Colonel Tim Collins - Refreshing

[Joe Black]

R.I.P the brave gents from 120 Sqn.

I have just listened to the comments made by Colonel Tim Collins on the beeb and have got to say I agree with the guy whole-heartedly. If only Bliar had similar characteristics.

JB

PS - I have been overwhelmed at how ISK have come together yet again, let's continue the support for the families.

[movadinkampa747]

Do you honestly think TB will listen though? I am sure that Des Browne will come up with some lame excuse that the Armed Forces have all the resources they need for the AFG mission and that all the Armed Forces are doing a good job blah blah blah............................ Tone is on his way out. Gordy wont give anymore money so its stalemate. Its going to fun when the bullets run out. I read that could be as soon as the end of the year?

[Joe Black]

MOVA747

Not looking for an argument, just merely stating my support for such a strong leader as Tim Collins. They are very few and far between these days.
JB

[movadinkampa747]

I aint arguing as you can see. I agree with you and I saw the report on the Beeb news. Lets hope Tony is severly damaged by this politically. I dont think so though.

[FJ2ME]

I take it you know that Tim Collins has left the Queen's employ? Obviously had no place in HM Forces with such aforementioned strong leadership...Apparently, his more senior peers were rather jealous at his media popularity.

[The Gorilla]

In the interview I saw he hit the nail right on the head, old aircraft in service (not just nimrod) corners cut due to op tempo no spares lack of people etc etc. Des Broon was on later saying nonesense why they were recently upgraded to MR2 spec and see how clever I am I just ordered the nimrod replacements!! Didn't mention it was originally called nimrod 2000!!! Funny old thing.

Oh how glad I am to be out.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Is this the self-same Tim Collins who was not very long ago discussing getting rid of the RAF as a 'money saving' measure?

:ugh:

[Wayitup]

While I accept the right of anyone to speak up for their beliefs etc Tim Collins was one of a few 'experts' pouring fuel on the media speculation fire in the hours immediately following the Afghanistan accident. At that time, as we all know, loved ones, families, friends and colleagues were going through a very emotional time. Thanks to Tim Collins, and an ex RAF S/L, that preceding group of people expanded from Chinook to Herc to Nimrod and other types. The 'media' does what it does to sell, sell, sell!! What excuse do these ex military types have for fuelling harmful speculation??? I suspect none. IDIOTS ONE AND ALL WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER.

[Colonal Mustard]

Maybe TB and the government will bring out a "Nimrod Vista" or maybe even a "Nimrod Longhorn" and try and follow the Microsoft way of doing things, sounds like they have already had a "Nimrod 2000" which had its name changed due to technical difficulties?:E

[Pontius Navigator]

What excuse do these ex military types have

Money?

Don't imagine they do it for free. Who has ever heard of the sqn ldr. Sqn ldr I ask you, was that the most senior light blue head they could find?

[MrBernoulli]

Is the transcript, or similiar, of this interview available anywhere? Curious to see it.

[Tombstone]

Tim Collins was quite right in what he said about a/c overstretch, it's becoming ridiculous.

Feel free to flame me for saying this however, I am of the mind that losses like the Nimrod will happen again and continue to happen whilst operating at the current ops tempo.

The new CDS is straight onto the party line of, 'We can cope - just'. Typical, lets hope our Chiefs gain enough of a backbone to do something about this before we lose more good people.

[Wayitup]

Re transcripts...I think the item involving Tim Collins and Tom Rounds was shown on Sky about 1-2 hours after the announcement of the accident.
As for those guys commenting on the 'overstretch'...yes I agree with you however there is a 'BUT'. Please, lets not over do the 'servicing' 'tired' etc argument unless qualifying your statement from 'personal experience'. There are a lot of 'professional' guys out there doing a tough job and they are working their bal*s off keeping a/c operational in difficult circumstances. Hit the 'politicos' and 'chiefs' who keep saying 'cando cando cando' like a bunch of bl**dy yes men but support the guys on the ground.

