Just a quick question, how can a sqn be stood up on the front line if they're not able to deploy.
Well, of course 3 and 11
could conceivably deploy, I wasn't questioning that
maybe I should have elaborated. Either squadron could conceivably go out there sometime next year for a bit, that I'm not doubting - rather how viable it would be to maintain a Typhoon commitment there in the long term given current force levels, since I'm guessing guys from these squadrons would like to spend some time at home now and then!
With only 2 front line squadrons to draw aircraft and crews from though, manning an 6-8 aircraft detachment such as that at Kandahar will place a real strain on personnel who (should Typhoon be sent to replace the GR9 at Kandahar permanently) would find themselves spending so much time abroad, even more so than the current JFH folk.
Yes, 11 squadron will probably go in 2008, but I can't see a *sustained* Typhoon deployment as being practical - still too few jets and too few people in front line squadrons, with plenty of other competing priorities (QRA, conversion and evaluation), and whilst things can only get better as more pilots convert and more jets are delivered, I can't see things ramping up quickly enough for things to be drastically better in only a years time.
The cynic in me expects a quick deployment, lots of publicity (which looks good for the government who spent so much on Typhoon, looks good for the RAF in as much as the service can be seen to be using its new wonderplane, and looks good for BAE who gets to put 'combat proven' in the sales brochures...) then the Harrier boys continue to take the strain afterwards until we get a few more Typhoon squadrons up to speed.
All IMHO