Maritime Patrol Capability: The SDSR’s Wolf Whistle
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
As we have been sort of 'at war' for the past 25 years do the RAF still have any appetite for competitions?
There were many V-Force trophies up for grabs but now the silver sits polished or tarnished at High Wycombe. There were annual competitions with the USAF with two competition flights formed to meet SACs best. There was a Tactical Bombing Competition with all comers. There were numerous other competitions but forces reducing from Groups or Wings now down to Squadrons or in some cases only a Squadron, were is competition?
Would 9 P8 form one or two sqns? Would there be any real competition for an Aird Whyte? Could the RN even spare a target?
There were many V-Force trophies up for grabs but now the silver sits polished or tarnished at High Wycombe. There were annual competitions with the USAF with two competition flights formed to meet SACs best. There was a Tactical Bombing Competition with all comers. There were numerous other competitions but forces reducing from Groups or Wings now down to Squadrons or in some cases only a Squadron, were is competition?
Would 9 P8 form one or two sqns? Would there be any real competition for an Aird Whyte? Could the RN even spare a target?
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I don't think the discussion was meant to be serious (hope not anyway). As you intimate these things were all dying off anyway...however cherished they may have been by the participants.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Remaining serious for a moment, I read the report for Fincastle 2006 deduce to the crew lost in AFG.
I see the format involved close integration with Joint Warrior which certainly minimised the asset problem.
I see the format involved close integration with Joint Warrior which certainly minimised the asset problem.
We managed a full det for 2008 - three weeks in Vancouver Island with one aircraft. Aircrew won their competition, engineers weren't massively interested in ours due to, you know, being in Canada for three weeks...
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Re: Fincastle 2008, RAF techies managed to support double the number of sorties flown by all other nations due to a set of trials with a second, non-competition crew, with the same number of personnel as the Australians.
I don't think they were any more distracted by local delights than any other nation. Except maybe the Kiwis, who never really recovered their sense of humour after an incident with velcro gloves.
I don't think they were any more distracted by local delights than any other nation. Except maybe the Kiwis, who never really recovered their sense of humour after an incident with velcro gloves.
