shower areas of the crew's cabins...

[tachion @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:38AM]

I spent 2 weeks at sea crossing the Pacific, and it wasn't too bad... although I was pretty anxious to get back on land by the end. Granted, this was on a cruise ship.

Guess it isn't such a bad idea for stuff like internet and DVD players... but iPod docks? That seems like a bit much. Wouldn't a standard audio input jack have been cheaper and more useful?

[cms @ Feb 2nd 2006 2:36AM]

Having strong connections to the Royal Navy, it annoys me greatly to see people like #1 spouting crap about what they don't know.

These sailors spend 6 months at a time at sea, in cramped conditions wheree small proveledges are all they get to relax and take their mind off the fact that they are putting their lives on the line for Queen and country. Connections to the real world like this make leaving friends and family for months at a time to sail into unkown danger make it all the more likely that when they are working they are more focused and betetr able to perform.

On a side issue, after the above rant, what you guys should be focusing on is the awesome technology in the warship. Not strictly consumer electronics, but the most technologically advanced warship to date.

[Ted @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:00AM]

lol, calm down number 14. These aren't the Royal Marines or the Household Cavalry. They aren't among the 100 British troops who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq. Also, people have to volunteer for this stuff. If they find it too hard to bear, then an iPod dock shure as hell won't change anything! I don't think this is so much about entertaining the troops (why not a plain audio input and normal sound?!) as being flashy in order to tempt the new generation of iPod teenagers into the Navy.

[Matt @ Jul 24th 2008 12:17PM]

I think that it is just that! Engadjet is obviously just sensationalising this issue so that they have something to publish. They probably have a line-in socket and a speaker. If that. And whoever said they have to volunteer for going to sea is a waster. Once you're in the services they take away the element of volunteering. You go where and do as you're told.

Tell it to 22 years as a pilot in the air force, i didn't even get any sort of choice as to what aircraft i flew!!

[LTM @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:08AM]

Eh Ben regarding comment 10,

Glasgow is in Scotland. British just doesn't mean the English and the people in Scotland, Wales and if you include the entire UK; Northern Ireland are also paying for this damn monstrosity.

My grandfather was part of the team that helped built the Queen Elizabeth, QE2, Queen Mary and Britannia on the Clyde. Unfortunately, now they are building these kind of white elephants. It's keeping people in jobs and might be a comfortable experience for those serving on the ship, but frankly he will be spinning in his grave at the thought of not only the cost of something like this to the public ( a working man for the people), but the fact that 6 billion, which could be going into public services that are falling apart, are going towards an overpriced state of the art killing machine.

[Xavez @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:33AM]

Evan, might it have occured to you that the US government has been spending tax-money on futuristic giant alien vs predator-like laserguns? (http://zdnet.be/images/nw0511/051109_laser.jpg and http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=488).

I think that's just as sick. Give me the luxury-suite for me and my little mermaid!

Oh for the record, I'm not British =P.

[cms @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:35AM]

#15.

I agree that the Royal Navy aren't the Household Cavalry, but the Royal Marines are the Royal Navy, they are the Navy's soldiers and are part of the Royal Navy, not the British Army.

Naval officers and sailors (not just Royal marines) are also part of the 100 dead since the start of the conflict in Iraq, so it is wrong to present their role as sitting away from danger and luxuriating in comfortable accomodation.

The scope of Naval operations and their danger is such that any new recruits who think that joining up because the ships have ipod docks are likely to be few and far between and would not get through basic training.

The type 45 destroyers willl only number 6 within the Navy's fleet and so the likelihood of being posted on board one is slim enough as to have no real impact.

Sorry for going on a bit, and I don't mean to be rude, but I have a huge amount of respect for those in the military who volunteer for service, and hope that my posts help people to realise how we need to support them rather than deride them.

[Bob Ch @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:43AM]

As someone who did a couple of westpac criuses in the American navy on a aircraft carrier, I can understand why the British Navy would add little perks like this to the one place a sailor has ANY privacy, their berthing space. We generally worked 18-hour days, 7 days a week. There are no weekends off when you are deployed. My rack was the only place where I could escape & have a little time to myself away from the boring & often stressful watch routine.

