Originally Posted by orca
Glojo,
Simple stuff for me.
12 jets would probably give you a 26 sortie day in peacetime. They would come crewed about 2:1 with a small overhead of scamps that were good for not much - so let's say 27 FW aircrew flying a 8/6/6/6 cycle which would take about 14 hours from first engine lit to last one stop cocked.
That's pretty much all your supervisory chain could cope with in peacetime so no real need to uplift anyone other than for hostilities at which point, yes, you might have to drag some extra bodies on from somewhere.
That is, of course, assuming that there were some more jets to uplift or 24 hour ops were called for.
Probably grossly out with my asumptions - which are actually slightly informed wild a##e guesses.
Totally agree and agree about not wanting to embark a full compliment of maintainers for just 12 jets.
My memory is not what it was but I am fairly sure that the 22000 ton Centaur had just 12 fast jets (was it 892 Squadron Sea Vixens) and we coped with whatever was thrown at us be it Borneo or Aden.
22000 tons, 12 fast jets
PLUS AEW along with COD and of course the numerous helicopter types. compared to the more modern Queen Elizabeth which will be 60k plus which we hear might now be deploying with the same 12 fast jets along with a few helicopters. The 12 F-35 will be a formidable force as long as the servicing does not keep them tucked up in bed for the great majority of their time.
We might scoff at 'just' embarking 12 F-35 but how many Tornado were operating out of the Italian base during this latest conflict with Libya and at what cost?
If we have the aircraft then let us get them as close to the target as safely as possible.