Not this thread
again!
I don't have any experience with aviation beyond 14 hours in cessna's at a local aerodrome, but I follow MIlitary history, and defense news, and even I can see that the Fleet Air Arm
needs to retain a fast jet capability. We do not and cannot predict what will happen, even next year - so you simply cannot say that we won't need the capability of carrier ops because we'llbe in Afghan. We're a P5 nation, we could get called anywhere, and since 80% of the world population live near water, or something like that, it's more likely that we'll need harrier than not. Its just the RAF trying to defend itself from a threat that doesn't exist, ie getting disbanded - and thats from a Wing Cmmdr I was chatting to at a recent defence forum i attended who said he doesn't see his force making 100 years old!. Look, until the Battle of Britain has been forgotten, that won't happen, and this nations psyche is stuck in WWII, so that'll never happen either.
I think the RAF should stop trying to protect itself at the expense of other important capabilities, the Navy should stop acting like the RAF is trying to completely kill it off, and both the top men should act like the proffessional they must be.
THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE WINNING HERE ARE THE MOD!!! Jeez, if they all just provided a combined front, maybe the Treasury would take that 2bn OUT of social services where its being wasted, and make up the differece.
bah, can you tell i'm frustrated sitting in here writing a dissertation when I could be out in the snow