Of course that was back in the 70's, & the only real option for portable music was cassette tapes & a boombox. I remember promptly buying one of the first Sony Walkman cassette players & ditching the boombox because it allowed me more room in my bunk locker for more cassette tapes. I almost would have killed to have something as compact as a modern mp3 player back then. I definitely have an appreciation for the selection of personal mobile electronics gear that we have access to now.

[jhde @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:46AM]

This is just funny. We put in iPod docks, and you Americans think that that is luxury, and some have said they are pansies (first poster).

Is it not the American 'pansies' in the US Army that have Burger King and other fast food outlets FLOWN to IRAQ (in that gray area called the middle east) so that each soldier can get a slice of fried home cooking? A bit worse than iPod docks I feel.

[Steve @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:55AM]

You know, I've always enjoyed reading Engadget but this post strikes me as ridiculous. The cost of one of these ships is, what, �600 Million or thereabouts? Now how much exactly does fitting 6 iPod docks, Internet access points, CD player and surround sound in roughly 40 cabins cost? Maybe, if you're really pushing, �1,000 a cabin. Hell, let's say it costs �2,500 per cabin for a grand total of �100,000. That's a fraction of a percent of the total cost. And what does the Royal Navy get in return for that money? A better standard of living for those who crew these ships for months at a time. How on earth can that be a waste of tax payers money?

Certainly calling this a "Luxury Liner" is absolutley wrong and to imply, as post 15 did, that those who serve in the Navy are somehow not on the same level as front line troops simply because they are not on the ground is sickening. Look at the Falklands war for proof of how dangerous life at sea can be. Tell the relatives of the 17 people killed aboard the USS Cole in October 2000 that their deaths mean less than that of 17 soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Write a letter to the realtives of the six memembers of 849 Squadron that died on March the 22nd 2003 and tell them that their deaths didn't mean much compared to the other 93 members of the British armed forces killed in Iraq to date.

The Royal Navy is a vital part of the British armed forces and I for one am delighted that someone involved in the design process for these new vessels realises that investing in the mental health of the crew is worthwhile.

[ben2 @ Feb 2nd 2006 5:27AM]

sorry realy bad artical this thing has ipod dock wopydo so does everything else in the world. it can also shoot doewn a object the size of a criket ball (take that shane warne) and currently has a crew of one! (there will be more)

to the us vs uk dibate, you spend more on your armed forces than us a lot more more than most of the world put together infact, so get off you high horses.

anyway the only reason we need these is cause you lot keep aiming at the wrong side!

[ben2 @ Feb 2nd 2006 5:30AM]

also learn a stick shift befor you call ppl pansies

[grh @ Feb 2nd 2006 6:15AM]

I would be willing to bet the author of this article hasn't been without an internet connection, a complete suite of electronic gadgets (worn on his belt), and a family-sized bag of Cheetos(tm) in his hand anytime in the last 10 years. 6 months serving aboard a warship is a lot harder than 6 months in your parents' basement chatting on IRC all night. And yes I am a British taxpayer, and I think Our Boys deserve a few luxuries while they're putting their lives on the line.

[TGF @ Feb 2nd 2006 6:44AM]

I don't know why articles like this always incite US vs UK arguements. It's pathetic. I spend a lot of time in both countries, and in my experience posts like no.1 are usually from insecure twats who shouldn't be allowed out of school anyway!

So let's just enjoy the Tech and Gadgets people!

[Chris @ Feb 2nd 2006 6:48AM]

Personally, i rarely comment on engadget postings, but the comments on this one irritated me.

This may be coming out of tax payers money, but a high proportion of the money spent on this ship (and more to come) will go directly into labour costs. Therefore the workers in glasgow should be glad- presumably the wage is higher than the tax they are paying? Some of the governments tax spending doesn't go half as far.

Any money government spends investing on british industry is money well spent. Just as #22 pointed out- the ipod docks and small luxuries will go a long way for the proportional cost.

So- we're providing employment in the docks in glasgow, getting an awesome battleship, and keeping soldiers entertained- at no extra cost to the british tax payer. Doesn't that seem like a good idea?... I'm glad you agree.

[Maff Mace @ Feb 2nd 2006 7:09AM]

Why is it that whenever Engadget do a story about something in the UK (or "London" as some Americans call it), there's always something in the story that has a dig at us (in this case it's the Spice Girls, cos that's all we listen to) and then the first comments are always from Americans slaggings us off as well?

