So What will put things right!

[peoplespoet]

Many threads highlight what is wrong with military aviation in the current climate. What I am trying to with this thread is to give us all the option of informing our lords, master and defence what is required and how best to fix it. After all we are the people at the sharp end and we know where we are deficient and how this will affect our abilities to operate effectively in training and on operations.

So whats the problems? and most of all what is the FIX!:E

PP

[Roland Pulfrew]

Stop civilianisation.
Stop contractorisation.
Militarise the HQs, including MOD.
Replace old kit with new kit owned and operated by the RAF/FAA/AAC and in the right numbers. Bin OA.
Bring back some of the perks ie FQ rent at non commercial rates, support for sport, AT etc.
Continue with modernisation of messes, accommodation and FQs, not just for the airmen but for the Os & SNCOs!!
Stop using/wasting money on "management consultants" - accept that there are times when 'military best practise' beats 'civilian best practise' hands down! We have been at it for a lot longer than most.
Stop the cuts in manpower/ships/sqns/regts.
Stop PAYD.
Support the infrastructure, properly.
Keep more smaller airfields rather than going for unfriendly, unwelcoming "superbases".

That's my starter.....

[ukatco_535]

Senior Officers -

accept that you are in the military and that civilian standards will not work; for example the race to be accredited Investor In People status a few years ago (which means nothing nowadays) and other such nonsense.

Instead of bending over backwards to be politically hip, support the guys and gals who do the job. Achieved through - decent kit - on time; decent living standards; cut mission creep out where possible, stand up to the spineless politicians and civil servants.

Stop falling over yourselves to embrace every new buzzword that some poxy civvy HR guru comes up with.

Just my couple of thoughts; I have been out a few years now and don't envy you guys - it was getting bad in my time; the trend does not seem to have been reversed.

[BEagle]

RAF perspective only;

Starting right at the bottom:

1. Restore the UAS system, including serving QFIs flying military aeroplanes from military aerodromes closer to the core of the individual UAS - and the Graduate Entry scheme with APOs at University.
2. Restore Basic Flying Training to Wings standards for all pilots as part of an extended Cranwell course. The 1974 era Graduate Entry scheme would be a good model to adopt.
3. AFT on either Hawk(FJ) at Valley or Jayhawk(ME) at Wyton - and an appropriate helicopter type at Shawbury.
4. TWU at Chivenor.
5. Restore the OCUs as individual centres of excellence rather than as embedded flights within squadrons.
6. Get rid of 'Bizspeak'.
7. Include all the points made by Roland Pulfrew.

Or perhaps Capt E Blackadder had it right when he suggested the resignation and suicide of a few senior officers?

[BossEyed]

Senior Officers -
accept that you are in the military and that civilian standards will not work; for example the race to be accredited Investor In People status a few years ago (which means nothing nowadays) and other such nonsense.
Nonsense indeed (http://burningourmoney.********.com/2006/02/curse-of-investors-in-people.html).

[PerArdua]

The most important resource we possess in the military is the manpower, we ask them to do things and not question why. We expect them to always be there regardless of the conditions we subject them to. Where does the disconnect occur that leaves someone unable to remember what it was like when they came through the ranks. I believe somewhere around Wg Cmdr a decision is made to go it alone and forget about the people below you, look at the Centralised Maintenance Fiasco at Lyneham. The only way we are going to get the RAF fixed is to put our people first and stop jumping on every business-speak band wagon that comes along. Give the RAF 5 years of stability and let everything settle down, let us get used to the amount of people we have currently before you take more people of us for a task that has never reduced. At the end of the 5 years ask the floor what is right and what is wrong and do not assume, in the ivory towers, that everything is rosey. In all my 20 years I have changed when I have been asked but now with the situation as it is, roll on the next 3 years or Tranche 3 because I don't like this ride anymore please let me get off, you are hurting the people.

PA

[Jackonicko]

As my learned friends BEagle and Roland Pulfrew say.

PLUS

Regain, maintain and strengthen in-house maintenance and engineering capabilities and recognise and accept the added value of higher cost service personnel for their flexibility, adaptability and ability to be deployed.

