This pissing contest between Nimrod/Tornado etc is rather missing the point and I think that the dark blue do themselves no favours every time they suggest an RAF asset is scrapped in favour of a naval one. As a light blue bod, I am alarmed by the govts comment that it can not envisage going sausage side after 2006 without some form of air cover ie US. We suffer under a govt who is famous for sending us away sans gucci kit but this takes the buscuit. The Sea Harrier is an integral part of layered defence for the Fleet. I don't want to be deployed on a ship that is simply defending itself with missiles or cannon. This is the govt trying to take the forces back to the dark ages.