The Scottish Air Force
 

I'm wondering. If the rebelious Scots vote for a divorce, what will the issues be regarding their (so called) share of the UK's military aviation?

It would be impractical for them to take, say, a handful of Typhoons as they would end up with a fleet that was too small to do anything with. They would have to negotiate support contracts, set up their own MoD, headquarters, logistics, JPAC (as it's proved to be so successful), etc, etc.

This is nothing to do with the rights or wrongs of independence, the likelihoods and the other issues. Really just the military aviation issues.

They've already got a Navy, it's even got an air arm! Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S-D

The daily rags are suggesting that Scotland will have to re-negotiate every "marriage" previously undertaken by the UK gov. This would include all the Euro trade, human rights, health contracts, defence partnerships etc as if they were a new entity.
Would the US insist upon the neutralizing of American derived military hardware and software until Mr Salmond agreed to their proposals?
His attempts in saddling the world stage as an independant leader may lead to him firing blanks from the many cannons currently residing under RN and RAF ownership.

Of course, you make a good point. American hardware was sold to a NATO member state, which Scotland wouldn't be. Not even sure if they would want to be.

I guess the other question here is, what equipment would they actually want?

SNP's latest stance is that they'd want to be in NATO, but nuclear free. So for QRA etc, invite a NATO ally to use Scottish bases for their interceptors.

Would a Scottish Air Force need much more than the Republic of Ireland? Some decent medium range MPA capability, some helicopters and perhaps some tactical transports. And a Gulfstream for President Salmond

We could lease an Antonov...

I wonder how many serving Scottish personnel would choose to remain in the Royal Air Force and how many would switch to the Air Force of a newly independent Scotland?

One also assumes (and hopes) that the RAF would remain open to Scottish citizens.

S-D

Typical Jockistani Air Force front line type:

The most practical approach I guess would be for Scotland to "sub contract out" their air force needs to us ... and we charge them accordingly. This approach would be equipment neutral but help defray our operational costs ... certainly from an Air Force perspective. An appropriate cost/charge mechanic would need to be formulated for Air Stations ... but nothing too difficult for a sharp Bean Counter to conjure up.

VIP Transport needs ... their problem ...

Coff.

Or failing that ... they could buy a shed lad if these Ultra Light Mil Aircraft from South Affrica ... a Bang Seat in a Kite :bored:

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/u...en-620x284.jpg

Ideal for Grouse Shooting ... or keep the residents of Glasgow in order :E

Would Scotland need a Defence Force? I mean who would want to invade the place? No lucrative economy or land, apart from the oil...aha! The oil. The USA would be in there like a shot to 'protect' the people from the heinous President Salmond!

Better still ... they could sub contract out their Air Force needs to India like everything else in this Country :mad:

Good thread Courtney ... time for another Friday Beer :ok:

Mine's a Black Sheep, Coff. Thanks.

Keep an eye on your floppy disk port ... coming through Courtney :ok:

Here's another idea. What would be useful to them? What might be a workable small force size? I think opinion here is that they may not have the resources or the desire to do their own Air Defence. Actually, why would they? They're hardly surrounded by anyone but NATO nations.

Seriously ... Maritime Reconnaissance could be a starter ... just extend/expand their current Fishery Protection capability ?

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7289cd29.jpg

Shame we don't have any spare MPAs to offer. They probably have all the civvie helos they need to service the rigs. What else?

Having just spent the last few days with several Scottish Officers from the various battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, I got the distinct impression that joining Wee 'Ecks putative Scottish Defence Forces would be about as popular as catching any ftal disease that you would care to name. If an independent Scotland wished to create it's own Defence Force, it would do largely from scratch and I do not think that many Scot's surrently serving in the Forces would be willing to transfer.

I guess the other question here is, what equipment would they actually want?

I don't know about any air force, but I imagine that any army would want to keep Mons Meg (qv) - and oh yes, the One O'Clock Gun ....:D

Jack (aka Jock)

Who's going to be the Airworthiness Authority for Scottish aircraft?
Will Scottish airfields retain their IATA/ICAO codes?
Do the Scots really want a Scottish government? After all the UK has already had 13 years of poor government by Scottish born Prime Ministers (Being born in Edingburgh makes Tony Blair a Jock in my book) and look where that got the UK.
Are there actually enough people in Scotland to fill all the Civil Service type jobs Independence will create?
Will the Shetlanders want to be part of an independant Scotland (even I know the best way to offend a Shetlander is to call him a Scotsman)? An independant Shetland would really peeve Mr Salmond as by his own rules the oil would be Shetland's not Scotland's.