Sharkey shows his teeth
 

Sharkey Ward has a letter in today's FT. Sadly I'm not at my pc so can't copy it. Perhaps someone else can. In it he casts aspersions on the close air support given in Libya from GdC, and unsurprisingly believes the Harrier would be on task quicker, with the same weapons. More contentiously he is questioning the QRA capabilty of the guys in Afghan. He gives an address in St Georges, Grenada. May be he is o/ding on rum punches.....

What's his issue with GCAS in Afghanistan? I've not heard any complaints....? Similarly, I didn't think we were doing any sort of GCAS on Op ELLAMY, which rather makes response time moot. We don't have any boots on the ground to support there per se, so all sorties surely have to be planned to meet the ATO.

In an ideal world all our jets would carry all our weapons, but in reality I'd take the jet with Storm Shadow, RAPTOR and Brimstone over a faster response time when there's not a lot to respond to.

Is that Sharkey, ex Canberras and Tonkas?

Without having read the article, I suspect that it is Sharkey Ward RN - winner of the Falklands War.

Duncs:ok:

......and self appointed legend in his own lifetime.

Is that Leg End?

ROG

You must be wrong with that assumption!!

Surely he came into this World accompanied by Celestial Choirs and the homage of all the good folk of the Realm!!! :ugh:

More like his own lunch box!!!! :E

I managed to read the first bit of his ill-judged, pathetically wrong rant before the FT website tried to make be register.

He claims the FT have not got their facts straight. Ah, glorious hypocrisy.

We've had many threads on this now.

I call upon serving members of the FAA to respond to the accusation I and many colleagues repeatedly make of Cdr Ward, that a large glaring number of his facts are patently incorrect, and that he appears to be so rabidly anti RAF that, what could be a well put together argument becomes flawed and vitriolic.

Thanks chaps.

The Sharkey Ward I knew was a nice guy and not quite a legend in his own lunchtime, bless him.

The "Mr Sharks" (NEVER Sharkey) from Yeovilton who I met a few times in the late 1970's was also a nice chap. He and I both helped out on one of the local farms at harvest and sheep-shearing time. As far as I'm aware he was also responsible for Father Christmas arriving at the local school in a Wessex 5. I suspect it was actually him in the beard, though I'm sure he won't thank me for saying so.

I'm sayin' nuttin'!

Guys,
Try this link. Hopefully it'll work: A Harrier can be on task within 30 minutes of a call - FT.com

It beggars belief and is, sadly all too common, an ill-informed and unprofessional attack.

airpolice, thanks for finding that route to bypass the Murdoch paywall.....

The poor old rum-sozzled Bearded Bull$hitter really does seem to be losing it - what a shame for someone who won the South Atlantic war single-handed.

Did he really retire as Commander? Or as a Lt Cdr?

The man has serious problems..........someone call him a doctor, maybe section him for his own good. His credibility is seriously in free fall, I bet most of his supporters are hiding behind the sofa peeking over !

Sharkey a Wafu Ledge;) http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_ar.../v0_master.jpg

Amazing
 

I love the way he ends:

'This major delay puts lives at risk; not just in Libya but also in Afghanistan, where the same appalling procedural practices are employed.'

I'm assuming that he is criticising the ATO cycle, but the way he has written his letter, (and given his previous rants I wouldn't be surprised if it was deliberate) the general public reader would assume he meant that Harrier on a carrier in the Gulf could be on task in Afghanistan in 30 minutes.

Given the return distance for such a sortie is approx twice the unrefuelled range of Harrier, how would Mr Ward propose to achieve this? He seems to think it unreasonable that RAF aircraft might need AAR for some tasks, so I assume he would impose the same constraint on his own service?

Perhaps he will next propose the building of a canal through Pakistan?

Or perhaps the answer in some cases is land based aviation.

I used to get annoyed at Mr Ward's drivel, but now I just can't help laughing out loud. Keeps me amused for days.

Good answer FIN 1012. The leg from Carrier to Helmand is a bit of a stretch for a Harrier.

I wonder what the drop / no drop ratio is in Libya - ie, how many missions result in the Tornado or Typhoon bringing bombs back to base? That's a trick for a Harrier landing on a short deck.

I wonder too how much of the delay between call and on-task is due not to an inherent aircraft or basing problem, but to a need to get the target confirmed given the somewhat irregular nature of the forces involved.

I do wish Sharky would give it a rest. He's becomming as tedious as a stuck record.

I didn't read the letter as saying the Harrier can be on task in Afghanistan in 30 minutes, merely that the same (poor, according to him) standards can be found in Afghanistan.

Yet again, factually in error and full on quite vehement anti-RAF slant.

His asserion that all those involved in the RAF are party to poor performance and decision-making like this is not honourable. He should be ashamed.