Originally Posted by
Downwind.Maddl-Land
Is it me? Or is there a distinct “denigrate the RAF at every opportunity” culture in the air?
But nothing positive currently seems to be reported about the RAF; I just smell a rat.
Not having a pop at the Army at all – they are deserving of all the positive reportage that they get.
Now, the really cynical person may just suspect that a distinct policy is being pursued here, whereby the Media are being manipulated by a manipulative Government (well versed in the art) to condition the populace that the RAF is now redundant and can safely be disbanded as an ‘efficiency measure’.
If I am wrong, and I truly hope I am, then the RAF
PR machine wants sacking in toto and a new Team needs to start actually doing something to redress the balance. Today wouldn’t be too soon.
Well, yes DML, I'm sure there is a distinct policy being pursued against the RAF, but not necessarily by the government. They merely turn the screw ever tighter on the Forces as a whole, and leave it to them to fight amongst themselves for survival. It is a battle that has had to be fought from the very birth of the RAF, hence Trenchard's original Iraq bargain basement deal that saved it from infanticide. It is a fight that the present leadership of the RAF seems somewhat disinterested in. With Admiral West having done his pitch for the Navy carriers, the silence from the CAS, et al, is deafening. So important we are told to have a FJ pilot in charge at last, so significant that he has in excess of 4000 hours (and growing!) of FJ logged, so inspiring that he has just soloed in the Typhoon. Well from where I'm standing it's all irrelevant to his real job to fight the RAF's corner, out loud and in public just as the CGS has done. Get out on the front steps of main building Sir, and tell your real masters, the British Public of how important an independant Air Force is to their security. DML has given you a goodly list of RAF achievement and sacrifice to be going on with, then attend to ESF for the Hercs (stalled!) and Chinook airworthiness (and overrule Wratten and Day, that infamous double act). Might make waves for your retirement plans? Then please amend them, or step aside now to save our service before their leadership do their duty to their services and kipper us up!