RAF combat aircraft numbers
"you'll notice also, the numbers of transport and rotary have remained virtually unchanged. The evisceration has been applied entirely to the actual high-performance combat strength"
but at the time that made eminent sense FB - we haven't faced even a second class airforce for 30 years and almost all actions have been deploying the Army to and within ground operations. Since everyone wanted to cut military expenditure for the "peace dividend" cuts have to fall somewhere - look at the number of RN surface vessels for example. The alternative is to fix the Military Budget at say 5% and spend it and let other items (health Service, Pensions, education...) to manage with less. That makes sense to me but I'm not trying to get elected.
but at the time that made eminent sense FB - we haven't faced even a second class airforce for 30 years and almost all actions have been deploying the Army to and within ground operations. Since everyone wanted to cut military expenditure for the "peace dividend" cuts have to fall somewhere - look at the number of RN surface vessels for example. The alternative is to fix the Military Budget at say 5% and spend it and let other items (health Service, Pensions, education...) to manage with less. That makes sense to me but I'm not trying to get elected.
The number of 'high-performance' combat strength is worryingly small, but if I was CAS I'd be more worried about the lack of bases - 4 front line fast jet stations (one of which also includes the maritime fleet), one transport and one for the rest (RJ etc). Only the rotary world can 'disappear' into the woods etc. Or maybe there IS a cunning plan - which is why I never made CAS!
The number of 'high-performance' combat strength is worryingly small, but if I was CAS I'd be more worried about the lack of bases - 4 front line fast jet stations (one of which also includes the maritime fleet), one transport and one for the rest (RJ etc). Only the rotary world can 'disappear' into the woods etc. Or maybe there IS a cunning plan - which is why I never made CAS!
"Not much is safe from satellites."
or locals complaining on Social Media..................
or locals complaining on Social Media..................
For the Jaguar, the 'raw number' in 1990 was over 100 but the fleet was in two parts: the short term fleet of unmodified aircraft were stored or in the training schools and the long term fleet of modified (with Fin 1064) aircraft were about 85 single and two seat versions which were 'active'. These aircraft were deployed to 3 sqns and an OCU, undergoing maintenance at Abingdon (and later St A), stored as attrition replacements and doing all sorts of other things. The attack aircraft were either recce capable or not and the OCU had a few single seat aircraft with no refuelling probe, having been returned from India. The dozen or so two seat aircraft had a single gun and no refuelling probe.
Old Duffer
Old Duffer
FB
Which would be okay if we knew it was being well spent. Imagine what the MOD could do with an extra £10 bn........oh, wait a minute......forget that idea.
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Hi Mopardave,
The UN has asked for $1.7 bn in aid for the Ukraine which is about one month's foreign aid budget., money "well spent".
The MOD would probably waste it like the Foreign Aid budget.
Example:- buying the Boxer AFV which cannot be transport whole in an A-400
The UN has asked for $1.7 bn in aid for the Ukraine which is about one month's foreign aid budget., money "well spent".
The MOD would probably waste it like the Foreign Aid budget.
Example:- buying the Boxer AFV which cannot be transport whole in an A-400
Hi Mopardave,
The UN has asked for $1.7 bn in aid for the Ukraine which is about one month's foreign aid budget., money "well spent".
The MOD would probably waste it like the Foreign Aid budget.
Example:- buying the Boxer AFV which cannot be transport whole in an A-400
The UN has asked for $1.7 bn in aid for the Ukraine which is about one month's foreign aid budget., money "well spent".
The MOD would probably waste it like the Foreign Aid budget.
Example:- buying the Boxer AFV which cannot be transport whole in an A-400
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Never mind the aircraft numbers, where would they get the staff from? When I joined in the mid 80s there was 96000 in the RAF and stiff competition for places due to high unemployment. Today, with low unemployment figures, they struggle to recruit to keep a force of 34000.
The Jaguar's entry into service, and later the Hawk, saved Abingdon from closure as an RAF Station in the 1970s. The serious cuts then, in the transport fleet, Andover removed from tactical role, Britannia, Comet and Belfast gone, Abingdon was otherwise surplus and would have provided a home to the army earlier.
FB
FB
Thus Bicester, Leconfield and Thorney Island were vacated and were able to be added to the closure list, a silly list really as it included places like Driffield that had been on care and maintenance for decades, Biggin Hill which didn't actually close, West Raynham, which stayed open but the flying units moved out, and Chessington that also didn't actually close for years.
So Abingdon was never under threat of closure, but the mad rush to ensure that Brize Norton stayed open, and to be able to announce a closure list of 12 stations, was the reason for the move of the Abingdon units. I actually staffed a paper that proposed moving the units from Leconfield and Bicester direct to Brize Norton, thus saving quite a bit of relocation expenditure and disruption, but was ignored as I was a Flight Lieutenant fast jet pilot who clearly didn't know what he was talking about...
Sorry about this verbosity, but it was a fascinating and weird time for me, and I was there...
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
4p........that's eye watering.
Perhaps - but the massive rises in VAT rates since the original 10% rate in 1973 now means that it is the third-largest source of government revenue after income tax and National Insurance....
Just scanning the Telegraph Business section and there is a comparison table showing figures from 1990 versus 2021. According to the information provided the RAF had this in 1990: 170 Harrier, 100 Phantom, 100 Jaguar and 400 Tornado. I find those numbers difficult to believe, but am willing to be educated. Thoughts, please.
The official figures were - IDS 220 ADV 165 making 385. But production ran until 1995/6 and a number of the F2 ADV were withdrawn early. So not 400 jets.