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As i'm sure WEBF and Navaleye would testify this guy has his finger pretty much on all aspects of the RN. I know all you PPruners out there probably think that this is not the place for dicussing the RN Surface fleet but since these ships are seen as 'Joint Force Platforms' I think that a couple of points are worthy of discussion here.
Even the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Alan West, seems to be losing patience with the ever lengthening delays, he is quoted in a recent interview with International Fleet Review magazine as saying: “The key ... is to get the the order for the new carriers in place. We need to order the carriers and start cutting steel. There have been statements from Ministers to the effect hat they will be ordered and it is Government policy to build them. Even so we have still not got there. ... There is is no doubt that we have taken some hits on the current fleet in order to enable that to happen. The structure we are creating which includes cuts in the short term. does not make sense without the new carriers." If he's saying that in public, there can be little doubt of the battles being fought by the Royal Navy within the portals of the MOD to finally get CVF funded and approved.
This man is obviously trying to get the Government to sign the contract before he retires. Quite understandable considering he lost his ship to air attack during the Falklands campaign. But who will be his successor? And will they be as pro-carrier?
There are also persistent reports that the MOD is seriously considering completing the new carriers in a conventional (CTOL) configuration with catapults and arresting gear, carrying E-2 Hawkeye's and F-35C JSF's. The additional costs for the carrier platform would be met by savings realised by switching from the F-35B to the F-35C, unfortunately its unclear exactly what these savings would be!
...Now if this is the case then how will this affect JFH? Will FOAS become an extension of JCA? Will the E2's become part of a joint AEW Force with the RAF's AWAC's fleet. Would there then be any commonality of equipment and/or training and working doctrine within these seperate communities?