Two services in ten years 'entirely plausible', says Sir Jock
 

CDS has just told a press briefing on the Green Paper that it was entirely plausible that there could be only two services in ten years.

...the Boy Scouts and the Brownies...:ok:

More like AA and RAC - there won't be enough money for defence :sad:

Sounds to me like he thinks that the bean counters see it as plausible and has decided to drop a stick of dynamite to get it out in the open and rubbished as soon as possible.

I'm a big admirer of the RAF Regiment and the Royals, but don't we still need an independent, separate Army as well?

I'm inclined to be with Mick on this one; Maybe I speak ill of him (for once) but I dont honestly think Stirrup will give a fig whether theres 2 services or ten.

He'll have retired on his more than adequate pension by that point, so he'll be past caring.

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/790C7...per_cm7794.pdf

Could be summarised as do even more with even less because we tell you to and will magically make savings through restructuring of "head office" functions....

Alternately, we can do without some capabilities and reconstitute them as necessary (!!!!) given sufficient warning.

And laughably, the large scale operations appear to require more ships and aircraft than we actually have now!

Oh and none of this is to do with underfunding because since 1997 spending has risen in "real terms" by ~£2Bn. How could we possibly have failed to recapitalise the equipment budget given such munificence from the one-eyed forces friend.........?

I suggest you go to Poole and ask :E

So be it, I guess we will have to resurrect the Marine Branch ;)

Gordon Brown states that he will maintain army staffing levels at approximately 100,000. Do you think he means decrease the RAF to 30,000 number personel, decrease the army by 30,000 and then amalgamate the R.A.F with the army. Bingo an army of 100,000 persons.

After all Gordon Brown never promised anything when it came to R.A.F. manpower levels.


Hval

EDIT: - 2010/02/03/13:58 for spelling correction

Royal Naval Air Service resurrected?
 

IF the decisiion were to go down to 2 Services, I just hope that our Airships and the Admirals can get their act together. A 100,000 Army and 50,000 Naval Service (RN, RM, RNAS) has got to be more attractive than a 130,000 Army with the AAC as possibly the largest cap badge and a 20,000ish Naval Service. Halcyon days for the 200-series RAF sqns!

Canada amalgamated their Services and then spent a fortune reversing it. I think it is called Lesson Learned!

Bang goes the "Save the BBMF" thread!

Navibrator, could you E mail G Brown with that info please.
He's still at 10 Downing St, at the moment anyhow.

"Two services in ten years 'entirely plausible', says Sir Jock"

aparently not

Defence News: Defence in the Media: 3 February 2010

Star cull
 

I saw somewhere today (can't recall where) that there is a planned cull of the top brass in all 3 Services. Can't help but feel that this is a long overdue exercise. Anyone know what the the current 1-4 star population is?

Typical Stirrup.

When asked the question is there likely to be three services, he says its plausible.

Any other CDS worth his salt would have said of course there is going to be three services. By saying its plausible, he is, by default, giving rise to the question of well if it is plausible that there will be three, is it possible that there will be less?

Couldnt you see this coming?? All our admin, all our rules and regs and an awful lot of our training is done together already, we even look like the Army on many stations now. Was on an RAF station yesterday and their was more green than blue. This is not something new, the amalgamation is something that has been looked at for a while now. This green paper and the SDR will bring it all a little bit closer.

Seriously, I have heard that in the SDR there is talk of, "much closer cooperation with the French Navy" - is this old news?

(Not so serious, addition to RN Staff College syllabus, "Surrendering, how not to lose half your fleet to friendly fire").

I'm sure it's been said before but it is called a "green" paper for a reason. the white paper should probably be re-branded the purple paper

Coded speak for a single, Rafale equipped RN carrier.

Operated by the RAF Marine Branch, as the RN will have been disbanded.

The Trident boats will go to the Royal Artillery.

Just one service!
 

Why have as many as two services? If we converted the Royals into an organisation with the power, capabilty and reach of the USMC we could manage with just one and we'd have some great bands to boot. So everyone would feel part of one happy family we could make the standard uniform that new "duck hunter" style camouflage!:ok:

wozthathen??

This possibly:

BBC News - British Army to get new uniform camouflage design

Albeit it the title doesn't say the RAF will get it!

New camouflage
 

Glad Rag

It's actually called Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) and will start being issued (hopefully) later this year. It is apparently based on a commercial design by US company Crye Precision and is said by some to be similar to that worn by many US duck hunters. As it's new I thought it would be ideal to help everyone bond together into the one service as I proposed (tongue in cheek) on my last post.:ok:

Are we increasing the size of our submarine fleet? ;)

Don't US duck hunters get shot by other hunters? When the French go hunting they wear Dayglo jackets - and the rest of the population stay indoors!

'It's actually called Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) and will start being issued (hopefully) later this year. It is apparently based on a commercial design by US company Crye Precision and is said by some to be similar to that worn by many US duck hunters. As it's new I thought it would be ideal to help everyone bond together into the one service as I proposed (tongue in cheek) on my last post.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ies/thumbs.gif'

And it is on its way from China to us......:ugh:

Multicam is actually very good. Have a flick through these.

MultiCam.com Images


Sounds like Crye have given up the battle to stop the chinks ripping it off then :hmm:

Lots of shooters in the orchards round here, most of them lurk in hides. I wear a bright orange ski hat when walking the dog and was asked to remove it as I was scaring the pigeons!

Must have been a different bit of France, then..

That new cam looks bloody terrible:yuk: it looks like something from the former soviet bloc inventory that has been passed too many times between forces from Bongo Bongo land, mind you that is proabably what Brown wants, a force that resembles a good socialist one. :(

Doors Off

Not very P.C:=

I'm not quite sure that you understand the concept or requirement of camouflage.

This is bad camouflage

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures...age--29802.jpg

whereas this is good (in many respects)


http://veryveryfun.com/pics/Urban-Ca...ouflage-10.jpg

Or a bit of dazzle camouflage as used during WWI. ;)

http://love.hollybliss.co.uk/uploade...jpg-784034.jpg

DO what ze Belgians do, one for land, one for sea and one for air......and

3 = 1

:ok:


Et pour le deuxieme,

H.M Customs / Boder Immigration Agency, MCGA and police = 1

And it even flies the red duster
 

http://love.hollybliss.co.uk/uploade...jpg-784034.jpg

Different I suppose....mind you if I was offered the keys for 6 months I wouldn't be rushing to knock it back either:)..

Good grief, you ARE having a laugh, the new pattern was designed/picked by those who will have to actually wear it when fighting for their Queen in Afghanistan, what better endorsement do you need?