"The RAFs comtribution was a very expensive Pantomime."
Interesting - I was at the CAS airpower day last week (cracking day by the way fellas) and found that seeing the whole gambit of capabilities demonstrated, along with some very good explanations of the art of the possible and what was able to be done by the GR4 / Typhoon contribution extremely compelling.
I have a dark blue Commissioned background, and strongly feel that the RN did great work in Libya, and the actions of many of the ships companies were in the finest traditions of the Service. I am particularly thinking of the TLAM shooters, the MCMVs doing clearance operations and also HMS LIVERPOOL who repeatedly came under fire and responded. They should all be very proud of their efforts.
I am though getting increasingly embarrased at the footstamping, petulant toddler like tantrums of some elements of the naval supporters community, who seem to wilfully ignore the exceptionally capable airpower assets we still posess, and the wide range of ways in which it has helped in Libya. Having spoken with aircrew engaged in ops over Libya, and having seen the effects they delivered, I firmly believe that the GR4/Typhoon delivered a capability that the GR9 / SHAR could not have done.
Bluntly, to denigrate the efforts of some phenomenally brave people who risked their lives repeatedly over Libya, and also to view the work of those deployed away from home, placing ever greater strain on marriages and personal lives as a pantomine is, to me at least, very offensive and beyond my own view of acceptable inter service banter & rivalry. I truly hope Navaleye is not serving, as if he is, then in my own view at least, he is a disgrace to the Service.