[Tombstone]

Your post proves the point that we are overstretching. The groundcrews are indeed working at maximum capacity, something which is only sustainable short term.

Forgive me for sounding like a royal pain in the arse however, I would just like to see some proper funding coming our way without the need for internal cuts.

[Mr Blake]

Your post proves the point that we are overstretching. The groundcrews are indeed working at maximum capacity, something which is only sustainable short term.

Forgive me for sounding like a royal pain in the arse however, I would just like to see some proper funding coming our way without the need for internal cuts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=24ESSINXNSDQ5QFIQMGSFF4AVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2006/09/04/ncrash404.xml

See news item from the DT. Worrying insight into how exposed our forces are. I know this topic has been covered many times, and the tragedy that recently hapenned has brought it once more to the fore, but it just seems that things are reaching breaking point. Will there ever be a time when someone with similiar leadership credentials of Mr Collins says "enough is enough"? I doubt it. We will continue to struggle, because we are professional, and that's how we have been trained.:oh: But where do we draw the line? Is there ever a time when flight safety is being compromised to achieve the mission, with dimininshing assets? A topic for another time perhaps.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I had a lot of time for yer man Collins; until he began pontificating on air warfare and its means of conduct. Joint Ops or not, we are still producing single Service experts.

[mbga9pgf]

Looks as if the Chiefs are starting to get either a little concerned or at least refusing to tow the party line. Check this out. We need this a little more rather than yes men d*ckheads that did little more than sit in a concrete bunker for their operational careers. Looks as if the new CGS is more in tune with representing his guys rather than pander to this disgusting government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5311544.stm

[Cumbrian Fell]

Lt Col (rtd) Tim Collins seems very very keen to use private companies to provide air power in Afghanistan (yesterday's Sunday Times refers). Although his general observations are fine, best he keeps his nose out of the provision of air power.

[Wader2]

Sortie rates used to be specified as intensive or sustained - so many sorties per day for X days was intensive and then it would reduce to a regular tempo.

Crew ratio was set, at a number of crews per aircraft so crew-sortie rate would be slightly lower than aircraft-sortie rate.

If these rates still exist then it should be possible to show that the intensive or sustained rates are exceeded either in quantity or time. Alternatively it may be possible to show that the rate is wrong given the number of sorties missed, serviceablity degradion or medcial fatigue of crews and ground crew.

Is the operational tempo within the planned sortie rates?

Note I have not quantified any of these rates.

[AHQHI656SQN]

Cumbrian Fell, a small point. Didn't Lt Col (Ret'd) Tim Collins retire as a Colonel?

[WIWOWessex]

From the BBC website:-

Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said he did not think that the British Army was overstretched.

Gen Patrick Cordingley, who was commander of the Desert Rats during the first Gulf War, said the criticism that not enough resources were being providing was justified.
"It's completely unrealistic, as some commentators are saying at the moment, that the government hasn't put enough money behind it.
"We could produce a lot more money now very quickly, but it would mortgage the future of the British Army and it probably wouldn't produce anything further for a considerable length of time."
But shadow defence minister Gerald Howarth, said the Tories had predicted that British troops would "get sucked into a very much more fierce counter insurgency operation". However, Parliament was assured by John Reid, the then defence secretary, that this would not be the case, Mr Howarth told BBC Radio 4's World at One.

I wonder what colour the sky is on Kim Howell's planet?:ugh: :ugh:

[Cumbrian Fell]

I stand corrected if he retired as a Colonel.

[QFIhawkman]

I'm with GBZ on this one....

I fear that Col Collins is not the best man to pontificate on Air Operations....
Perhaps he'd like it if next time the BBC or Sky needed an opinion on Infantry operations, a retired pilot was wheeled out?

Now I'm sure that it's not all of his own doing, and the press shilling has a lot to do with this, but what happened to discretion? Is Mr Collins' bank account so dry that a polite "I'm not best qualified to talk on that subject" is out of the question?

