Aid delivery by RAF Reaper!

[ShotOne]

When the UK Parliament again debated Syria today, it was angrily demanded by Labour Party shadow defence secretary that the RAF immediately start aid deliveries in Aleppo using drones. Recently Ms Thornberry has, with equal anger, demanded that RAF Hercules crews brave air defences there to drop supplies (any volunteers?).

Shadow defence secretary has until now been a responsible post. It's surely a bit of a concern to find the job's been handed to someone from la la land!

[Hangarshuffle]

Yea, I heard it as well. Its embarrassing really, for Labour... it shows how much or rather how little she doesn't really know. Practicality, nil.
But they were all signing petitions for humanity airdrops last week, and direct military intervention the year before.
I cant understand how they are all so callous about risking our own servicemen and servicewomen's lives.
When people speak to MPs, do they listen to you? about service matters...there must be people on here who have had contact. Just wondering=what are they on?

[NutLoose]

Invite her along on the mission.

[Al-bert]

do they listen to you? about service matters...there must be people on here who have had contact.

Yes, lots of contact. Picture the scene, Scottish winter evening, a SAR Flight 'somewhere in Fife'. US: Me (Flt Cdr and Duty Pilot), Anon (Navigator), Anderson (Winchman). THEM: House of Lords Defence Study Group. The crew each describe their role in the mighty Wessex.

Me "Any questions?" Yes says'Charles' - "why do you need the Navigator to operate the winch?" Me, "because the pilot can't see beneath the aircraft". Charles - "then make the floor out of glass". Me "that's where the engines are" (he'd already seen them). "what's down there" waving hand towards tail - it's empty, put the engines there"! "Come on Charles, bar's open" says another Lord and orf they jolly well went.

Just wondering=what are they on?
Expenses - lots!

[Exrigger]

She has probably seen that Amazon made its first trial drone delivery and think the RAF can do the same.

[Danny42C]

So time time ago, on these pages, I said: "War is War. It is not nice. The innocent must suffer with the guilty. It was ever so, and ever shall be."

The problem is that we have not had a full-scale war for almost three generations, and people generally (and politicians in particular) have forgotten the nature of the beast.

Equally terrible things happened in earlier wars, but there was no telly to rub our noses in it night after night.

Totally impotent as we are, we are in the grip of the "Something Must be Done" brigade.

But who'll "Bell the Cat" ?

Danny42C.

[Davef68]

I didn't agree at the time, but, with hindsight, Osborne might be right. If action had been taken against Assad in 2013, we might not be where we are now.

But then no-one could have predicted Russia's direct intervention - same might hav ehappened then.

[brakedwell]

Cameron and Co must shoulder some of the blame, because encouraging the Syrian uprising during the "Arab Spring" is one of the reasons for this horrible mess. However, I don't think an earlier intervention by the UK would have made any difference and dropping relief supplies from C130's in the dangerous airspace around Aleppo would be suicidal.

[Bob Viking]

I didn't see the parliament session but are you sure she suggested Reapers to carry out air drops? Maybe she actually meant a governmental subscription to Amazon Prime and to let them take care of it.

Facetious? Moi?!

BV

[KelvinD]

Re Ms Thornberry's ravings; a rather famous reporter from ITN appeared in Aden one day in early 1967. He wanted a tour of the Sheikh Othaman and Al Mansour districts. The Lancashire Regt agreed to take him but said there will be a delay while they rustled up a suitable armoured vehicle. Cue "I'm a famous TV reporter, I don't need an armoured vehicle. What's wrong with a Land Rover" tantrum. He was eventually put in an armoured Pig (I think) and off they went. My mate was riding in with him and said it was as funny as hell when the AK47 rounds and Energa shrapnel started bouncing off the sides. My mate said he was very, very quiet on the journey and came out at the end the colour of boiled sh&*e! No more moans about soft skinned vehicles!

[Planet Basher]

Get the ISIS to employ G4 to arrange their logistic deliveries by Southern Rail and the whole war zone will collapse in days.

[langleybaston]

Don't just do something, sit there!

Arabs killing Arabs? Its what they do. There is every good reason for the West to keep its collective nose out. Hopefully we have learned our lesson by squandering lives and treasure, thereby making matters no better and sometimes worse.

[racedo]

To achieve what ?

Aid people whose direct and stated intent is destruction of anything that doesn't conform to their interpretation of fundamentaist Islam ?

Why are we being Mercs for Saudi's.

