I really do hope some of your frames come back online soon
So do I!!
if your TCAS ever comes up to scratch
Er...it's been fitted and working for months.
at least three 4-week dets per year
I did far more than 3 dets last year, as did many others.
I am curious as to just WHERE this perception comes from that we are doing nothing. Yes, we have had availability problems, mainly due to the fact that Marshalls took so long to fit our TCAS (correctly), but the J has been far from unproblematic. We have been running an Afghan det for some time now, and we still cover MPA. The majority of what we do is TacAT - the relevance of some elements have already, rightfully, been challenged - but it still has to be done.
taking basra for another two weeks or however long you can cope this time!
I seem to remember we were there for several months, with more aircraft than you, and it wasn't aircraft availability that ended it. We have more war frames than you, after all. Your operational tasking level seems to have more to do with the politics of pushing the J to the fore being practiced at higher levels than with anything else, since we have the more capable aircraft (in terms of op kit).
Both aircraft have strikingly similar unserviceability rates, so I see no good reason for you guys to take the brunt of the tasking - apart from that mentioned above.
we're already planned to do the majority of the Afg det no matter what RAF news would lead you to believe!
Since when? Our commitment certainly hasn't been reduced.
16B