Future of the WSO?
Given the recent 'future of the air engineer' thread I thought I would start one reference the future of the Nav/WSO. This may be of interest to current Navs/WSOs and potential ones, whether it be NCA looking for a commission or young wannabes still at school/university.
A friend of mine pointed out to me recently an articule in a recent Air Secretarys Bulletin from PMA (autumn 2003 I think) outlying future plans for WSOs. So it is hardly a secret! I am working from memory here (not back at work till monday, assuming I could find it again on the Sqn), but as best I can recall it said:
RAF Board "stated policy" was to go to a "pilot centric flying branch" by the year 2020. This would result in the need for a total of approx 100 WSOs by that time, the majority of which would be on the ISTAR fleet (for which read Nimrod MRA4). Given the current level of approx 1100 Navs/WSOs it therefore looked for a reduction of 1000 in the intervening period.
I seemed to remember it mentioned removal of WSOs from the SH fleet, and implied the GR4 replacement would not have a WSO. Anyway I am sure anybody interested enough can find the articule (or some pprune guru, ORAC or BEagle perhaps, can correct me where I have gone astray). The first signs of this trend are already apparent, I understand that WSOs recruited off the high street are now only being offered short service commissions.
Now I myself am a Nav, and I am old, 40+, so it doesn't effect me. I will be drawing my pension by 2020. However, are the 28 -30 year old Navs/WSOs out there worried out this, aware of it, discussing it, etc. I fully realise that times move on, the RAF owes nobody a living and that almost nobody has a job for life these days, but there doesn't even seem to be discussion about it on my Sqn. Is it all too far away (I realise the air eng problem is an immediate one) or is the youth of today unconcerned, or unaware. Thoughts please.