Interesting letter replying to the Coleman Letter from an RAF Wg Cdr no less. Seems not all Crabs are blind to the realities.
Ministers do not embrace the 'moral decisions' that they expect of bankers - Telegraph
An end to the RAF
SIR – I agree with E C Coleman (Letters, February 5) that the time has come to have a serious discussion as to the efficacy of an independent RAF.
There can be no denying that air power is vital to success on the battlefield, but the now meagre capability offered by the RAF is expensive and relatively ineffective. The operational inventory of aircraft from which ordnance may be fired or dropped is less than 300. Those few assets could well be reassigned to the other two services with no reduction in capability.
Indeed, letting the Army own and operate all helicopters, close air support and tactical transport aircraft, with the Royal Navy responsible for air defence and deeper offensive operations, could, for financial reasons alone, increase capability.
At the end of the Second World War the RAF had around one million personnel and operated over 21,000 aircraft. Now in the 21st century, with around 41,400 people, and operational aircraft actually available on the day close to a mere 150, it is time to think again.
Wg Cdr J J E Parr (Retd)
Suckley, Worcestershire