In '82, wasn't OC 801 NAS itching to move some mud, had the submariner in HERMES understood air warfare sufficiently to authorise it?
MM, you've already touched (Srl 1263) on the current source of our problems. Cpt Pugwash also identified it at Srl 1271 and I failed to provoke discussion of same at Srl 1280. Shortly after Browne's RUSI address, 1SL issued a signal to the same effect but, annoyingly, I can't now find it. The key is that the political decision has been taken that support to HERRICK and TELIC take precedence for funding and available capability. They have openly said that if that means risk to future capability, so be it. We can conclude from that, if the docs get signed, the capital programme for CVF will be no more than build the ship(s). Nobody is committing significant resources to their eventual deployment and operation. If Naval FW aviation has breathed its last in 10 years time, it will have been categorised as fruition of an acceptable risk. As you all clearly know, it will take us a long time to get it back to life.