[reddeathdrinker]

Your post proves the point that we are overstretching. The groundcrews are indeed working at maximum capacity, something which is only sustainable short term.


I'll tell you this for free about the Nimrods in the Gulf, sunshine.....We've been running with minimal manning levels out there since Gulf War I, that's 7 techies per jet. Seriously. 1 rigger, 1 sootie, 1 leccie, 1 armourer, 2 fairies, and a crew chief. We've been doing it for nigh on 6 years now. And they wonder about the PVR rate?

When we see, for example, the Nimrod-that-doesn't-exist Squadron, they bring one jet, and 50+ people, for a weeks deployment, and spares by the container-load.

[SOURFILTH]

I'm still amazed that a certain welsh foreign office minister in theatre still insists that British forces are not overstretched and that with further aid from our NATO friends, all will be well. I cannot help but wonder what kind of slaughter would await these other 'softer nations' if they were introduced to a focused Taliban offensive of the like currently keeping our lads occupied. If our exceptionally well trained and battle hardened troops are taking casualties when they come into contact, what hope is there for the others. If we are to remain in Helmand, then lets take the leash of our troops, support them correctly with more CAS aircraft, more artillery, more mobile infantry, better C4i and enough FULLY equipped troops on the ground to do the Job and get them the hell out of the there before history repeats itself. We have the resources....

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown have you the Balls to use them?

Nuff Said :*

[November4]

Seem to remember the very same welsh minister said something a while back which is very relevant to his idea that there is no over stretch and everything is rosy.....



"conceptual *********"



edited to add that

********* = male cow droppings

[QFIhawkman]

Let's remember that this thread is in particular about Col Tim Collins.

I for one am incensed that he is trotted out every time there is an opinion needed on Iraq or Afghanistan. Just because he smoked a cigar, looked the part (Sunglasses et al) and swore a bit, he's now apparently the voice of the man in the street when it comes to talking about anything "combat".

As many before me have pointed out, this was the man who spoke about how we needed to disband the RAF.

Wonder how his civilian helo fleet would be getting on out there round about now?

[Tourist]

It does make me laugh that right up until he slagged off the RAF, everybody on this Forum thought he was great.
Just read the old thread about his speech etc.
Anyway, he wasn't suggesting that we didn't need Military aircraft and Pilots, just that there was no need for them to be RAF.
He merely believes (as do most of us that wear a more elegant uniform) that he would get better service and value for money from the Army and FAA.
Seems reasonable to me.

[sarmonkey]

He merely believes (as do most of us that wear a more elegant uniform) that he would get better value for money from the Army and FAA.
Seems reasonable to me.

....well, if you pay peanuts....

And you there, in the elegant uniform - large Gin and tonic. Chop, chop...

[SOURFILTH]

Senior service could probably do it cheaper by cutting corners but it doesnt have any jets to do it with...

Also latest rumour is that Senior Service secret recruiting agents are waiting in the shadows at OASC to pick up the wanabee pilots that the RAF have turned down...

how reasonable does that seem

Bate taken, hook an all!

[QFIhawkman]

Senior service could probably do it cheaper by cutting corners but it doesnt have any jets to do it with...

Also latest rumour is that Senior Service secret recruiting agents are waiting in the shadows at OASC to pick up the wanabee pilots that the RAF have turned down...

how reasonable does that seem

Bate taken, hook an all!

And this involves Col Collins how?

Let's get back to the thread in hand gents......

He is a charlatan, and should bloody well know better. The "rebranding" of the RAF to his own favourite AAC and FAA is laughable, or it would be if it weren't so stupid.

Gimp comment I'm afraid, and doesn't bear arguing about. It's so silly I laugh openly about it!

[Tourist]

Sounds like a good idea.

Wait till the RAF has failed them at OASC for being in possession of either a personality, sense of hunour or a big c@ck(not required for female Naval recruits, though strangely, I understand not a permanent stopper for the green Merlin fleet?!!)

