Here we go again - another MPA thread which will, no doubt , expose the lack of maritime awareness of the majority of the RAF.
LJ stated
I know of 2 types of UAV, one of which in British service, that can find, fix and then prosecute a target without any problem - this target is an insurgent, with an AK47 and suicide chest rig, riding a motorbike at 60mph through an urban environment. I would call that an "ability rapidly and accurately to deploy weapons in response to a fast-moving tactical situation"!
LR , I dont know your background but this, IMHO, illustrates one of the glaring shortcomings in much of the c**p that is put out on this website about ASW by the non-maritime RAF. Great, your UAV can take out a guy on a bike, the point being that the UAV can SEE its target which is not the case in ASW.
Perhaps Coastal Command should have gone dark blue after WW2, then it would (perhaps) have been protected. In another 5 or 10 years when this relatively short term conflict in the sand finishes and we get back to our traditional Northern European scenarios I think we will regret all the money that has been thrown at the Army to the detriment of our maritime forces.