A good read.....

[TBM-Legend]

Bring back Winston Churchill....:D


Libya fighting shows just how idiotic the Defence Review was ? The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/libya_analysis/)

[Archimedes]

One of these days, I'll click on a Register link and be delighted to find Page writing good objective analysis based on research rather than utter b*ll*cks based on his own prejudices which he usually turns out.

Today is not that day...

[draken55]

As matters stand, none of what has being shown on TV or discussed in the media and then analysed ad nauseum will amount to anything if the Colonel sees of the Rebels.

If his forces are disciplined, "dress down", use pick ups, small arms and mortars, they will be very hard to distinguish from the ones we are trying to protect. That is, not without the near certainty of some civillian casualties that would hand him the PR weapon he craves to try and fracture UN support for armed intervention.

[SASless]

Utter hogwash.....errrrrr....being an outsider with no axe to grind...I would say the Man has raised some questions based upon history and current events.

Tornado's killing enemy airfields at very low level did prove to a very dangerous mission and tactics were changed to mid-level bombing.

A sum total of twelve aircraft from a fleet of 136 deployed long term....and it is considered a full effort?

The Nimrod binned without a replacement on duty....now that is a no brainer.

Shuttle bombing raids....compared to cruise missles....again...a no-brainer.

The Typhoon....bought with no gun...gun added but no ammo bought...nuff said on that.

Going your own way on a cruise missile instead of buying bulk rate units from the Americans....I guess pride demands that expense.

Bottomline....cut your force size to the point you plan to do so....and you become unable to field forces in the numbers and and logistical support system that extended warfare requires.

Are you not at that point as we speak?

[Load Toad]

Really what we are saying is when there is a recession the government has to borrow and spend more not try to reduce the deficit through 'cuts'.

[AirShowJunkie]

"cripplingly expensive-to-run, slow, lumbering low-altitude jets"- Tornado. But argues in favour of the Harrier...a subsonic aircraft. I'm not arguing in favour of one aircraft or the other operationally but this is basic stuff. Who is this idiot?

[Finningley Boy]

Lewis Page speaks glowingly of air superiority in one paragraph while tipping buckets of scorn on the very assets used to achieve that in another. He doesn't seem to like any R.A.F. or Army operated hardware but anything in these areas that the Navy can operate is outstanding. He clearly believes that whatever air assets the Navy can launch off a carrier, its bound to be better than anything designed simply to operate off an airfield. Talk about jockying for position, he does a rare job of that himself on behalf of his old service.:ok:

FB:)

[Rector16]

Thanks for pointing me at the Register article - it really is utter rubbish on this subject isn't it. I wonder if all their other articles are so poorly researched and written?

Harrier carries Stormshadow (wrong); Tornado only carries one Stormshadow (wrong) even the 136 Tornado figure doesn't take into account the fact that we have 7 Sqns (soon to be 5) of up to 12 (with the emphasis on 'up to'!). So reality is that we have around 70 flyable with perhaps 40 deployable - suddenly 12 looks like a good effort.....

Does he get paid money for writing about subjects with no knowledge? Could I get a job writing about Opera and Ballet?:ugh: