Originally Posted by
Evalu8ter
Islandlad,
A few things to ponder. Firstly, the RAF contributed a significant proportion of the aircrew deployed on Corporate. Not only the GR3 and Chinook crews, but also a number of SHar pilots and RN rotary pilots (including one that later became CAS…). Add in the Vulcan/Tanking (whatever value you may or not perceive in that enterprise), MRR by both Victors and Nimrods, long range resupply of crucial parts/people to the TF via C-130 and a number of other more covert activities, it all adds up to the RAF playing a significantly larger part in 1982 than the RN played in GW1 and GW2. The latter, frankly, was a farce, as a force of small ships and elderly wheezing helicopters were deployed purely in order to be seen to be there, at great cost - followed by airbrushing the RAF's role out of any part they could. Sharkey's myopic, misinformed, error strewn and clearly not proof-read paper would be comedic if it wasn't so supinely supported by the usual cohort of RN Grandees, most of whom likely still think the Navy won at Jutland and can't quite understand why 'shiny guns' are not as accurate as German ones….
Like it or not, the message is clear. If you want to be CAS or shoot down enemy aircraft in aerial combat, deploy to hot spots with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.
Incidentally, weren’t all but one of the Chinooks destroyed with the Atlantic Conveyor owing to the deplorable lack of air cover?
As someone who was seariding in HMS GLOUCESTER when she shot down the Iraqi ASM during GW1, I’m not sure I entirely agree with your synopsis about the efficacy of our ships.