I suspect a few other members will have seen the letter by Lt. Cdr. Lester May RN (Ret'd) in the Times today. Whilst he is entitled to his opinion, I just wonder what motivates a retired RN Officer to be so vitriolic and anti RAF ?
Whilst it may be easy to simply ignore such writings (some of which is quite barking IMHO) and consign them to the sidelines along with "other" axe grinders, the worry is that some of this stuff can gain currency over time.
Lt. Cdr. Lester May's Letter
Full quote ...
Originally Posted by Lt. Cdr. Lester May RN (Ret'd)
Forces organisation
Sir, Neither Julian Brazier, in his
article about Army Reserves (Jan 18),
norformer US Secretary of Defence
Gates, last week expressing concerns
about Britain’s forces, mentioned
land—based aircraft. Both make clear
the Royal Navy is the UK’s strategic
priority; CDS, and General Richards
before him, expressed similar views.
Forces’ websites are telling. Royal
Navy, Royal Marines and Army pages
highlight operational business. The
RAF spotlights the Second World
War, aircraft displays, sport, much
less operations.
This RAF modesty is right. It has
220 combat jets, 650 support aircraft
and 36,000 personnel yet, after
withdrawal from Afghanistan this
year, just four jets, a few other aircraft
and 1,000 airmen will be overseas.
The bulk of the £7 billion-a-year RAF
will be home, facing no air threat, our
islands safeguarded by Nato in
Europe and an expanse of ocean, yet
those 220 Typhoon and Tornado jets
cost £20 billion.
Defence experts here, and across
the Atlantic, argue that independent
air forces are no longer necessary or
affordable. Land-based combat jets
have limited roles, flying mostly
supporting operations on land and
sea. Huge cost and manpower savings
would follow transferring essential
frontline land-based aircraft to Navy
and Army control. The RAF owns 80
per cent of UK military aircraft assets
— reorganisation is overdue.
LESTER MAY
(Lieutenant Commander RN (Ret’d)
Lt. Cdr. L. May RN (Ret'd) Tw1tter Feed
Where he describes himself as a maritime affairs writer and campaigner. Royal Navy 1967-89: Leading Writer 1971; Lieutenant-Commander (S) 1984. There are some other "choice" quotes about the RAF.
Begrudgingly ... I do agree that the RAF would be better served by having a more operational focus on it's Website Homepage.