Aiforces Monthly, State of the RAF Articles
The new edition of Airforces Monthly has several articles concerning the ongoing problems facing the RAF, mostly quoting various Government Committees:-
Hawk. Engine problems ‘a fiasco’, particularly bearing in mind the MoD cannot recover the projected costs of overseas training, let alone the cost of fixing the engine etc.
F35. Force growth rate slower than planned, “primarily due to the original number of aircraft maintainer posts being insufficient in the face of programme realities such as leave, training and professional development “
E7. Cutting 2 from the planned buy of 5 airframes “is perverse and must be reversed “. The cut has only reduced the overall budget by 12%.
C13OJ, just reiterated all the known holes left in some roles.
Typhoon. Tranche 1 aircraft should be mothballed, not scrapped. Expert witness claimed if necessary, they could be updated, scrapping them leaves no reserve airframes.
I‘be no idea of the accuracy of all the articles but there must be a basis of truth, the overall picture is really quite depressing.