RAF in poor shape

[Steel_Tomb]

This is a real problem, the MoD is apparently considering a £2bil cut in the defence budget next year. The UK's armed forces are operating in two theaters, with other numerous over seas commitments i.e. the Falklands with less equipment. In the "good old days" of the Cold War there were some 30 operational fast jet squadrons in the RAF, now I believe there are less than ten.

The Navy, although equiped with RAF harriers, has no potent airborne fighter like the Phantom's from the previous generation of carriers (HMS Ark Royal and HMS Eagle). The senior service is also suffering from a very old fleet, which is in desperate need of replacement. Granted the Type 45's are entering service which is great news, but their numbers are too few to be an effective platform.

The Army is also suffering from a lack of equipment. When my dad was deployed to Iraq, he had to borrow an armoured jacket off another squadron member. He had to do the same with his sidearm, which didn't even have a full magazine... he was "only" medical staff... but even so thats a piss poor show. Last year the AAC's Apache's ran out of Hellfire's because we hadn't stockpiled enough.

Where is our nations military heading? Do they not realise that we are seriously under equipped? The Battle Of Britain was only won by a whisker... they caught us unprepared then and we're in an even worse shape now. Considering how this country used to have the biggest Navy in the world, one of the finest Air Forces and an Army to be proud of... it wonders where we're going.

I'm looking to join the military myself, and I really respect everyone in the UK's armed forces for making a bloody good job out of a bad situation. The Government have a f**king big debt to pay to these men and women, and they can't even be bothered to get the right equipment for them. The MoD budget equates to something like 3% of the UK's GDP... three f**king percent!


Source: http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=9007

Over half of fighter jets not fit for purpose

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Over half of the RAF's fighter aircraft fleet is considered either unfit for service or unable to serve in the forward fleet according to the MoD.

Despite spending hundreds of millions of pounds in the procurement of Typhoons and urgent operational requirements for Harriers, Hawk T1s and Tornados, approximately 46 per cent of the entire fighter jet fleet, is considered "fit for purpose." In total this amounts to 219 planes.

Of the remaining 54 per cent, or 237 planes, 61 are in the forward fleet but are undergoing minor maintenance or upgrades while 186 are in the "depth fleet", meaning the planes are undergoing extensive upgrades or repairs and would not be able to respond to operational requirements.

Some of the shortages of planes were astounding. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent on the procurement of the 53 Typhoons but only 20 of the aircraft are considered "fit for purpose."

Only 61 out of 138 Tornado GR4s are considered fit for purpose as well. Only the Harrier fleet with 44 out of 74 planes, has well over half of its planes fit for duty.

The irony is that the Harrier fleet is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan this summer and replaced by the GR4s.

So far commanders in Afghanistan have not raised concerns over shortages of fast jets due to contributions from the Royal Navy and other NATO allies. But the shortage is already evident here in Britain. Last year a Russian bomber nearly entered British airspace when the RAF had trouble finding a pair of Tornados fit to scramble the aircraft.

As the fleet continues to age, the number of planes ready for operations will only decrease.