I know Kris and he is a nice genuine guy. Yes, he didn't choose his words as carefully as he should have done. But then again, we've all seen people being shafted by the media in some form or other - hence why I refuse to speak to them anymore! To be fair emotions are pretty fraught in Cott/Witt and people are genuinely fearing for their jobs post April next year. Cut him some slack guys, he has two families he is worried about one at home and the family that is JFH. Everyone in JFH feels betrayed by CAS and his cronies who did play the long game after taking control of the FA2s into what was 3Gp. The writing was on the wall from then on, especially with F***wit Admirals who allowed the RAF to cancel the FA2 (he is married to princess Anne now). As usual we got on with it and flew the GR instead, a highly capable aircraft but single role. But again CAS wins and that too is axed.
The telegraph article is misleading. Yes CAS did put the GR4 into Afg to replace the Harrier so that it would be an easy decision to cancel it. In one fell swoop it caused chaos for the RN FW community for the next 8 years. IMHO there wont be an RN FW community by the time the Lightning (or whatever we are left with after the 2015 SDSR) comes into service. I still cant believe that the Typhoon isn't in front-line service yet (and I don't mean UKQR) when the damn thing flew as a prototype in 1986! It should be in Afg now but isn't because of the reasons above, or maybe that was a ploy to keep GR4 too.... Well done the MoD for taking 25 years to bring a 4th gen fighter into service for 5th gen prices! However, the article says 1 Harrier is as good as 3 GR4. Of course I don't agree with that, but I will say that 1 Harrier is miles better than 1 GR4 at what we are doing in Afg. They are there to do Close Air Support, a role the Tornado was never intended for. The main reason that the Harrier is better in this environment is because it can carry mixed loads of weapons, fly slower (to see what you're after) and can still turn. It can come back to the base with greater asymmetry as it doesn't have to drop pairs of weapons off in order to keep the aircraft balanced. Why do you think the USMC love it so much and are using it in Afg to augment the A10s? I'm not attacking the GR4 which I think is probably one of the finest IDS jets in the world, but it was never intended to be used for what it is doing now. Just my opinion, which no doubt you lot will poo poo anyway....
ABTE
