Joint Helicopter Command........
Joint Helicopter Command........
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I don't think so.
Yes we of the light blue have green jobs as our masters but of late all the high visibility operations involving JHC have used mainly RAF run assets, making us look better value when placed alongside TWA and the wheezing FAA fleet.
Surely at some point someone (possibly Gordon Brown) is going to ask why we have one highly professional air force and two highly professional pizza and bluely delivery services.
I see the AAC disappearing into the RAF the future, possibly to save the Army from loosing men and tanks in a budget cut and the FAA retaining only an anti-submarine/ship board operations element.
Yes we of the light blue have green jobs as our masters but of late all the high visibility operations involving JHC have used mainly RAF run assets, making us look better value when placed alongside TWA and the wheezing FAA fleet.
Surely at some point someone (possibly Gordon Brown) is going to ask why we have one highly professional air force and two highly professional pizza and bluely delivery services.
I see the AAC disappearing into the RAF the future, possibly to save the Army from loosing men and tanks in a budget cut and the FAA retaining only an anti-submarine/ship board operations element.
Last edited by The Helpful Stacker; 16th Aug 2006 at 08:50.
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Yes I will concede that the AH lads are doing great in Afghanistan but what is that, six a/c from the entire TWA fleet?
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Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
Yes we of the light blue have green jobs as our masters but of late all the high visibility operations involving JHC have used mainly RAF run assets, making us look better value when placed alongside TWA and the wheezing FAA fleet.
Of course, why would you have a Maj/Sqn Ldr in comd of a Sqn when a Wing Comd will do. A lot better value - obviously. Silly me.
Oh and the 6 AH are the only AAC aircraft doing anything. The Corps hasn’t got Lx in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia. Oh and the AAC doesn't support BATUS, Belize, Brunei, SF Ops, UK and foreign exercises and tasking and there isn’t a Defender Sqn either.
I hope the 'wheezing FAA fleet' will take a sharp intake of air as the Sea Kings operating in the Lebanon fly another SH task whilst the rest of the FAA undertake a variety of commitments in an impressive array of roles.
Anyone not in the RAF is just delivering fast food or Blueys though. Obviously.
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THS
it is awfully tempting to quote what you wrote to me about Chinook vs Merlin - stop talking uninformed rubbish was about the gist of it I think.
AAC and RAF Rotary do 2 distinctly different jobs. RAF has its nose put out of joint when the AAC got Apache, but is now getting well on side seeing the genuinely effective cooperative missions in Afg. Personally don't see an argument for changing anything at the moment, seems to be working fine
it is awfully tempting to quote what you wrote to me about Chinook vs Merlin - stop talking uninformed rubbish was about the gist of it I think.
AAC and RAF Rotary do 2 distinctly different jobs. RAF has its nose put out of joint when the AAC got Apache, but is now getting well on side seeing the genuinely effective cooperative missions in Afg. Personally don't see an argument for changing anything at the moment, seems to be working fine
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Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
I don't think so.
Yes we of the light blue have green jobs as our masters but of late all the high visibility operations involving JHC have used mainly RAF run assets, making us look better value when placed alongside TWA and the wheezing FAA fleet.
Yes we of the light blue have green jobs as our masters but of late all the high visibility operations involving JHC have used mainly RAF run assets, making us look better value when placed alongside TWA and the wheezing FAA fleet.
Is there any danger of you sounding like you know what you're talking about? I suggest you spend some time with some of the folks in the support side (DLO/DPA) of the house. As a result of moving all BH under land command, we now have to compete with tanks and other, relatively inexpensive, equipment for support budget. We're now a very expensive fish in quite a small pool. If we had remained in the DLog(strike) 'pool' we would have been quite inexpensive when compared with Tornado, Typhoon etc. The result is that as soon as project cost overun or another savings round is run, we're high on the target lists for any cuts, with minimal amount of room for horse-trading across projects.
Don't even start me on what being in Land command does for our troops when considering projects like SLAM.
So, in short, yes we've been stuffed (along with the AAC and FAA).
However, your fishing exped looks like it worked.
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Originally Posted by Weezer
However, your fishing exped looks like it worked.
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Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
the AH lads are doing great in Afghanistan but what is that, six a/c from the entire TWA fleet?
Last edited by Pongochap; 16th Aug 2006 at 10:09.
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What an opener for debate... and THS and SB grace us with insight and comment normally reserved for the Oracle.
Current:
AH proves itself as a true Army platform and rightly sits on the gree side of the fence.
Future:
RAF SH fleet combined with AAC - working together - no noses put out of joint and Crabs able to get Blueys delivered on time and right location.
AT Fleet sub-contracted out to 'who-ever' but not run by the current bunch.
Typhoon Air Defence scrapped - who exactly is the enemy we are dog-fightin' against - put the money into more SH. Remaining a/c fit niceley into the new RN Marine Air Wing. Littoral ops and rum rations.
As we all know,and to quote the Oracle, "There will be a great victory!"
I'm off for breakfast...
Current:
AH proves itself as a true Army platform and rightly sits on the gree side of the fence.
Future:
RAF SH fleet combined with AAC - working together - no noses put out of joint and Crabs able to get Blueys delivered on time and right location.
AT Fleet sub-contracted out to 'who-ever' but not run by the current bunch.
Typhoon Air Defence scrapped - who exactly is the enemy we are dog-fightin' against - put the money into more SH. Remaining a/c fit niceley into the new RN Marine Air Wing. Littoral ops and rum rations.
As we all know,and to quote the Oracle, "There will be a great victory!"
I'm off for breakfast...
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I do love these forums and the self-important members that feel the need to comment on the validity of others' posts. OT - I wasn't trying to be insightful, rather I offered a brief opinion that the situation seemed to be OK at the moment based on current operations. As for THS's post, well, if we all agreed, this wouldn't half as interesting, would it? Go and have your breakfast and come back a nice smiley chap.
It would be nice to know what prompted Dundiggin's original post tho...
It would be nice to know what prompted Dundiggin's original post tho...
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forwardassist and SB..........
I am not ignoring your requests as to what prompted the post.
- I am gathering information to give you a more informed response.
- I am gathering information to give you a more informed response.
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"Highly Professional Airforce"... as you seem to have ruled out the AAC and FAA, one wonders who on earth you might be talking about?
... no surely not, you cannot be serious?
... no surely not, you cannot be serious?
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Originally Posted by Pongochap
RAF - 'better value'. I just fell off my chair! Right, well, I suppose why deploy with 30 people when 60 will do.
So many people (wearing light blue berets), so little to do. "I know, let's all sit round the big table and errr.....agree what we talk about the next time we'll all sit round the big table"
Exactly the same is true of the flight line where the light blue berets have bagged everything, vehicles, tentage, hardened hangars etc, in the name of the AAC "because the RSM says so".
Last time I looked an Army RSM was (thankfully) absent from my chain of command.
Up at Bastion life is far simpler. Why? Because there isn't an AAC self-licking lollipop anywhere to be seen.