Are you saying don't mention the war - any possible war in the next ten or so years? Do not think about any possible crisis?
As recent events shows, there seems to be a Persian Elephant in the room, and some thought has gone into what might happen, and how UK forces might be involved.
From the
Guardian:
UK military steps up plans for Iran attack amid fresh nuclear fears
The Ministry of Defence believes the US may decide to fast-forward plans for targeted missile strikes at some key Iranian facilities. British officials say that if Washington presses ahead it will seek, and receive, UK military help for any mission, despite some deep reservations within the coalition government.
In anticipation of a potential attack, British military planners are examining where best to deploy Royal Navy ships and submarines equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles over the coming months as part of what would be an air and sea campaign.
I suppose that fitting Tomahawk to (surface) ships would help make up the shortfall in force projection capability post Harrier - but it seems unlikely.
They also believe the US would ask permission to launch attacks from Diego Garcia, the British Indian ocean territory, which the Americans have used previously for conflicts in the Middle East.
I am sure that the possibility of Iranian reprisals (possibly from the air) against British flagged, registered, or owned merchant shipping (think of the 80s tanker war), or against RN vessels in the Gulf and Arabian Sea has been fully considered.
The Guardian has been told that planners expect any campaign to be predominantly waged from the air, with some naval involvement, using missiles such as the Tomahawks, which have a range of 800 miles (1,287 km). There are no plans for a ground invasion, but "a small number of special forces" may be needed on the ground, too.
I guess the US carriers will be busy. Perhaps too busy to provide defence for out forces, like our mines countermeasures force permanently based in that part of the world?
The RAF could also provide air-to-air refuelling and some surveillance capability, should they be required. British officials say any assistance would be cosmetic: the US could act on its own but would prefer not to.
Why no Tornados or Typhoons? Could it be that the planners are now looking at the possibility of the nearest airfield not being available to us?
jamesdevice
et al
If we're now looking a regenerating aircraft in ten years' time, maybe we should consider other assets that could potentially be regenerated/purchased in a hurry should we find ourselves needing carrier air in a crisis?
The world now seems like a very different (and far less safe or predictable) place to how it was at the time of the SDSR. More money can still be
found for the opening ceremony at the 2012 Olympics though.
