C17? Actually the whole heavy fleet, C130, A400, Voyager.
Really? Seriously?? Sometimes I am utterly astounded by some of the comments on PPRuNe.
So when in 2015 peace breaks out what do you think we are going to do? Sit inside the shores of this island nation and do nothing? Or maybe start exercising with allies and in good training areas again? The likes of BATUS and BATUK, the Falkland Islands and Cyprus? Do we all think that the humanitarian missions (a la Philippines) or the NEOs (a la S Sudan) are going to stop? And just because we didn't do Syria doesn't mean we won't get involved by the next one.
We need to retain what we've got and argue for those capabilities we have lost. We certainly shouldn't be saying we don't need this or that anymore because there lies madness. Afterall, not long ago we said we didn't need Sentry and then came the Balkans and Libya; then we didn't need Sentinel until Aghanistan and Libya: and the Comms Fleet? Oh no need that for all sorts of ops. We need what we've got AND we need to replace what we've lost. That's the thing about Defence, it really is the fully comprehensive policy and you just don't know what you're going to need or when.