When was the RAF at its most capable?
My time in the RAF spanned 10 years from 1979 which co-incided with the last 10 years of the "cold war"....
Even so, this period was one of cuts and a continuous reduction in the numbers of service personnel and bases. My speculation is that 1974/5 was probably when the RAF was at its peak and ever since we have been growing weaker in spite of what the government says. Whilst technology has improved, and smart weapons, UAV's, missiles with multiple warheads, NVG's etc. have improved the "hitting" power the sheer reduction in personell and not having sufficient platforms means that we can no longer project, let alone sustain, the capabilities we once had. The saddest part in all of this is the fact that the reduction in our military capability has not been matched by a similar reduction in the threats that we face in what is subjectively a more unstable world. Is this just a rose-tinted view, or were things so much better in the 1970's compared to today? It would be interesting to know what RUSI and Staff College experts have to say.....we would be hard pressed to cope with a flare-up of the NI Troubles and a resurgence of terrorism at "the back door" let alone deal with another FI Conflict.... MB |
IMHO 1939 to 1959
Peter R-B Vfr |
Roughly, 1970-75 gets my vote, lots of still very potent legacy stuff plus shiny new Harriers, Jags, Phantoms, Buccs, Nimrods and Hercs. Rotary, Puma and Sea King. Must be others.
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Up to the 90's!
During the 90's, accountants ran the RAF. During the 00's, politicians have run the RAF. |
1) In absolute terms (how much destruction the force could wreak, coupled with capability of platforms, etc.) 1988-ish - before the Cold War cuts, before the withdrawal of WE177, and when the Tornado was still cutting edge and credible.
2) Relatively speaking, you'd draw a different conclusion. 1955-ish. Prior to the massive down-sizing of RAF Germany, disbandment of the 21 Squadrons of the RAuxAF, and the reductions in home-based fighters. Bomber Command was looking to get the V-bombers, and had a vast force of Canberras, which were still more than capable of evading interception, and delivering a 'hammer blow', albeit with US supplied nukes. I'm puzzled for the votes for the early 70s - surely nothing had improved since the mid-60s, and there had been significant reductions in force structure. |
1st April 1918. Downhill ever since.
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The day after I left :}
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Mingundiplomat has hit the nail firmly on the head. Whilst Defence cuts of the sixties and even the infamous beating of '75 had a profound effect, it is quite possible that we were overmanned and could afford the housekeeping.
The blank cheques dissapeared with GW1 and the overswing of new found budgets promoted a 'Cannot do' culture, alien to military ethos. Blunties rapidly became the master-race and the front line became (wrongly) insignificantly secondary to Pounds, Shillings and Pence. There should be no surprise that the present day loss of life is attributed rightly or wrongly to insufficient equipment for both personnel and task. One needs to be aware that few contributers to Pprune have experience of the military prior to the mid seventies, and those that do are often overwhelmed with the nostalgia of once belonging to an armed force built upon a pride difficult to find nowadays. Apologies if that sounds over patronising; perhaps the sentiment could have been worded better. |
When we had an air force with support bases to match!
How about as of summer of 1974.......:ok:
35 different aircraft types.....:eek: 1 Sqn Wittering – HS Harrier 2 Sqn Laarbruch – McD Phantom 3 Sqn Wildenrath – HS Harrier 4 Sqn Wildenrath – HS Harrier 5 Sqn Binbrook – BAC Lightning 6 Sqn Coningsby – McD Phantom 7 Sqn St.Mawgan – BAC Canberra 8 Sqn Lossiemouth – Avro Shackteton 9 Sqn Akrotiri – HS Vulcan 10 Sqn Brize Norton – BAC VC.10 11 Sqn Binbrook – BAC Lightning 12 Sqn Honington – HS Buccaneer 13 Sqn Luqa – BAC Canberra 14 Sqn Bruggen – McD Phantom 15 Sqn Laarbruch – HS Buccaneer 16 Sqn Laarbruch – HS Buccaneer 17 Sqn Bruggen – McD Phantom 18 Sqn Gutersloh – Westland Wessex 19 Sqn Gutersloh – BAC Lightning 20 Sqn Wildenrath – HS Harrier 21 Sqn Andover – DH Devon 22 Sqn Thorney Island – Westland Whirlwind 23 Sqn Leuchars – BAC Lightning 24 Sqn Lyneham – Lockheed Hercules 26 Sqn Wyton – DH Devon 27 Sqn Scampton – HS Vulcan 28 Sqn Kai Tak – Westland Wessex 29 Sqn Wattisham – BAC Lightning 30 Sqn Lyneham – Lockheed Hercules 31 Sqn Bruggen – McD Phantom 32 Sqn Northolt – HS Andover, HS125, Westland Whirlwind 33 Sqn Odiham – Westland Puma 35 Sqn Akrotiri – HS Vulcan 36 Sqn Lyneham – Lockheed Hercules 39 Sqn Wyton – BAC Canberra 41 Sqn Coningsby – McD Phantom 42 Sqn St.Mawgan – HS Nimrod 43 Sqn Leuchars – McD Phantom 44 Sqn Waddington – HS Vulcan 45 Sqn Wittering – HS Hunter 46 Sqn Thorney Island – HS Andover 47 Sqn Lyneham – Lockheed Hercules 48 Sqn Lyneham – Lockheed Hercules 50 Sqn