Airsound, I am honoured that I have friends like you. I would like to add that Mike Hancock, Lib Dem Portsmouth, has asked 20 or so searching questions of our Defence Ministers. He has grilled them and harried them. He has probed a range of serious issues. He isn't even our local MP, but I truly believe he cares. I think the voters in North Wiltshire should take a careful look at how Mr Gray (Con), has behaved before they go to the polls next time.
Biggus lessons from History from a US perspective:
"Denying the lessons-learned from Vietnam is equivalent to ignoring the American Civil War's lessons on charging across open stretches of level ground towards entrenched troops armed with Maxim guns (Petersburg 1864). Might have made a difference in front of Serre and Beaumont Hamel in 1916.
If the RAF believes that the Hercules is adequately protected against the threats that it might face, they should be especially vigilant in ensuring they don't task the aircraft against threats the frames can't defeat. Can't defeat SA-10, don't fly against SA-10. Don't need DAS or foam to fly into Nellis, Bruggen and Akronelli, don't fly anywhere other than locations similar in threat level to Nellis, Bruggen and Akronelli."....
Simple threats don't attract the attention (money) that hi-tech ones do. But the USAF baseline for their Herks is with foam in the tanks, and all the rest of the kit is added on top of/after that. I never viewed foam as something that would be tough to get installed since it was an aftermarket addition to the first Herks, and added as a standard fit to later marks - including early C-130E's."
Last edited by nigegilb; 5th May 2006 at 14:51.