Take back PFIs and PPPs and return them to uniformed personnel except where there can be proved to be no impact on delivery of the service (using not cost, but effectiveness and operational efficiency as the criteria).

Restore, retain and strengthen sufficient MUs to perform second and third line engineering work. Giving this to BAE is great news for BAE shareholders, and until their monopoly position is entrenched may be marginally cheaper, but it's NOT in the long term interests of the RAF OR the taxpayer.

Encourage the IPTs particularly and engineers more widely to recognise and evaluate risk, and to function as intelligent customers. Simply giving all work to the DA/OEM DOES NOT CONSTITUTE SMART PROCUREMENT in my book.

Manage the fatigue lives and airframe lives of expensive assets. Never throw away a jet with half its life remaining.

Retain sufficient Jags and F3s to augment the GR4 and GR7/9 to their OSDs - they simply won't reach those without major structural programmes.

Return to a 30 Squadron frontline FJ force, or at the very least retain 22 PLUS OCUs.
(3 Recce, 2 SEAD, 4 strike/attack, 5-6 AD, 6 OS, 2 RN)

Scale other fleets to meet the maximum task WITHOUT overstretch. 3 Nimrod squadrons, 3 tanker, etc.

Replace the Canberra PR9 properly.

Stop fannying around with FSTA and A400M and buy some tankers and some more C-17s NOW.

Replace Trident with a cheap and cheerful 'tick in the Security Council box' air launched system (nuke Storm Shadow), bin the SSBNs and the carriers.

[Navaleye]

From the RN perspective:

1. Order CVFs without delay in CV configuration
2. Retain and upgrade Shar until F-35 comes on line
3. Return control of fixed wing FAA to Navy
4. Upgrade Merlin so that it provides a useful offensive multi-role capability
5. Extend life of Trident fleet
6. Add TLAM capability to T45 destroyers

[Roland Pulfrew]

SMART PROCUREMENT


And that's another one, get rid of Smart Procurement - it doesn't and isn't and probably leads to more delays and compromises than anything else. And it's creating a monster department of its own in MOD with a 1* head!

[SASless]

Ah....now maybe the Airships will form a committee to study the suggestions....that will solve the problems soon enough.:uhoh:

[peoplespoet]

The one thing I have learned over the past 20 years is that the sharp end know what they are talking about and if you want the job done right you had better listen or be prepared for failure!

If this is what it takes for the public select committee to be armed with questions for the next round with the general and airship then so be it.
For too long Senior officers have visited units and their eyes have rolled back in their heads when they have been correctly informed of pending problems we face and what is required in order to over come them. The sad fact is that by the time they visit units it is normal on the back of an order from on high and they have already given their opinions which unfortunately because of the character of these people remain unchanged; even in the face of doom or failure why? because it is much easier to **ck people over at the bottom than admit you were wrong at the top. They refuse to say sorry I got it wrong or I was ill informed.

I wonder what Montgomery would have done?

PP

[VitaminGee]

SASless :ok:

For the BIB [Bright Ideas Brigade] above, perhaps some suggestions could be made, hopefully realistic, as to where on earth the funding would come from?

[dallas]

Pipe dreams apart, in practical terms I would like to see:

a. The Service learn to learn. There's an incredible amount of waste caused by bosses with new ideas re-inventing tried and tested - and often proven to be flawed - wheels. If we can figure out how to retain corporate knowledge we'd save bucket loads. I see expensive errors nearly every day caused by our inability to learn from the last time we did exactly the same.

b. A period of 'Change Freeze'(TM!). We're constantly renaming, reorganising, rebrigading, re-Grouping and generally fiddling with our organisation without giving ourselves time to properly monitor the effects and decide of long term directions. Unfortunately, changing anything is generally considered to be the way to get noticed for promotion. While that shouldn't discourage good ideas, there should be consequences for bad ideas - and I don't mean OBEs!

c. I'd like some non-management speak proof that their airships care.

