Just because you don't see it on the 5 o'clock news doesn't mean our jets don't see action!
Yes it does, because we have no Fast Jets deployed, therefore they see no ‘action’.
The Iraq deployment got very Little publicity, didn't make it any less real though.
Mate, the same goes for every deployment - to the ships that spend half there life in the MEO, to our overstretched troops and our P3 and C130 guys/gals.
You can only live on the glory of one deployment for so long.
Besides, I thought the SH was supposed to replace the F111 and supplement the classics. In this case it would be the F111 crews (pilots only, or back seat as well?) who will require transition. Therefore, the idea that a down and dirty 3 hour conversion will be all that is required is misleading. That is not to say some of the crews won’t be classic qualified in which case there would be efficiencies.