Originally Posted by
Finningley Boy
What's also missing from the inventory are training aircraft? How about bases for the assets? Would the Typhoons, C-130s, Helis and, one imagines, training aircraft, all be squeezed into Lossiemouth? Would Leuchars and Kinloss be open againg for various roles?
FB
Costs of spares and consumables are a significant issue for every modern Air Force. Meanwhile, in the Scottish Fever Dream of independence, these things, along with qualified people to run them, will appear magically because Nicola wills it, like Hitler in the bunker.
In 2012, my straw polling when I was spending lots of quality time with the Forces guys, was that less than 10% of Jocks were going to elect to join a Scottish Defense Force, and they were nearly uniformly the very junior or those very close to retirement and looking to go home along with Reservists, who had real jobs/careers in Scotland.
I can't imagine that number changes significantly a decade onwards (perhaps, perhaps not.) If you then argue what is the percentage of pilots, intelligence officers/NCOs, mid-career maneuverists, mechanics, skilled ship drivers, combat medical personnel, special operations, combat divers, etc. (fill in any investment intensive job) who would elect to leave an even anorexically thin British military and you are now down to a group of people who can comfortably go out to dinner together. At least the British Armed Forces are deploying (with the professional and post-service benefits accruing thereof.) A Scottish Defense Force is a decade from meaningful participation in an EU, let alone NATO military exercise, let alone operational deployment.
This is to build a maybe Irish level of capability...not a modern force capable of trading fists with the Belorussian Army.
All of the SNP's military analysis is the kind of military analysis to show you've done some. Its homework done on the bus ride into school. Its not real analysis, and its wonderfully unencumbered by such accoutrement as data or a meaningful plan.
The real SNP plan for defense is enough kilted young men to pull the lanyard on the One O'Clock gun and do a parade every so often, and perhaps (no promises! Got to get it approved by Holyrood, with just a FEW caveats) send a few to some EU operation to be assistant logisticians. Really, the plan is obviously to be another security free loader in Europe, and I haven't seen anyone tell the SNP that position is filled with a number of satisfied incumbents.