Personally, I'm all for the people protecting our countries (yes, there's more than one in the UK) getting luxuries like this.

[Andy @ Feb 2nd 2006 7:22AM]

Keep in mind, the average size for "personnal space" onboard a military ship is measured in cubic feet, and that number is definately less than 50 cubic feet (for older ships). Post #20 can recall how anything that can take you away from the cramped quarters you are living in , is the most valuable thing in a sailors eyes.

While the MOD may be the first to actually pay and install these things on ships, I'm here to tell you that US ingenuinty runs strong. As late as three years ago my ship had a network of x-boxs, PSPs and the whole gamuit of home theatre equipment that sailors paid their own money for to improve the quality of life. I'm pretty sure there are some issues with DOD paying directly for the "perks" that the article addresses, but ask anyone who gets underway if their unit morale fund has purchased a flat panel tv in the past six month, and the asnwer will be a resounding "One? Heck, we have a lot more than one!"

Engadget could really open some eyes if it ran a contest of the "Best tricked-out rack space" or "Best underway home theatre system"... (rack refers to your bed and the small chest of storage space beneath it)

[Devan @ Feb 2nd 2006 7:29AM]

Ipod's on a Navy Ship? hats just stupid, what are they thinking? The new Creative would have been a much better choice!

But seriously, this is one of the most stupid articles that i have ever read on engadget, followed by even stupider comments. These people put their lives on the line, often die, to protect us and our freedom. Why should they not have a bit of luxury? It's not exactly much is it. A small price to pay, i thought most people who have dragged their ass into the 21st century would have realised that a happy relaxed force is a more motivated one. Pansies? Your complete moron. We all know we have the biggest military, but the Brits seriously kick ass.

I think people are just annoyed that the UK something better than the US, this is the most advanced warship ever made. Hell, they even bought the Apaches off us and made them 10 times better, which upset many people. Why? As for the Spice Girl comment? They were are joke even in the UK, it was the US market that made them popular. Get a grip. More jealousy, as we all no that be music in the world has always come from the UK.

Good on the Brits i say, it the US should be asking exactly why our government is spending billions on a totally pointless war in the first place. We should be thanking the brits for propping up this embarrassing mess of a war.

Pathetic article, Engadget. You are normally so good.

[Misty @ Feb 2nd 2006 7:59AM]

I have to agree, this is a fine idea. Anything that makes the lives of the troops we depend on to defend the liberties and luxeries we all depend on, is fine in my book. In fact, I wish more of the military budgets went to things like this, to make being a soldier a better thing, than on multi-billion-dollar money-sinks of "technology" like the US missile defence system, that will never work, and yet we continue pouring billions of dollars into it.

For what we have spent on that one pointless research alone, we could have given every soldier in the US army a brand new ipod, brand new laptop, satellite internet access... And still have enough left over to close to double the salaries of the public school teachers in the US.

No, not all military spending is good. But this? Great idea, though I also agree a bit with the suggestion of just having an audio input. Which, in fact, it may well be; don't forget that journalists find 'iPod dock' to be much sexier than 'audio input for portable audio devices'. iPod is, in many ways, the new 'Xerox machine', 'Kleenex', etc, a catch-all name that encompasses iPods, Zens, and all the rest.

[Bulldog @ Feb 2nd 2006 8:16AM]

Does it bother me? No. Not in the slightest. Our armed forces are generally the best trained and most effective in the world. It bothers me that they're under-equipped, overstretched and that the very doctrines that make them so effective (devolving authority to unit level and enabling independent action) are being threatened by ridiculous application of overzealous EU laws & the insidious extension of a lawsuit culture in the UK. It bothers me that defence procurement is appalling and our future aircraft carrier programme is running late & we don't have a suitable aircraft lined up to fly from it. It bothers me that we're likely to cede more and more control of our forces to some hybrid EU force that won't go anywhere near harms way without ridiculous levels of debate and vacillation. But does it bother me that we might look to provide a little comfort for those people who put their lives on the line for us? No.

