AA,

I think the sheer scale of the US procurement system makes it easier to hide foul-ups. The F-111 is a classic example, years late, one variant cancelled, yet no-one seems to remember that UK cancelled their order, and bought F-4's instead.

The UK press love a good feeding frenzy on their latest football. It seems to be a national mental trait to only point out the bad stuff, and ignore the good.

Our American cousins are definitely possessed of a superior sense of optimism, Y'All!

Actually, the F4 purchase was running concurrent to the order for F111s, it was being ordered as a Hunter replacement. The nominal replacement for the F111 was the Buccaneer mark 2. However, with a transition toward the new NATO strategy of "Flexible Response" more of the Phantoms ended up in the Strike role and, of course, because the Navy didn't need as many of theirs for the new CVF Carriers they were originally expecting, the R.A.F. got some of those an' all and formed the first F4 A.D. unit out of them.:ok:

FB:)

One stands corrected, FB.

Actually, I think you might find that the Phantom was bought to plug the gap made by the Hawker P1154 cancellation. As I remember it, the P1154 would have replaced the Hunter and the Sea Vixen.

The point I'd always make is there is a huge difference between having a bloody good go but failing to meet time, cost or performance; and knowingly wasting money and deliberately sabotaging projects for your own career ends.

The US may indeed have similar problems in always meeting T, C & P, but a question I'd ask, for example, is can they match the sheer incompetence and illegality of AMSO when, during Transition to War for GW1, they were actively scrapping our War Reserves? Lets face it, that takes some beating. (But I'm open to suggestions......).

Airborne Aircrew,


".. the media over here, (with it's anti-conservative and anti-military bias)"


WHAT!!

Have you ever read a British newspaper? Ever heard of Rupert Murdoch?

Try the Daily Telegraph (known as the Torygraph), the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, or the Sun just for a start. Then see how ridiculous and wide of the mark your above statement is.



ER, you meant the US media didn't you?

Sorry.................................

Pr00ne:

No need for the apology... The comedic content of that one sentence gave me a good belly laugh... :ok:

Spot on Foldingwings
 

The RN planners sold their souls for 2 carriers in SDR and stuck to their guns thereafter. Ironic that the main protagonist was Admiral West!

Is that the sound of chickens I hear returning to roost?:E

Never accuse the RN of being interested in anything but furthering the cause of the RN, to the detriment of all other causes including the good of the country. As always with the RN its a case of "Im alright Jack". Having secured the Two carriers (they think) we now have lord West starting the campaign for surface ships to protect them (the navy only has 19 escorts, bleat bleat).

Totally agree Mick. If the RN concentrated more on the boats and ships they are supposed to drive and less about buying planes and helicopters to land-grab the RAFs jobs, they might not need to whinge.