[FJJP]

Monty would prolly have resigned in disgust and have given the press an in-depth interview. Followed by the downfall of the Government. Public opinion would have been outraged.

Somehow, I don't think the the public could give a tinker's cuss today...

[The Helpful Stacker]

I was at a briefing today. I must have heard "blue sky thinking" from the same person at least 10 times in 30 mins.

:{

I despair of the direction the RAF is taking. More David Brent's than Guy Gibson's, stats and 'LEAN events' rather than morale and getting on with it.

Would anyone care for a new design of wheel? I'm sure there will be an emperors new clothes version along shortly.

[Tonkenna]

A simple thing would be to go back to job names that ment something... what was wrong with OC Eng or OC Supply... at least you knew, sort of, what they did, and you could find them in the phone bookl!!!

What the hell is OC Airport of Embarkation????

Barking mad

Tonks:hmm:

[BEagle]

Next thing you'll be wanting phone books and operators who knew what the hell they were doing instead of that Dumbarton nonsense, eh Tonks?

Never forgot the day they told me that there was no such thing as OC101 Sqn......:rolleyes:

[Roland Pulfrew]

SASless :ok:
For the BIB [Bright Ideas Brigade] above, perhaps some suggestions could be made, hopefully realistic, as to where on earth the funding would come from?

OK as a starter for 10, how about some savings measures applied to the Social Security Dept, perhaps a bit of LEANING as well. If by HMTs own and admitted probable under estimation there is some £2.3 BILLION lost in FRAUD from the SS budget. Let's take £2.3 Billion per annum from DSS and transfer it to the Defence Budget - that would go some way towards providing some of the above!! And that's before we wade into the Health budget and the education budget both of which seem to have become the noo labour equivalent of the 'Sacred Cow'. Over to you;)

[Sloppy Link]

Crown Immunity.

[SubdiFuge]

Tonks

OC AoE is a perfectly acceptable title. Just don't forget the RSEH L that is missing from its middle.

[Safeware]

Stop assuming that everyone who isn't a 'Yes' man is obstructive.

sw

[The Helpful Stacker]

A simple thing would be to go back to job names that ment something... what was wrong with OC Eng or OC Supply... at least you knew, sort of, what they did, and you could find them in the phone bookl!!!
What the hell is OC Airport of Embarkation????
Barking mad
Tonks:hmm:

Its 'OC Resource Management Squadron' now, dontcha know?

I'm still surprised we're allowed 'OC'. Thought it'd be MD or something equally less militaristic.

[Compressorstall]

Have more 'rest' tours, then people wouldn't feel so burnt out and leave, and their families might find it easier to accept less frequent operational tours. High operational tempo isn't just wearing the equipment out.

[covec]

Contentious thoughts:

Leave the UN Security Council and concentrate instead on Homeland Defence and the Rapid Reaction Force concept so that we can still help out by contributing an effort commensurate with our size / pockets.

Why hang onto Uncle Sam's coat-tails too closely? Why not be more like Norway or the Netherlands? The Empire has gone. Yes, we still have "interests": but have those "interests" not yet (!) learned to stand on their own two feet and seek aid from friendly regional powers instead of seeking aid from the "old country"?

Charter out SAR (but develop CSAR ourselves). I am sure that Directflight / Air Atlantique / Highland could operate 4 or 2 engined SAR aircraft. Likewise charter out AT bar the more "military stuff".

Or else stay on the UN Security Council and put our money where our mouths are and buy, buy buy (!) CVNs / JCA / Longhorn / A300M / C17s / Heavy Battle Tanks / more coloured beret btns eg RM / Paras.:D

[Two's in]

1. Shoot the Beancounters.
2. Shoot the Beancounters.
3. Shoot the Beancounters.
4. Check for a pulse.
5. Shoot the Beancounters.

