EG, actually my noble Lord Astor does answer the question - that's why I inserted the post.
Scuttled (I take it you're of the damp persuasion), the inference I'm making from this politco speak, which I'm sure as an intelligent chap you can understand, is that if we need to maintain the highly perishable skills required for HIGH END maritime patrol aviation then does that not imply a future platform?
Why spread your wee MPA cadre to the 4 winds to maintain and improve their MPA abilities on our allies HIGH END platforms, unless the intent was to bring them back to introduce into service a new (and as yet unannounced) HIGH END MPA platform. Why?
So that's what I infer from Lord Astor's reply, and is that not what this thread is about?
If we do end up with a number of P8 Poseidon, then I would wish the seedcorn peeps the very best of luck in creating (virtually from scratch) the basic and advanced training systems, SOPs, tactics and standardisation development, operational support including software production and development, oh and an operational Sqn or two. In the twilight of your career, they're just the sort of tasks you want to be contemplating as you relax in the * Florida sunshine, rum punch in hand. * Insert Oz / NZ as required. The Canada 7 I assume will be awash with moose milk / purple death and will therefore be beyond caring.
Paul Chocs - interesting suggestion. Especially the
we could hire in current foreign serving personnel or recently retired guys as contractors.
There may be some merit in that, I'm sure there's a large cadre of WIWON's who would be more than willing to dispense their decades of maritime (and other ISTAR) nuggets of knowledge and cunning at a very reasonable price, when the call comes. If, that is, you can prise them away from the lucrative and contented civvy lifestyle most have carved for themselves since Oct 2010.
Its another option for the MoD when they decide what they want to do.
