Just give them independence
 

Well the Scots want independence, here is a chance to make it happen and save some serious cash. But it would have to be full independence, let them provide their own defence etc. I reckon we would save a fortune.

In fact if we did the same to Wales and NI we would be quids in, note the figure in the chart below of £48.4bn

Deficit would be sorted in a year, then we could start spending on defence again:}

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...71_634x527.jpg

Strato Q .... Lossiemouth is plenty big enough to take 6 Squadrons!!! Had more than that when it was FAA HMS Fulmar;)

Nostalgia
 

No more Brontosaurus and chips in the Bothay.... :{

My guess is XV (R) to Marham, remaining sqn to Leuchars until it's time to lose another sqn, then they will go.

There seemed to be plenty of demand for an airfield in Moray, judging by the number of aircraft up at both stations for major exercises over recent years (and probably longer, but I wasn't there to see them). Surely Lossie would have a future even with only 2 Tornado Sqns and the resulting unallocated space and facilities supporting the exercises that Kinloss used to host.

Maybe the foreign aircraft meeting our maritime patrol commitments could be permanently based there too...

Would the moving of the GR4 necessarily result in the closure of Lossie? N QRA need a mil div, the GR4 sim may be used by a Leuchars-based sqn and as you say, Army or MPA could ensure it's survival. Anyway, I thought we discovered many years ago that closing an airbase actually costs us money (in the short term) due to the relocation expenses alone. :confused:

Wake-up and Smell the Coffee
 

Of course Lossie will close. With JSF orders reduced the only place they will go is to Yeovilton to be flown by the Fleet Air Arm again, why on earth would they want their carrier aircraft based in the North of Scotland only to have to embark what is left of an Air Wing off the South Coast.

Just Another Jocky - get with it what MPA? Would you believe it our Maritime Nation has had the wisdom to bin that capability.

As to turning Kinloss and Lossie to Army bases. Same arguement on location applies. The Army only really has one training area that is any good for any of their kit - Salisbury Plain. They will want all of their units near by and easily deployable from Brize International or any other of the Southern Airports that the Transport Aircraft Consortium PLC wish to operate from, the contract will cost far too much to have them picked up from Scotland.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I fear what are now seeing is the dying throws of the 100 year Air Force experiment

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Just Another Jocky - get with it what MPA?

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From post #25

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Maybe the foreign aircraft meeting our maritime patrol commitments could be permanently based there too...

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That MPA! :)

Never say never! eh old boy.:ok:

FB

Maybe if the RAF is going heavily down the UAV/RPV/drone (whatever they are called this week) route in the years to come then they should be looking to base them somewhere with relatively clear airspace, where training flights (presuming there are any) are less of an issue...... such as Lossie perhaps?

Biggus

Why on earth would the Army and Navy allow us to fly their RPVs. They are the ones who will end up using their product...

n/a

While my knowledge of RPVs is very limited I thought that there was a requirement for a recognised pilot (instrument rating, etc) to operate it in the vicinity of controlled airspace. I could be wrong.

While the Army operate the pint sized, elastic band wound up, RPVs that just go up a few hundred feet and look over the next hill, street, etc, the RAF currently operate the big toys. I was under the impression that is not about to change in the near term.

No doubt some expert in UAVs (39 Sqn maybe) will provide more detailed insight, if anyone with that background can be bothered to read a thread on Lossie..... ;)

Unit size
 

As a scribbler there's one thing that occurs to me. Whilst people are talking about squadrons, no one is talking about the number of jets on those squadrons, are they?

If you cut down on the numbers of jets per unit, that would make it much easier to squeeze six squadrons into one base, wouldn't it?

I don't think anyone is absolutely certain that Marham is 'safe' just yet. The great thing about aircarft is that they are mobile....


Has anyone thought that they could move the Tornados back to Cottesmore?:ooh:

The only certainty is that nothing is certain anymore.....

Is it sensible to concentrate all 'front line'* RAF bases up and down the A1(?)

*Apologies to those folk who will be flying out of BZN in a couple of years time.

It would be sad to see HMS Fulmar close but as always it is inevitable....Unless the RAF can wrestle up a few more aircraft to fly from their it doesn't make commercial sense to keep it open.

There's certainly an awful lot of BAE's finest engineers now based at Marham. Can't see too many of them wanting to move to Lossie. Cottesmore may be a different story however as it's closer to 'home' over in Blackpool, but I think the 4 hangars of CMU(F) may be a bit expensive to move (again) for only a few years before they are no longer needed.

1. Lossie Closes
2. XV(R) to Leuchars
3. Rest to Marham
4. JSF to Marham post GR4
5. Base Carriers at Kings Lynn

Problem solved!!!

You could park 'em end-to-end and XV (R) could use them as a relief landing ground! :E

It isn't HMS Fulmar, it is RAF Lossiemouth.

It was RAF Lossiemouth before it became HMS Fulmar, and became RAF Lossiemouth after HMS Fulmar.

HMS Fulmar 'sank' in 1972

I think he probably knew that - and it's probably had the desired effect.