PN
I was fishing a bit! I think that paper may have been given a stiff ignore in some corridors in MOD since its publication ....(first contact with the enemy etc)
Pheasant
I'm assuming you're either RN or a bona-mate!
Just out of curiosity, say you do reduce the Tornado Force, who then fills the gap when the GR9 goes out of service in 2018 (bearing in mind JCA (Dave B) is to replace GR9 - the Tornado replacement I don't believe has been decided as yet and isn't due until the mid 2020's). Or do we accept a "capability loss" for longer than we would if we reduced GR9 now? GR9 is planned to reduce in 2015 (I think!) to allow it to collapse down to one MOB (wasn't their a legal ruling about flying/noise at Wittering - strangely a bit online suggested Wittering would
cease flying in 2012 but that source is/was a few years old!).
Personally I don't think the GR9 will be fully taken out of service any earlier than planned. But I do think it will reduce in numbers earlier than expected. A win-win situation. CAS wins because he's made some cash savings. CNS wins because he's saved JFH and therefore RN fixed wing (probably!).
But of course somepeploe won't see that and the petty 'playground' squabbling will continue ....