Incidentally, we do have jets. The top bods apparently decided that the RAF was wasting a valuable asset, so gave some of yours to us, so we could show you how its done.

I was unaware that G+T could come in anything other than a large, sarmonkey!
Obviously another of those uncouth crabisms.:rolleyes:

[sarmonkey]

But like the Murphy's, he's not bitter... I know you're a fish-head, old boy, but there's no need to prove it by biting on the hook that gets spat back at you. Never mind - work on the sense of humour and you might in the RAF yet.

Back to the thread in hand, though - shameless media tart though he is, the good Col C's comments may stoke the fire that appears to be slowly catching around the overstretch argument. The more coverage this gets, by whatever means, can only help all 3 services (Be they senior or superior. Calm down, RN, just a joke). The good Col's bandwagon-jumping sh1t about RAF-abolishing was Sunday-page 9-filling fodder. This is being talked about nationwide still, and that's a good thing.

[greycoat]

Cumbrian Fell, quite correct the esteemed Col was in the employ of a PMC shortly after retiring. Sadly their reputation and actions in Iraq were sufficient to merit news articles in the media re. random firing on Iraqi civilian vehs whilst carrying out CP duties.

[LOTA]

You have to remember this Collins fella has serious political ambitions, so it may be wise to treat most of his public pronouncements with the same caution reserved for those of Blair, Brown, Browne, Cameron, etc etc et al!

[MercenaryAli]

It would be perfectly feasible to get rid of the RAF. It is rather quaint outdated idea to have a "pure air force" and quite unnecessary. The Army Air Corps operate more aircraft than the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm put together and thinking about it one could justify disbanding the RAF completely.
Fleet Air Arm responsible for Search and Rescue, Coastal Command and Fisheries protection (including Coastguard) Land based and seaborne fast jets to protect the fleet(s) and provide hightly mobile cover for military and naval operations. Long range bomber(s) and AWACS/Sigint/Tankers - such as may be required go to the Navy.
Army Air Corps responsible for their own logistical battle field support heavy, medium and light helicopters. Battlefield over the horizon radar fixed wing and covert surveillance aircraft also to Army.
Red Arrows - well pretty sad to say but we could actually do without them although they could be contracted out :sad:
This would save millions that could be diverted to the Army and Navy, after all the Air Force was an uncessary invention of the first world war anyway! Long live the Royal Flying Corps :)

[sixbarrelldiplomat]

With the current rash of reality TV shows, how about this for an idea? A bitchfight between Tim Collins and John Nicholl for the title of Celebrity Military Expert.

A 'Bull-Off' in several categories in which neither have any experience but have two minutes of airtime to fill......


Just a thought.

[Aeronut]

Oh how glad I am to be out.
But still feel the need to cling by visiting here!

[Zoom]

Of course he does, Aeronut, because his status as a retiree elevates him to the esteemed position of a military expert, like Collins, SASless, BEagle, me and so many others!! :ok:

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

The more coverage this gets, by whatever means, can only help all 3 services.

I agree that general overtretch awareness is good. Uninformed comment on overstretch in an equipment and technical competence centred Service like the Air Force, though, can badly backfire. The regrettable paradox is that yer man's informed comment on Army overstretch may be to the detriment of the other 2 Services. The money cake is unlikely to become adequately bigger; it will just be sliced differently.

[GlosMikeP]

The money cake is unlikely to become adequately bigger; it will just be sliced differently.

As another one of the elevated, you're talking my language - per the thread 'What is the true state of defence finances'.

[The Gorilla]

Of course he does, Aeronut, because his status as a retiree elevates him to the esteemed position of a military expert, like Collins, SASless, BEagle, me and so many others!!

Zoom what a lovely person you are, I am going to abandon the Beagle fan club and start one for you!! Who said I was shallow eh?
:}

Aeronut
I come here to remember how lucky I am to be out!