[sgs @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:04AM]

I can see a couple reasons why providing a dock rather than an input jack is a good idea:

1) The last thing you want on a ship is stuff lying around loose -- if the ship rolls you don't want loose gear flying around. Being able to pop your personal music in the wall and latch it down is good idea.

2) I can see where it might be better for the crew to not be wearing headphones when relaxing in case there were an emergency announcement on the ship's intercom -- I also wouldn't be surprised if the intercom were piped into the sound system with the ability of the bridge to cut off the music fron the bridge in an emergency.

Given the low fixed cost spread over the number of crew affected (and the cost of training and retaining crew), this seems like an extremely cost effective idea.

Author should get a clue.

[James @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:10AM]

Well lets just hope they have more than a shuffle for 5 months at sea. lol

[Product Reviews @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:18AM]

I am happy with this as I bet all that tech does not cost much out the �6 billion, and I have a freind in the army who does a great job for us.
They do not get paid much, so let them have some fun a.

[Steve @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:20AM]

There's two more things I would like to add to my earlier comments:

1) This project has come in on time and more importantly on budget. Considering that most construction projects of this type would be running considerably over budget I really think that kvetching about the cost of a few iPod docks and speakers is pathetic.

2) I thought this might be interesting, quoted from the BBC news web site: "Lt Cdr Woodruff said it was a distinct step forward for the Royal Navy. "We've certainly caught up with the electronic age," he said. "Nowadays the crew can write home on their laptops and it can be with their loved ones within hours rather than days, which is what I was used to when I first joined up." All ranks were asked what they would like on board Daring and 95% of their ideas have been incorporated. "When I've been hosting fleet visits up here, they always tell me that they want to serve on this ship," Lt Cdr Woodruff added. "She should definitely help us recruit in the future."

So actually these changes, or some of them anyway, where made in direct response to the requests of serving members of the Royal Navy. Personally, I tend to believe that they know more than most of us (with the exception of those who have served aboard a military vessel of course) what is best for the morale of those who serve.

Oh, and thought you might be interested to know that this post has been linked from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Daring_%28D32%29

[Paul @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:30AM]

Obviously the writer of this article has no clue as to what its like to be in the military. I would say that if installing a few ipod docks and surround sound will make the troops happy.

Perhaps the writer ought to join the military and find out what the real world is like?

[Pr011 @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:33AM]

I am a serving serving officer in the Royal Navy. I am incredibly offended by the remarks made in this article and some of these posts.

There is nothing luxurious about life on a modern warship. Ratings live in very small areas and their only personal space is their bunk. On top of this, each deployment lasts for up to 4 – 6 months, a long time to be out of contact of loved ones. Add to this a risk of serious injury or death in the execution of duties, and you’ll see that the addition of small comforts and the means to communicate with home is worth the money - which is relatively a small value anyway.

In answer to number 2, yes, the RN does have a recruitment problem. By modernising living conditions for personnel, more people will volunteer for service, especially from a new generation used to entertainment technology.


Six Royal Navy personnel where killed in the open stages of the war. Naval personel have been injured clearing mines and engaging the enemy in and around rivers. The Royal Marines are one branch of the Naval Service, the other two being the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxilary. All three have taken casulties in this conflict.

The cost is so small it is almost irrelevant. Look at the amount wasted by the CSA. However, do not be so arrogant to presume that you can criticise people who risk their lives daily to your benefit, without first understanding the hardships they undergo.

[Mike @ Feb 2nd 2006 9:46AM]

Spending money to keep sailors entertained and relaxed during months long voyages away from home is a good expenditure of money. The author of this article should be ashamed of their wording and obvious bias portrayed here. If this kind of attitude were more prevalent in Engadget articles, it would drive me away from the site. Thankfully, this appears to be an outlier.

[Ollie @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:52AM]

If I understand the various news articles on HMS Daring correctly, the ship's hardly reached the point where it can sail off and have its sailors go to their cabins.

The 'launch' merely involved floating the thing a few hundred yards along to another dry-dock where work will be completed (ready for the ship to enter service in 2009).

So... not only did the article unfairly mock the UK Navy (a very fine and respected armed service), it also managed to imply the (cutting edge for 2009) ship is now in service. Nice.

[Blighty @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:54AM]

I guess Churchill was wrong about the British Navy being nothing but "rum, sodomy, and the lash."