Be careful....
Xenolith,
Be careful, be very careful indeed.
You sound very much like the RAF that got us into all of that trouble with that 'smash and grab' attempt on the RN Harriers, and look what chumps it made us look and where we are now.
Firstly, if you let the Fisheads 'wither on the branch' then are we the RAF seriously going to pick up the maritime/amphibious rotary expertise - how many of us really know (or care) about boats? Not just the flying from the decks, but also the deck handlers, air operations and air traffickers on board - think about fella, you have just invented a new career stream for the RAF that is already there in the RN! And whatever anyone says there will be a future requirement of force projection from the sea, you can cancel or 'capability holiday' amphibious warfare, but whether a potential disaster relief or a NEO or a full blown campaign that does not have the political host nation support and/or the political will for a full blown theatre entry infrastructure - we will be flying SH from the sea in the future and that is a given.
Secondly, are we able to become the maritime experts? From my part I haven't been on the O Boat for over a year now and that was just playing at it, and I certainly have no enthusiasm to go to sea more often - do you? We could take it on risk and train on our way to the operation, but seriously, post Haddon-Cave, the Puma report etc etc, the first aircraft that crashes into the sea/deck will drive a very public coach and horses through any HMG/HMT/MOD 'take it on risk' policy.
Lastly, your statement about 'Merlin stay with the crabs, why train the navy crews', that statement is gold dust to the Fisheads as they could equally say why not retrain the Sea King Fishead crews direct onto CH47 and retain your amphibious/maritime expertise and save the RAF from having to retrain its (non maritime trained) Puma crews. Made even more relevant if we do keep the new carriers which will be CH47/amphibious capable.
Is your option more joint and adds/retains wider defence capability (cost effectively), or does the one that I have just highlighted above add the value?
As I said, be careful
Last edited by MaroonMan4; 8th Aug 2010 at 06:21.