RNAS Yeovilton - what if?
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: West Sussex
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I happen to agree with O A's idea of a Merlin / hopefully Future Lynx hub ( as well as my suggestion for FAA Amraam Harriers ) but this all might be too bleeding obvious & simple to ever come about...
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: East Anglia
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Mini Gun,
Apologies, for any confusion - while I was typing my post I suddenly became aware that I was using specific Sqn names on a public forum and was trying to create detail, without compromising anything....
But then a susbsequent Google and Wikipedia revealed that I was being a tw@t as all military Sqn history, locations and details are freely availible on the web.
But you got my drift - all of the Merlins to Yeovilton, including all of 'our' green airframes. Free up the current Merlin crews to expand our CH47 capability (Odiham or Lynham - as long is it is one place for logistics). Either give the Fisheads our green Merlins to co-locate with their grey Merlins or really 'press to test' and have a truly Joint green Merlin capability at Yeovilton (but as we all aware we in the light blue are finding it difficult to man our current commitments, let alone extra Merlins and CH47 over the next few years). Not every wants to spend time time bobbing around in a boat.
Although I am fiercely proud of the RAF and all that we do, I sadly recognise that there is nothing that we can do to stop the way that the Treasury is forcing us to commit to economy of scale/force. I have also grown up and recognise that as long as the job gets done do the soldiers on the ground really care who delivers the capability? We can banter each other all day, and of course the Chinnie operator contains the most capable aircrew in the H M Forces
, but essentially regardless of which uniform we wear we are all to the same standard and all capable of delivering what the ground forces want.
To me it has nothing to do with Belvedere or inter Service politics, it has all to do with capability, getting the job done and saving lives (either through manoeuvre/air mobility or MERTs) - and to me the current Sea King fleet is long over due replacing.
If JHC cannot see that if it really is Joint, and if really is front line focused, then it can 'kill two birds with one stone', prepare the way for the manning of new airframes (Danish Merlins/CH47 HC3 (-)), replace an ageing and low capability airframe (Sea King), and also satisfy the Treasury/IPTs with single logistics/maintenance nodes (Merlin & Lynx at Yeovilton).
We all know it is going to happen at some stage in the future and in some form Belvedere or Treasury cuts will force the estate and airframe rationalisiation hand. Personally, we either seize the opportunity and shape it to deliver what we want or we kick and squirm in our single service ivory towers and slowly and painfully let the bean counters take more.
We have an opportunity to head the civil servants and bean counters off at the pass and also improve on what we deliver frontline, and that surely must be what we are about.
Apologies, for any confusion - while I was typing my post I suddenly became aware that I was using specific Sqn names on a public forum and was trying to create detail, without compromising anything....
But then a susbsequent Google and Wikipedia revealed that I was being a tw@t as all military Sqn history, locations and details are freely availible on the web.
But you got my drift - all of the Merlins to Yeovilton, including all of 'our' green airframes. Free up the current Merlin crews to expand our CH47 capability (Odiham or Lynham - as long is it is one place for logistics). Either give the Fisheads our green Merlins to co-locate with their grey Merlins or really 'press to test' and have a truly Joint green Merlin capability at Yeovilton (but as we all aware we in the light blue are finding it difficult to man our current commitments, let alone extra Merlins and CH47 over the next few years). Not every wants to spend time time bobbing around in a boat.
Although I am fiercely proud of the RAF and all that we do, I sadly recognise that there is nothing that we can do to stop the way that the Treasury is forcing us to commit to economy of scale/force. I have also grown up and recognise that as long as the job gets done do the soldiers on the ground really care who delivers the capability? We can banter each other all day, and of course the Chinnie operator contains the most capable aircrew in the H M Forces
, but essentially regardless of which uniform we wear we are all to the same standard and all capable of delivering what the ground forces want.To me it has nothing to do with Belvedere or inter Service politics, it has all to do with capability, getting the job done and saving lives (either through manoeuvre/air mobility or MERTs) - and to me the current Sea King fleet is long over due replacing.
If JHC cannot see that if it really is Joint, and if really is front line focused, then it can 'kill two birds with one stone', prepare the way for the manning of new airframes (Danish Merlins/CH47 HC3 (-)), replace an ageing and low capability airframe (Sea King), and also satisfy the Treasury/IPTs with single logistics/maintenance nodes (Merlin & Lynx at Yeovilton).
We all know it is going to happen at some stage in the future and in some form Belvedere or Treasury cuts will force the estate and airframe rationalisiation hand. Personally, we either seize the opportunity and shape it to deliver what we want or we kick and squirm in our single service ivory towers and slowly and painfully let the bean counters take more.
We have an opportunity to head the civil servants and bean counters off at the pass and also improve on what we deliver frontline, and that surely must be what we are about.
Last edited by MaroonMan4; 10th Aug 2008 at 18:53.
