Equivocator, your PPRuNe callsign is mis-leading! Far from having a doubtful or double meaning your last post was very erudite and obviously well informed
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I totally agree with what you say. The sad thing is that it reminds me of the old Irish joke..... Seamus asks Paddy the way to Dublin and Paddy replies "Seamus, if I were going to Dublin I wouldn't start from here!"
The problem is that through inept decision-making/procurement compounded by lack of funds military procurement (like almost everything else this government is responsible for) is a case of crisis management.
The sad truth is that long-lead procurement projects (of whatever type be they Nimrods, T45's, Astutes, FRES, A400's, Chinook Mk3, or Tankers.....the list goes on) have a tendency to run late, go over budget and suffer from additional delays due to the Treasury using cuts to the Defense Budget as a means of balancing all its other budgets which are less politically easy to cut. In short, the MOD gets the short straw time and time again and our senior "top brass" are powerless to prevent this or too focused on protecting their own service/career/pension....
It would be oh so different if the views expressed at the coal face, (and here on PPRuNe) were listened to by those is charge of such decisions....then perhaps we wouldn't suffer the "capability chasms" (I can't call them "gaps" anymore) such as lack of MPA/long range SAR, SHARs for the RN's air defence, Elint or strategic reconnaisance....
A little bit of "Quantative Easing" directed at the MOD would be a start....I'm only glad that I jumped ship after 10 years in the RAF and that my sons haven't set their hearts of following my footsteps too closely. Seeing the post and YouTube videos of "Fighter Pilot" which was being filmed when I was going through Linton I can't help but reflect on how much things must have changed - for the worse sadly
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My admiration and respect goes to those still putting up with the frustrations of life in the armed forces who are collectively being dealt a pretty crap hand. The sad part is that even when the "pack is shuffled" (May 6th?) I don't think things will get any better - at least for a long, long time.
MB