Originally Posted by
Asturias56
Sam - the carrier issue is discussed interminably in thread
Future Carrier (Including Costs)
Half agree with you, half are True Believers
I think its a good point about the SAM's - I'd have thought a few deployed in the Falklands might not be a bad idea for example.
In 1981/2 I was a Bloodhound Engagement Controller at RAF Wildenrath. I was put on notice to deploy to the Falklands. MOD intended to deploy at least one missile section (8 missiles with one type 86 control radar) but decided that the cost of deployment was too great - think 10+ x C130 to transport 8 missiles (2 per a/c), one launch control post, one T86 radar, 2 diesel generators, the missile reload sideloading vehicles & specialist armourers equipment plus spare resupply missiles.Plus the enormous AAR task! They made the decision to send the smaller short range Rapier units. They then deployed them at heights on the mountains where they could not engage sea skimming aircraft as the fire control radars could not depress enough. Madness.
As a moot point to all on here, around 1986 some bright spark air officer in MOD thought it a jolly good idea for the Bloodhound Launch Control Posts to be upgraded from their perfectly good C scope/raw audio displays to full colour CRT displays for many millions of £s. They didn't take into account that all of the Bloodhound Mk2 solid propellant boost motors (across 25 & 85 Sqn) were time expired around 1991/2). I was the poor unfortunate EC to be propelled from a Flight Training Officer on 25 Sqn to the Sqn Training Officer on 85 Sqn to look after this mess In 1988. Then the decision was taken to scrap Bloodhound because of the procuement cost of a couple of hundred new boost motors.....