Ombit,
Twas me who quoted thus, but the point I made was about the RAF I joined in 1966, not the 1950's.
The RAF may well have needed 150k conscripts in 1952 but don't forget that they only served for two years so the same number was also going to leave in the identical time period. The RAF was about 300K strong then and deployed all over the world.
This was all prior to the HUGE 1957 Defence cuts that devastated the size of the RAF, abandoned national service and cut a huge percentage of RAF regular fighter squadrons as well as all 21 Auxiliary fighter squadrons.
As to Nimrods, the statement clearly says that a study is underway to see if 2 or 3 squadrons are to be retained when the fleet reduces to 16 MR2 and then "about 12" MRA4.
Last edited by pr00ne; 24th Jul 2004 at 12:38.