Mr C Hinecap
17th Aug 2004, 04:55
From the Telegraph today, 17 Aug......
RAF worried about pullout of fighters
The RAF has been trying to dissuade America from withdrawing 48 F15 Eagle fighter aircraft from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk under the planned pullout.
Military chiefs are concerned that the restructuring of US forces overseas will leave Britain's air defences vulnerable at a time when the country is axing a fifth of its own fighter force and all its Jaguar ground-attack aircraft.
The US navy's 500-strong European headquarters, close to the US embassy in central London, will move to Naples, along with 200 other staff based at West Ruislip.
However, it is the removal of 48 of the 72 F15s from Lakenheath that is regarded as a serious problem. Not only does it take away a fifth of the air power available to defend Britain, but it will also hamper combined training and could increase the risk of "friendly fire" incidents.
"It doesn't seem to make sense operationally, financially or from a coalition point of view," said Wg Cdr Andrew Brookes, an air power expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
"Tornado pilots . . . need to have F15s close to them because that's who they are going to go to war with. They need to know the crews, how they think, how they operate - day in, day out."
The fear is that accountants in both the US and British defence establishments will not approve the consequent extra costs that USAF-RAF joint exercises and personnel exchanges will require.
"[The US defence secretary, Donald] Rumsfeld and his policy people do not seem to care much about allies - just protecting their own," said one senior RAF officer.
RAF worried about pullout of fighters
The RAF has been trying to dissuade America from withdrawing 48 F15 Eagle fighter aircraft from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk under the planned pullout.
Military chiefs are concerned that the restructuring of US forces overseas will leave Britain's air defences vulnerable at a time when the country is axing a fifth of its own fighter force and all its Jaguar ground-attack aircraft.
The US navy's 500-strong European headquarters, close to the US embassy in central London, will move to Naples, along with 200 other staff based at West Ruislip.
However, it is the removal of 48 of the 72 F15s from Lakenheath that is regarded as a serious problem. Not only does it take away a fifth of the air power available to defend Britain, but it will also hamper combined training and could increase the risk of "friendly fire" incidents.
"It doesn't seem to make sense operationally, financially or from a coalition point of view," said Wg Cdr Andrew Brookes, an air power expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
"Tornado pilots . . . need to have F15s close to them because that's who they are going to go to war with. They need to know the crews, how they think, how they operate - day in, day out."
The fear is that accountants in both the US and British defence establishments will not approve the consequent extra costs that USAF-RAF joint exercises and personnel exchanges will require.
"[The US defence secretary, Donald] Rumsfeld and his policy people do not seem to care much about allies - just protecting their own," said one senior RAF officer.