Well...I don't have the knowledge or the inclination to get involved in a spat about Nimrods, but I will make some response to Jackonicko's comments about the Navy. We do need a blue water capability. In fact, I can't see why we would need a "Euro navy" - to blockade French ports? to intercept a possible Norwegian invasion fleet? If our defence policy is based totally on Northwest Europe, then I'd argue we don't need a navy at all. If, on the other hand, we are "expeditionary in nature" and committed to peacekeeping, crisis intervention etc., we do, and a frigate navy for guarding Pompey would be as good as useless. We can't rely on the ERRF in this connection, because it relies on our current shipbuilding programme for its transport and carrier support! If as Jackonicko says, the advocates of heavy armour are as foolish as "cavalry enthusiasts", it is not very coherent to argue that the Army should move away from defending the North German Plain with massed tanks whilst at the same time saying the Navy should confine itself to home waters!
WE has a point when he says that certain posters don't understand the role of the navy - it's not just to launch aircraft. I think we need to restate aims here. The point of sea power (to quote Mahan) is sea control, and (quoting Mahan again) "control of the sea means the freedom to use the sea and to deny that use to others". As well as providing a base for aeroplanes, a task force also offers control of the sea, protection for logistical shipping (and aircraft), support helicopter basing, Special Forces insertion and support, headquarters facilities, casualty receiving and amphibious transport. To take Sierra Leone as an example, a squadron of Jaguars might indeed have reached Dakar faster than the navy task group did, but the intervention did not take the form only of aircraft. There were troops, and support helicopter transport. The arrival of the ships brought: a. GR7 Harriers. b. More choppers. c. Logistical support. d. Reserves - the Marine battle group. e. Medical help on board ship. f. The possibility of NGS around Freetown. g. Psychological presence. (I admit the last one is weak.) I would query whether letting off bangs in the hinterland would have had the same effect - especially given the eruption of "Blair Bombs Babies" propaganda which would have followed. There seems to be a lot of interservice incomprehension here.
On a lighter note...has anyone else thought Jacko should change his handle to Jag-onicko?