With Harrier gone the RN loses its grip (albeit tiny) on fixed wing aviation. With no fixed wing aviation the days of the FAA are numbered. With only helos to operate, many of with can/should operate under JHC (and are old and about to be retired/SAR Force about to contracted out etc), why would you pay for a seperate HQ/Command/uniform - its just a matter of time.
So why was the RAF willing to let Harrier go with only a tiny whimper? Well all those 'your a 100 year experiment' merchants have suddenly lost their voices. No fixed wing aviation in the RN, a dying FAA, and a AAC not capable of consuming the RAF on its own. Result, a longterm future for the RAF secured.
All in all it looks like the RAF hierachy have played a bit of a blinder under the circumstances. SDSR was never going to be good for anyone, but the sacrificial 'letting go of Harrier' is a far bigger decision than most people realise..............
Long live the RAF.