Waddington – HS Vulcan 51 Sqn Wyton – BAC Canberra, HS Nimrod 53 Sqn Brize Norton – Short Belfast 54 Sqn Coltishall – BAC Jaguar 55 Sqn Marham – HP Victor 56 Sqn Akrotiri – BAC Lightning 57 Sqn Marham – HP Victor 58 Sqn Wittering – HS Hunter 60 Sqn Wildenrath – Hunting Pembroke, HS Andover 70 Sqn Akrotiri – Lockheed Hercules, HS Argosy 72 Sqn Odiham – Westland Wessex 84 Sqn Akrotiri – Westland Whirlwind 85 Sqn West Raynham – BAC Canberra 92 Sqn Gutersloh – BAC Lightning 98 Sqn Cottesmore – BAC Canberra 99 Sqn Brize Norton – Bristol Britannia 100 Sqn West Raynham – BAC Canberra 101 Sqn Waddington – HS Vulcan 103 Sqn Tenagh – Westland Wessex 111 Sqn Coningsby – McD Phantom 115 Sqn Cottesmore – HS Argosy 120 Sqn Kinloss – HS Nimrod 201 Sqn Kinloss – HS Nimrod 202 Sqn Leconfield – Westland Whirlwind 203 Sqn Luqa – HS Nimrod 206 Sqn Kinloss – HS Nimrod 207 Sqn Northolt – DH Devon, Hunting Pembroke 208 Sqn Honington – HS Buccaneer 214 Sqn Marham – HP Victor 216 Sqn Lyneham – DH Comet 230 Sqn Odiham – Westland Puma 360 Sqn Cottesmore – BAC Canberra 511 Sqn Brize Norton – Bristol Britannia 617 Sqn Scampton – HS Vulcan 226 OCU Coltishall – BAC Lightning [soon to be Jaguar] 228 OCU Coningsby – McD Phantom 229 OCU(TWU) Brawdy – HS Hunter 230 OCU Scampton – HS Vulcan 231 OCU Cottesmore – BAC Canberra 232 OCU Marham – HP Victor 233 OCU Wittering – HS Harrier 236 OCU St.Mawgan – HS Nimrod 237 OCU Honington – HS Buccaneer 240 OCU Odiham – Westland Wessex, Westland Puma 241 OCU Brize Norton – Belfast, Britannia, Comet and VC.10 as required 242 OCU Thorney Island – HS Andover, Lockheed Hercules 1 FTS Linton-On-Ouze – BAC Jet Provost 2 FTS Church Fenton – DHC Chipmunk, Bulldog 3 FTS Leeming – BAC Jet Provost 4 FTS Valley – HS Gnat, HS Hunter 5 FTS Oakington – Vickers Varsity, Jetstream 6 FTS Finningley – HS Dominie, Varsity, BAC Jet Provost CFS Little Rissington, Kemble and Ternhill 5 MU Kemble 19 MU St.Athan 23 MU Sydenham 27 MU Shawbury 32 MU St.Athan 60 MU Leconfield 71 MU Bicester 103 MU Akrotiri 431 MU Bruggen PS. Thanks to GeeRam for his original post.... MB |
Madbob,
The memories stirred up by your post brought tears to my eyes! I, too, was going to suggest 1974 as that was the year we were all wheeled in to the Station Briefing Room to be informed by the Staish of the planned British withdrawl from East of Suez. For the remaining 20-odd years of my service all I saw were cuts, drawdowns, retrenchment, downsizing, civilianisation, overstretch, etc, etc. Looking at your list it is incredible to to see what has been lost forever. I know they say that nostalgia isn't what it used to be, but when you look at that list of aircraft, squadrons and RAF Stations we were a worldwide force to be reckoned with in those days. (And we had fun too!). |
I, too, was going to suggest 1974 as that was the year we were all wheeled in to the Station Briefing Room to be informed by the Staish of the planned British withdrawl from East of Suez. |
1968. The only year since the establishment of the Royal Air Force in which not one single British serviceman was killed in action anywhere in the world.
Our politicians had been wise enough not to get us suckered into The American War in Vietnam and Norn Iron hadn't yet kicked off. The Phoney War against the Russian Bear had enabled the acquisition of some serious kick-arse kit, such as Vulcan, Lightning and the 'toom, but we had no-one fighting against us. (Ok, a few sand bunnies in Oman and Aden, and the odd jungle bunny in Sarawak, but nothing to worry about) Oh yes, and we had buckets of sunshine which didn't need some code to be issued by the politicians, just use a screwdriver to open a couple of Dzus fasteners, then use a bicycle key to arm to blighter and then turn a couple of knobs to select airburst or groundburst and choose the desired yield. Marvellous! Happy days!! |
I'm puzzled for the votes for the early 70s - surely nothing had improved since the mid-60s, and there had been significant reductions in force structure. |
How about as of summer of 1974.......:ok: Then came the cuts........which have never stopped. But we did still have over 30 stations more than today - in the UK alone...:{ |
1968. The only year since the establishment of the Royal Air Force in which not one single British serviceman was killed in action anywhere in the world. Phil. |
The list for 1974 doesn't include The Queen's Flight at Benson.
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Sometime before JPA
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What about all the RAF Hospitals.
Wegberg Akroteri (Still there) Ely Nocton Hall Halton Wroughton Cosford Supporting all Trades Branches & Families. Long gone.:{ CS |
izod tester
I could also have included the many RAF Hospitals we used to have......Wegberg, Nocton Hall, Ely, Wroughton, Catterick, Halton are all gone.:(
Only Akritiri I think survives on a joint RAF/Army basis. We sure could do with them now! :ugh: MB |
RAF Hospitals
Cornerstone, don't forget Rinteln (had my tonsils taken out there).
3P:ok: |
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