[tonkatechie]

Everything that I would like to see change tends to revolve around there being more money in the defence budget, so I'm not holding my breath...
Mind you, it would be nice if, for once, there was a senior officer (by which I mean at MOD level) who would be publically willing to show he has a spine and stand up to the continual f**king around of our forces by the Whitehall mandarins.
I wholeheartedly agree with those of us here who want to see less contractualisation and civilianisation of the forces - when I was in Germany the whole family could see military doctors and dentists. Now I'm back in the UK it's doctors only at my current unit, at my next unit (poted soon) it's sod all. When you read the CO's Xmas letter to all and sundry each year, there's always a mention on how important our families are to the whole team effort, yet they're getting some of the kicking we get now. Hardly a reward for all the months with partners away, and sacrificing careers to follow a husband / wife around the world.
Finally, stop copying civvy street. For years the boys in the city used to adopt our practices and use our terminology to plan their businesses, why the change? All we seem to get nowadays is people coming in on a new 2 year posting and changing the name of the section: AMF - ASF - TASF - TAMF. Still doing the same job, but you can't help but think that someone's changing names as part of his 'LEAN strategy' in order to get his next promotion.:*
There, I feel better for that.:ugh:

[Mr_Magoo]

PAS for all aircrew!

[peoplespoet]

It would appear that a common theme is emerging from this thread. Could it possibly be that we have become grumpy old men? I fear not, it is just that after so many years of experience and knowing what is required to get the job done quickly and correctly we know that we are not being efficient either financially or in delivery of capability.

Service personal have already lost their lives through equipment not being made available on time i.e. body armour; and because of the lack of quality training opportunities undoubtedly further lives may be lost. So what can be done about it? who is ultimately responsible? not the men losing their lives thats for sure!

Is it not about time that the term culpably negligent is used and senior officers are held responsibly for the items that they randomly and glibly place as an acceptable risk, especially when it is done to save face or gain brownie points. I think the only way that things will be put right is that anything at risk should be only made at MOD level (unless on operations and lives are at stake during hostilities) and the decisions to commit to further tasking or operations should be made with all the facts available, and not on the back of someones promotional opportunities which we have seen over the past 4 years.

The government of this country need to be aware that if they want to fight along side the USA and commit to these type of operations then the training, machinery and funding to support the operational commitment must also be made available and in sufficient time and quantity to be effective without significant risk to the servicemen and women conducting the missions they demand.

If the MOD and Government continue to get what they demand and at half the normal price we will continue to be eroded in quality, lifestyle and reputation as we become more and more Dependant on the US for transport, equipment, support and ultimately and inevitably leadership!

PP

[mud moving sumpy]

Stop officers moving on after 2 years in post. Allow time for the ideas to actually get a chance to be implemented and work. This will also allow the officer to become accountable, which it appears from the sharp end, just does not happen. They screw it up and then move on to another office and start all again.

STOP BLOODY LEANING EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Went to a LEAN event and was told that the Air Force is now like a Japanese Car factory in the 1980`s. Can someone tell me how these 2 things are related?

Bin the Tristar and VC10 fleet. Very nice aircraft but bloody expensive to repair and maintain, we could have bought a new fleet by now.

Scrap the Air Display Variant and allow the Gr4 to be relifed. Also stop scrimping on the modifications. why do we always go for the short term options and then spend 6 times the original figure to get what we actually want.

Bin Britsh Waste of Space. Here in swampland, they have taken over all the hangars, muscled in on half the manpower that is still left 2nd line and are just waiting to grab the rest. Also Rolls Royce have their eyes on the Propulsion Aspect of the tonkla world, so watch this space.

Sort out EFA!!!! Having seen the latest blooper, maybe it is time to turn around to BAE and say, we aint paying no more into the project. We want aircraft that work from Day 1, adn we are withholding payment until they have completed 6 months of trouble free service. That would make the BAE shareholders worried.

Anyway Rant Over

[bongof4]

1. Shoot the Beancounters.
2. Shoot the Beancounters.
3. Shoot the Beancounters.
4. Check for a pulse.
5. Shoot the Beancounters.


You are far too mild. Shoot, wound, twist, now think about which soft organ to concentrate on, and finally, to the sounds of Jerusalem, dispatch . Come on then bean counters tell me about your added value and contribution to retention and military effectiveness.