S41
The number of escorts needed has been determined by the SDSR. The Navy does not have the choice of finding money to keep two more.
So
if the Navy was able to find savings that
might be used to fund the retention of some GR9's
possibly flown by RNR pilots
and persuade the MOD
and the politicians to allow this, it
could be done.
I am not a betting man but...................
