Well said Nostinian.
Not only has our once great RN and FAA lost proper fixed-wing aircraft carriers and fighters to help defend maritime forces, civilian ships, this country and also to support other forces world-wide. It has also lost a high percentage of extremely experienced and capable fixed-wing pilots who carried out ‘combined’ fighter, strike and reconnaissance roles! Did these pilots leave because they disliked the FAA? No, I suspect that most left because they could see the way the RAF has been progressively trying to get rid of them, their aircraft, ships and excellent FAA culture.
Not only that, but I suspect that many left because they were spending so much time away from their families, mainly due to their very much in demand flexibility and capability around the world in so many wars and conflicts, etc. (So much for FAA fixed-wing aircraft and aircraft carriers no longer being required by this country according to ‘some’ very biased RAF contributors on this website!)
Furthermore, what a master stroke it was to also remove the FAA Harrier pilots, maintainers and their aircraft out of their only FAA base at Yeovilton, to an RAF base a very long way from there! That must have no doubt been a further ‘final straw’ kick in the teeth for many of them and their families! Well done to the powers to be for that, the millions of pounds spent training and gaining such very experienced aircrew, maintainers and capability has no doubt been very much appreciated by many airlines around the world that are now employing them!! What a great loss to our nation for which the true cost is conveniently never captured and made public by the bean counters. (Or highlighted in newspaper articles, such as the one previously mentioned in this thread!)
Not only does the RN carry out much maritime work that the other forces cannot do, it also helps to carry out much of the other UK armed forces world-wide commitments. (Even when far away from the sea!) Such a flexible, capable and ‘can do’ force should be enhanced by this nation and not progressively destroyed and left very vulnerable to ever increasing air and submarine threats, etc.
It sadly currently seems that one of the RN/FAA worst threats today actually comes from within our own country. This from some rather biased and blinkered RAF supporters who are managing to do what many enemies have failed to do in the past. That is to destroy some of its best capabilities and reduce the morale of its crews. Our potential enemies are no doubt laughing at this crazy situation!