Tri-Service
Men Overboard: 'A Third Of UK Sailors Want To Leave The Navy'
Up to 100 sailors are reportedly leaving the Royal Navy every month.
A recent survey of the Armed Forces reveals that defence cuts and decreasing deployments are sapping the morale of existing recruits and discouraging new ones, according to the Mirror.
The Navy is said to have suffered more cuts than other services, with today’s fleet less than 40% as strong as it was 30 years ago, and no aircraft carriers currently in service.
HMS Illustrious was retired two years ago, and is to be replaced by HMS Queen Elizabeth
But with the £6 billion carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth coming into service in the next four years, the Navy is being gutted and ships are being run with skeleton crews to supply sailors for this huge vessel, a source told the paper.
Nearly half of the Navy’s 32,000 workforce, meanwhile, claimed that workloads are too high and four in 10 sailors said they dislike their accommodation.
The service is also estimated to be below strength by 1,100 personnel. The MoD said in a statement:
"Our sailors do a challenging job and that’s why this government has done more than any before it to ensure their contribution is recognised."
"We enshrined the Armed Forces Covenant in law and have introduced a raft of measures to improve service life. The Royal Navy continues to meet all its operational requirements."
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