Originally Posted by
minigundiplomat
Sense of humour for table 1......
Above was made in jest, but since you raise such interesting points, allow me to provide answers.
Why would you deploy an aircraft like Typhoon and then restrict it to one
Province in Afghanistan (or even the 3 districts inhabited by TFH)? Wouldn't it
be more effective to use it across the UK's JOA like we do with the other
elements of the UK Air Component (Tornado GR4, Reaper, Sentinal...) supporting
ISAF where they are needed?
The Belgians deployed F-16's to theatre..... refresh my memory, which RC or province are they responsible for?
Mind you, I am not aware of a request from ISAF for the deployment of more
fast-air so are you suggesting we deploy Typhoon because we could rather than
for any operational reason?
So what is the Operational reason for the Typhoon? 3 months over Libya is a good start, but having almost bankrupt the remainder of the RAF to pay for them, the role of LFA commando's is a bit of an expensive folly.
Then again, like both the Naval Service and the Army, perhaps we could accept
that we have a range of capabilities and need to prepare them to fight 'a war'
as well as fighting 'the war'.
I don't suspect, I know that the Army and Navy [lesser extent - RM excluded] would love to prepare themselves for 'a war'. Unfortunately, they don't have the luxury as they are all maxed out fighting 'the war' at the moment. Additional resources would allow them to prepare for 'a war' but someone spent all the money on some cold war era white elephant.
F16s - QED. Air and to a degree Aviation is best utilised when it is not constrained by individual ground AOs
Op reason for Typhoon - You mean apart from Control of the Air, Combat ISTAR...
Preparing for 'a war'. Both the Naval Service and the Army are.
RN - new ships and boats (never to be used on HERRICK); removal of HQ 3 Cdo Bde from HERRICK tour plot do it can reconstitute the lead Cdo Group as witnessed by the current Amphib Task Force bobbing around.
Army - ARMY 2020 looks very different to the HERRICK construct. The majority of the land Reaction Forces will comprise 3 Armoured Brigades (based on good old (to use your phrase) 'cold war' MTBs and IFVs) . Hence an equipment programme to update Warriors (6 Bns + worth not the 1 Coy on HERRICK) and Scout. Also 16 AA Bde is now out of the HERRICK tour plot in order to reconstitute the Lead Airbourne Task Force (with a smaller Bde post Army 2020). The Army is very much focussed on a return to contingency.