Dannatt and Page

[Melchett01]

Pongochap,

Like you I'm no jetjockey, but frankly the Army's insistence that Typhoon is an expensive irrelevance does nothing but expose its corporate parochialism, whilst is persistence in pedalling this line over the years demonstrates a lack of understanding and unwillingness to learn the value and capabilities of air power.

The Typhoon was undeniably conceived in the Cold War, but that has more to do with the length of time taken to develop high tech bits of kit than any doctrinal reluctance to realise that the nature of warfare has changed. Based on the 'Cold War kit' argument, then the Blackhawk, Apache and AC-130, all of which are held in high esteem in theatre but with their roots in the Cold War are also irrelevant and have no place in 'our' inventory.

Now, what is the point of Typhoon and why do we need so many? Well, it's a swing role platform, not just AD as everyone including the PM seem to think. As such, it was intended that the Typhoon would replace multiple platform types - the F3 and the Jaguar. Based on the numbers we are getting against the numbers of F3s and Jags over the years, you'll find that it's by no means a 1-for-1 swap, and we are relying on the capability of the platform to make up for the drop in overall numbers. However, much to the apparent disgust of many outside of the RAF, we do actually still need a capable AD platform; one of, if not the primary role of the the RAF, aside from being a taxi / delivery service for everyone else, is defence of the UK and its interests. Defence of UK airspace is a key component of that. If the Army can come up with a suggestion for something cheaper, better, less manoeuvrable and less well armed that allows us to defend UK's airspace whilst retaining the key advantages of height, speed and reach, as well as being a capable deterrent against would-be aggressors then please let us know. We would be fascinated to hear where we have been going wrong all this time.

Now whilst there isn't much of an air threat in Afghanistan, that is not to say that at some point in the future that threat won't emerge. Either directly against the UK, or against UK forces deployed on operations. Just looking around the globe at many of the states that we would consider to be less than friendly will show that they have air forces made up largely of Russian kit -Fulcrums, Flankers and the like - precisely the sort of Soviet threat that is perceived as being irrelevant. So fast forward 30 years and we have cobbled together some sort of expeditionary capability to go and be a force for good somewhere.

We don't have much of an AD capability, because 30 years earlier argued it was irrelevant and we really needed Reapers and armoured vehicles, so that's where the money went. So as the helos land on the beach or the ramp comes down on the landing craft, all we will be able to do is watch as you are harassed on the beaches and HLZs by the Frogfoots or have your Chinooks shot down by a long range shot from a Flanker variant operating BVR ops. Later on you receive intelligence to suggest an HVT is going to be at a certain location at a certain time, but you can't do anything about it as you are essentially a slow moving ground based force with limited long range strike options. Equally, your troops become involved in a TiC; now most of your AH has been lost in the opening salvos, leaving you with a few armed Reapers and a couple of lightly armed Tucanos. Not a problem, other than they are operating at the otherside of the AO today, and by the time they get to your TiC it is all over. Wouldn't something fast and pointy with a long range strike option or the ability to provide rapid support multiple target sets thanks to a heavy swing role payload be a useful thing to have? Certainly not something you will get with a Super Tucano. Of course, it will probably be the RAF's fault that we couldn't secure the airspace to provide an umbrella for ground and ISTAR operations, and that ground forces are being picked off bit by bit by an enemy that over the years has understood the benefit of a decent air capability.

All very hypothetical I admit, but do you want to take the risk? Fifteen years ago, we were just coming out of the Cold War and talking about a revolution in military affairs where asymmetric, cyber warfare was the future. That theory must have lasted all of a few years before we went back to a primitive but effective enemy that wouldn't be out place in the Flintstones. The moral of the story, is for the Army to look over the parapet of its ivory towers and realise that they are not the only show in town, and without the broad spectrum of capabilities provided by its sister Services, it really won't take much for the foundations of that ivory tower to become rather unstable.