Originally Posted by
Davef68
In hindsight, have they been proven correct though?
Could the Harrier Force (down to less than 60 airframes and two front line Squadrons) have been able to carry out operations in Libya and Afghanistan at the same time?
Maritime currency had been lost whilst the HF was committed to Afghanistan and was only just being regained.
Huh? The Harrier deployment to Afghanistan was 8 aircraft (a mission requirement for six plus two attrition spares). Eight aircraft from a total of four front-line squadrons. How could that lead to a "loss of marritime currency"?
Neither Harrier nor Typhoon could carry Storm Shadow at that time, so the stand off strikes would have been impossible
HAH! Gerald Howarth said the same thing when he came to visit Farnborough (as a local MP) just after the SDSR. The assembled Harrier design team said "Oh yes it can!" He said "No, I assure you we have a detailed brief from Dr Fox explaining that Harrier is not cleared to carry Storm Shadow". At that point the relevant TA went to the filing cabinet and produced the signed master of the Storm Shadow DACPA document, whose front cover had a photo of a GR9 flying with them.
Because, of course, Gerald had been lied to by that centre of excellence for Mendacity and political B/S, Dr Fox. It seems that his lies still persist...
PDR