Correct, and a turn coat at that defecting to Noo Labour possibly in the hope that they wouldn't catch him having his bell tower tarted up!!

Shocking? That an RAF station is to be closed? Really?

No - not shocking - expected. We have more real estate than is sensible to keep. We have had a need for more AT and rotary for a long time. Something had to give, so closing a base that hasn't had that much investment isn't really a big surprise. Small local economy? Do we have anywhere near a large conurbation where a closure would have no impact?

I'll wager that within a month of it closing, it'll be renamed Rutland Barracks, so I doubt if the locals would notice much.

Hmm doesn't Cottesmore provide the radar for Wittering - is the plan to save even more money and only allow flying on Blue days.

Shocking? That an RAF station is to be closed? Really?


I don't think that anyone would disagree that the RAF has more real estate than it needs, but is Cottesmore the one to close? Why is it better to close it than Wittering? Or Leeming with its one squadron? Or Scampton? Or an empty Kinloss? It seems an illogical decision to me to cram JFH into Wittering.

You're almost there........:p

Because Cott was the airfield the RAF offered up to cut.

Let's not forget that Torpy gave up his duties as CAS and simply spent two years mounting personal assaults on FAA, JFH and carriers. (Whilst keeping up his own patented brand of in-eloquent public speaking and half-baked, low-grade oratory.)

Maybe some of the mud stuck.

And incidentally, there's an SDR coming. Save some money? What about that small force shoe-horned into Wittering? Easy pickings.

As posted on a previous thread Cott was deemed unacceptable for the OCU to fly from. Allegedly. And the JFH management and the relevant single service staffs (both light and blue) were fully involved in the Witt vs Cott discussions together with all the other JFH options (move to Leeming / Yeovilton etc etc etc).

Already been stated that JFH will fold earlier than anticipated as will the GR4. I suspect, sadly, that carrier/JCA will be the biggest ticket item under the microscope for the SDR - leave the next government the job of (having no choice but to) finally killing off whats left of the UK Defence Industry. :oh:

OK I'm going to bite.

I left the RAF last year after 18 years as I could personally no longer put up with the lack of meaningful leadership from our lords and masters, along with the never ending cuts in order to prop up some other failing arm or the Government etc etc. A hard choice as the only thing I have ever wanted to do was be in the RAF. The problem is that no matter how much people scream and shout and point out the back and white facts (something I did in my resignation letter) the bunch of useless plebs in power (regardless of the flavor) don't actually give a toss. All you need to do is look at the way the current bunch have performed (or not) to see how poor they are. I have lost count of the number of times there have been news grabbing headlines, sadly often as a result of a loss of life, but in the end it all gets swept under the now very old and thread bear carpet. Why? Those in power have no accountability; if they did then half of the current bunch would have been sacked for expense claims alone, sadly this is not the case! In stark contrast how severe is the punishment for putting in a false travel claim for someone in the Forces.

The Stations will continue to close and the RAF will continue to reduce in size and until something happens affects the great unwashed, otherwise nothing will change.

Back in my box

What is the most capable fixed wing A/C out in Afghanistan? Tornado or Harrier, the Harrier provides CAS and a llw level show of force, the Tornado ?? It's all well removing a sqdn of each but you cannot expect a single sqdn of each mark to provide that sort of commitment, the resulting overstretch will just cause a mass exodous of maintainers, aircrew and other support staff. You will also just have removed half of your maritmie strike force. Up until the last few years i had enjoyed my service, now i look forward to leaving before the ship is sunk under me.

Of course - the RAF ONLY has aircraft. It doesn't have any ACSUs or ACSSUs at all. The squadrons are totally self contained and can look after themselves anywhere in the world. :ok: We wouldn't have any non-aircraft units anywhere.

Isn't Wittering on someone else's real estate which would need to be restored before being returned?

Misformonkey

I'm hungry so I'll have a nibble .....

The only UK FW FJ aircraft in AFG is the Tornado, therefore ....

But to be serious both have different attributes. GR9 has short field and smaller logistical tail, GR4 has greater range of capabilities (inc RAPTOR) and potentially better weapon load but greater deployed footprint. Being a bigger force the GR4 can handle the long term plot of AFG - JFH was only ever configured, manned and resourced for non-enduring ops. Both do an excellent job given what the penny pinching, shiney ar$ed rubber desk johnies push their way....:oh:

And just to keep orca happy the GR4 is RAF and has the full support of the previous CAS whereas JFH has those filthy dark blue wearing people in it who shouldn't be allowed to commit aviation and who were sold down the river by thier own 1SL many moons ago when he gave up the SHAR to ensure the survival of his cockers-p platforms.....;)

Who's up for a Military coup? :E

Do you mean like Halton and the Rothschilds?

misformonkey:

Tornado provides CAS and a low level show of force (in weather that would stop a GR9 doing so, thanks to the terrain following radar). Obviously the message that Tornado does CAS is still not getting through (although newspaper articles attributing DMS Brimstone firings to Harriers don't really help....)

Also, what Wrathmonk said.

How can Rutland possibly continue to exist without a viable air force?

Oh? It can?

"Do you mean like Halton and the Rothschilds?"

After using the Rothschilds' land at Halton as a training area during the 1st World War, the newly formed Royal Air Force decided that Halton would be a good location for either training the new apprentices that Trenchard knew he would need for this fledgling technical service or for training officers. The location was, of course, used for the former but, as I was told on many occasions during my tour there, the Halton Estate was purchased outright by the Govt from the Rothschilds and there is no requirement as such to return it, unblemished, to its former owners. I believe the sale was helped by the fact that Lionel Rothschild (1882 to 1942) had no desire for the hedonistic lifestyle of his late uncle Alfred (who died in 1918) and was unimpressed with the chalk soil of Halton as it was no good for growing rhodedendrons.

I was told that Halton will remain for the time being as it is required for accommodation for nearby HQ Air Command and, due to the termination of the in-house contract for Defence Trg Rationalisation (Package 2), the logistics training currently at Halton will remain there. Now if you want to save £12 billion (albeit over 25 years) then how about turning off the DTR Package 1 (Metrix) contract to relocate all military technical training to St Athan by 2015? Still no word of contract signature on that one expected now until Spring 2010.

And Rutland will never ever vote Labour.

(At least it can match St George's Barracks - ex RAF North Luffenham - as a place for any returning BAOR units)