Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, chief of air staff, is attempting to push through proposals to scrap the 75 Harrier jump jets currently shared between the navy and the air force.
.... You know, I thought for a while there that Torpy was quite switched on when it came to jointery. Assuming that this is accurate journalism then its quite obvious he is a complete tosser. I thought the harrier was the newest of all the CAS Aircraft (save Typhoon)
Torpy believes that the lack of a carrier-borne attack aircraft until the first of the new aircraft carriers comes into service, now 2015 at the earliest, will not be a problem.
Right we got rid of the old ark when? end of '78 and what happened at the beginning of '82?
He argues that with the main focus of UK military operations for the next decade likely to be land-locked Afghanistan, there is no current need for carrier-borne aircraft.
...Again cut you capabilities and you open yourself to other problems of an international nature.
When the new carriers come into service the RAF can fly the Joint Strike Fighters that are currently due to fly off them.
HA HA HA HA HA HA - by that time the RN wont have any current F/W deck experience and the crabs wont have the 1st idea either - also with his utterly stupid slogan “one nation, one air force” he obviously intends to take the RN's R/W assets over. I wonder how he will convice his team (about 6000 at a rough estimate) to commit to going to sea? Iwonder how much that will cost in terms of Recruitment / Training / Retention Bonuses / and PVR rates.
See here
Jointery - Going to Sea - E-Goat :: The Totally Unofficial Royal Air Force Rumour Network forums
Conclusion - 1966 all over again