The number of you that have misunderstood my point suggests I made it badly.I will try again.Jacko was suggesting that the Carriers were useless because not since 1982 was there an instance where the operation would have fallen apart without them.My point was that if you use that outlook as a justification for chopping things, then the F3 was worse.I did however say that I did not believe we should bin air defence of the UK just because we don't currently need it.
However, some of the comments made are frankly ludicrous.
"Yes the F3 has never shot down an aircraft - but it has never failed in its job. No hijacked airliner has flown into a UK building, no HVAAs were lost on southern watch, no friendlies were shot down. How many others can claim that?"
What possible justification do you have to credit these facts to the F3?
1. Nobody has hijacked an aircraft an tried to fly it into a UK building.
2. Nobody has been stopped from shooting down an HVAA by an F3
3. Nobody has been stopped from shooting down a friendly by an F3
"How many others can claim that?"
I can.
Every night since 9/11 I have waved my magic wand, casting a spell to protect UK buildings, HVAAs and friendlys.
What do you know, since then none of the above have been hit so it must be me, right?