[Pontius Navigator]

As the forces are heavily into contractorisation and NAAFI is defunct, why not put the aid deliveries out to contract? As already mentioned, Amazon could step up to the plate. As a US parent, maybe they could even get GPS guided pods on a B2 or guided pallots on C17.&

[thunderbird7]

And while on the subject of the NAAFI, surely a 1000 bomber raid of NAAFI chicory coffee over ISIS controlled areas would hav sorted this mess out one way or another years ago. Plenty of surplus stock now....

[4mastacker]

Of course (Honorary)Lt Col Thornberry would know a lot about military matters. She's been to a Court Martial*.



*That's why she thinks she's a (Honorary)Lt Col.
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3392116/It-s-eyes-left-Emily-Thornberry-mocked-boasting-Lieutenant-Colonel-armed-forces-despite-former-Human-Rights-barrister.html)

[brakedwell]

All she needs is a whip ;)

[octavian]

At peril of thread drift, there is a long running Walt thread in the Private Flying Forum. ET to TC-T? Doesn't take a lot of imagination.

[Davef68]

Of course (Honorary)Lt Col Thornberry would know a lot about military matters. She's been to a Court Martial*.



*That's why she thinks she's a (Honorary)Lt Col.
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3392116/It-s-eyes-left-Emily-Thornberry-mocked-boasting-Lieutenant-Colonel-armed-forces-despite-former-Human-Rights-barrister.html)


Hahaha! My dad was given an 'honorary' rank of Lt Col whilst visiting the Forces in Germany in the 60s & 70s (as part of his Civil Service job) for the same reason - to make admin easier, so he could stay in the OM and also to make travel to Berlin easier! But he'd never claim it gave him any expertise.

[Danny42C]

Walts of the world, unite ! You have nothing to lose but your credibility !

Anyway, we have our very own in-house Walt, haven't we ?

D.

[AnglianAV8R]

There is more than one truth to tell in the terrible story of Aleppo | The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/aleppo-falls-to-syrian-regime-bashar-al-assad-rebels-uk-government-more-than-one-story-robert-fisk-a7471576.html)

[MightyGem]

Calm down chaps.
it was angrily demanded by Labour Party shadow defence secretary that the RAF immediately start aid deliveries in Aleppo using drones.
Perhaps she's heard of this:
Getting aid to a war zone in a swarm of drones - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32452678)

[ShotOne]

Let's not confuse disagreement on policy with utter cluelessness about capability. The opposition have every right to their opinion -even one we may disagree with. But such disgraceful ignorance of the basics of what is achievable by our forces is simply inexcusable.

[Herod]

That swarm of drones seems like a very good idea. Presumably it fell at some legal/political hurdle?

[Hangarshuffle]

There are many officers serving in London/MOD. Perhaps some of them really need to embed themselves into Parliament and advise the MPs of the practicalities of what can and cannot go on.
MPs are currently making themselves an utter laughing stock. Its funny to us but this ongoing ignorance is deadly to the 19 year olds who serve in uniform.

[Pontius Navigator]

My MP made an error in terminology, a common one to the uninitiated, I sent her an email explaining and she acknowledged directly thanking me.

Maybe we should all act as advisors

[ericferret]

Got it in one Pontius.

Instead of pontificating on forums such as this, if we engaged with our MP's it would be time better spent.

Recently my wife had cause to raise the issue of interpreters pay with out local MP when she became aware that a further cut in the rates paid by the Home Office was in the pipeline. It was raised as an issue in the commons and lo the plan was shelved.

So a result is possible.

Just out of interest does any labour MP have a military background or even an interest in military issues?

[newt]

Surely it's up to MPs to interact with the population! They put themselves up for election to serve! Generally they are only there for self gratification and get their faces on the telly! This nonsense shows them for what they are! 👿👿👿👿


Futhermore, if they had made the necessary decions on Syria in the first place, this situation might have been avoided!

[Royalistflyer]

The best decision they could have made in Syria would have been to firmly stay out of it and put their efforts into persuading the USA to stay out too.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Just out of interest does any labour MP have a military background or even an interest in military issues?


Wasn't there one who took time out from fiddling expenses to beat someone up in the Commons bar?

[muppetofthenorth]

Just out of interest does any labour MP have a military background or even an interest in military issues?

"Daniel Jarvis MBE is a British Labour Party politician and former British Army Major. From 1997 to 2011, he served in the Parachute Regiment of the British Army"

He's been touted as a future party leader.

[MightyGem]

Presumably it fell at some legal/political hurdle?
Still in development I think. He wants his drones to return, this guy is designing edible drones:
New Humanitarian Aid Delivering Drone Will be Edible ? Wise Food Storage Blog (http://www.wisefoodstorage.com/blog/new-humanitarian-aid-delivering-drone-will-be-edible/)