Cuts
For me the whole £2Bn cut or hole in the budget is beyond words to describe. At a time when we are actually fighting in two different countries and have numerious other commitments elsewhere throught the world we are actually cutting numbers of personnel and the kit that they have.
I look at this and wonder when the system that is UK forces will break down.
Ok this is a simple way of looking at things and yes I appreciate the Jag was never that good at hot/high but the Indian/Omani Airforce has been opperating it in similar conditions for decades. WHy did we just scrap them when to my simple eyes and brain they would have been Ideal for CAS in either sand pit.
Instead of retiring them get an OCU that could convert all FJ pilots onto the Jag.
Yes I know it was intensive cockpit and a Jag mate would work like a one armed paper hangar. But that was when they had to be master of all trades Recce, FBS, FBA, and AD. So all the they needed was to keep the equipment that they had and just maintain them at that level. Just so they could provide CAS. No fancy upgrades and yes I know the same arguement could be used for the Shar.
Yes I also know this particular way of using the Jags has been flogged to death on other threads. But with the politicians arranging things like the Olymipics and pay raises for them selves rather than concentrating on fighting these wars they get the forces into, well it just seems wrong to be cutting the forces rather than supporting or actually improving them!