Unbelievable! Quite unusual for the Prime Minister to announce losing the next war..
Didn't the PM try to claim that Harrier can only be carrier based, and therefore is of no use in Afghanistan? He offered no justification for this decision other than stating the nothing unexpected is expected.
With the axing of Harrier and no fixed wing carrier aircraft for TEN years, how is the RN going to retain the skills to operate fixed wing aircraft? The pilots can go on exchange with the USN, but the flight deck crews cannot - how will they retain expertise of moving and working with jets on a flight deck? What about everyone else - it really is a whole ship task. How will up and coming RN officers learn about aviation? Go and read the first chapter of John Winton's book about the Fleet Air Arm in WW2 - Find, Fix, and Strike.
Also what happens if a crisis occurs in which we need a carrier? Are we going to ask the opponent to wait for a few years?
Not so long ago a certain General and advisor to the Tories on defence claimed certain capabilities can be placed in extended readiness and brought out when needed. Is this what is happening? Will the Harriers and CVS be mothballed? Stored? Or scrapped?
This has disturbing shades of John Nott's 1981 cuts - which caused us a huge amount of trouble post less than twelve months later. Don't reply saying how good things will be in ten years time, as I have severe doubts that we will get there unscathed. The promise of a defence review every five years means that CVF will be a target for future cuts - going ten years without carrier air will make it an easy option to cut.