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Ex-Defence chief in call to cut new aircraft carrier order down to one

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Published Date: 18 December 2008
By Nicholas Randall
THE UK should consider cutting its order for new aircraft carriers from two to one because of pilot shortages, a former armed forces head said today.
Marshal of the RAF Lord Craig of Radley, chief of the defence staff at the time of the first Gulf War, said the Defence Ministry's autumn performance report showed "shortfalls approaching 49% of junior Fleet Air Arm harrier pilots and over 57% of experienced RAF harrier instructors".

Lord Craig asked at Lords question time: "Will this not seriously jeopardise the Fleet Air Arm's ability to provide the fast jet command and leadership required to operate their full fleet of F-35s in the coming decade.

"Has not the time come to be realistic, to halve the number of these aircraft to be procured by the Fleet Air Arm and to limit the carrier order to just one vessel?"

Defence minister Baroness Taylor of Bolton had earlier said the Government would decide early next year whether to buy F-35 Lightning II aircraft, which are being developed in the joint strike fighter programme, to allow the UK to carry out testing alongside the US.

She told Lord Craig: "We do intend to have two carriers. There is pressure on the harriers at present and that is one of the reasons why they are being replaced by tornados in Afghanistan to try to release the burden of continuous operation and activity there."

Lady Taylor added: "We do have a programme for training pilots and we have made some significant progress ... We can be confident we will be using the best pilots possible in all our fleet."

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  • Last Updated: 18 December 2008 3:50 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: British armed forces
 
1

,

18/12/2008 13:59:59
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
2

Paddi,

18/12/2008 14:19:17
This is a set up, roll out an ex senior officer to say this then the politicians can make out that it's what the foces want and bingo, saved another £2bln to chuck at single mothers etc
3

Embra Don,

18/12/2008 14:25:36
"Has not the time come to be realistic, to halve the number of these aircraft to be procured by the Fleet Air Arm and to limit the carrier order to just one vessel?"

Or maybe none? By their nature aircraft carriers are for offence - not defence.
4

Ubi,

Edinburgh 18/12/2008 14:26:49
Why do we need any?
5

oder,

Scotland 18/12/2008 14:31:31
this was predicted there one be a call to have only one! never mind Scotland! the best is yet to come they will have it built in France!support the union! as long as it doesn`t cost anything!the MoD saying you could loose out if Scotland was independent
the union guarantee`s nothing! Scots suckered once again! or will be! this is their way of leaking it to the public! so when they make the official announcement it will hopefully not come as a great disappointment! well what do you expect from Labour?
Hope?... No chance!
6

DaveK,

Edinburgh 18/12/2008 14:33:12
Yes it is true that predominantly carriers are designed for power projection, but by the same token, the specific design of UK carries for years have been multi role and they can embark upon humanitarian roles just as easily as offensive ones.

The idea of having one new CVF is pointless. What the hell do you do when the one you have is in refit? Despite all the bravado by BAe/VSL/Thales that these vessels will require little or no maintenance compared to the invincible class the need for at least two is obvious. The fleet air arm has been steadily reduced over the years to a mere token force and the number of harriers or fixed wing aircraft available for carrier operations is woefully small. They’d better get this procurement right or we could be paying for it for generations to come.
There is always the option of using UCAVs from dingys or pigeons with grenades launched from fishing trawlers – it could well be the only viable alternative given the procurement track record of the MOD in recent years!
7

Griffe,

18/12/2008 16:49:11
Why not cancel both, scrap all our weapons and hand over our country to whoever wants it?

It is worrying that not only our government but also previous military chiefs are so naive.
8

Darien,

Panama 18/12/2008 17:25:25
#3 Paddi: Correct. 1 carrier was always on the cards, just like France. NewLab tried to get some advantage over the SNP by claiming two would be built. Hence Glenrothes where the turkeys still believe what Westminster politicians spin.

Ultimately even 1 carrier is pointless. What does Britain have to protect - the country is bust and will eventually need bailed out by oil-rich arab nations. And Gordon Brownshirt or Dave-Boy will need to save cash so that extra police can be recruited to contain the civil unrest due second half 2009 when we go above 3m unemployed and hiperinflation starts.
9

Yok Finney,

Ross-shire 18/12/2008 18:55:44
-- Since the end of the Cold War ?

Now China is arose, it's business as usual for the military-industrial-academic-thinktank complex.

Though in SM's wisdom, a carrier might have won the cod war for us.

The miniturisation, potency and affordability of weapons always increases. So that Somali pirates, starting with a mere skiff and a 500HP outboard, bought from the local store, can make mock of the world's high-tech navies.
10

Richard Carling,

Cambridge 18/12/2008 19:37:10
While the government boast of spending 1.5% more than consumer inflation each year on defence, defence inflation is over 8%. While the RAF attack the Royal Navy who is defending the country? If we are short on FAA pilots shouldn't we train more? The RAF managed to get rid of the FAA before the second world war. When we needed the FAA most they were starting again from scratch with hand-me-down aircraft. I think that Marshal of the RAF Lord Craig of Radley is guilty of sabotage in a naval dockyard. That is treason in my book.
11

Dr. James Wilkie,

Vienna 18/12/2008 20:13:29
I thought we were supposed to be members of NATO. What's wrong with coordinating the refit periods of the carriers belonging to the European NATO members in order to leave at least one in service?

12

Scotindy,

Los Angeles 18/12/2008 20:29:30
Oh let's please keep the two carriers. In the divorce settlement from the union, england can have one, and Scotland the other.That would be fantastic, then Scotland will have the Football Pitch capacity, to bid for the European Football Championships in 2016. In my calculations you could put 4 pitches on the deck, and if the wind is too strong in one direction, all you've got to do is turn the boat around. Simple.Retaurants, plenty space down deck, Toilets, plenty space Overboard.
13

arc of insolvency,

18/12/2008 22:00:51
#6 and #12 same delusional and paranoid statements from extreme nationalists.
14

Yok Finney,

Ross-shire 18/12/2008 22:04:05
-- who is defending the country?

The Pictish Navy once boasted 100s of seiner-trawlers based on the iconic Argonaut IV, now owned by a family in Eire and working very successfully.

The Nimrod is at the end of its airframe life and we just don't have the surveillance against foreign powers under EU directives sweeping our seabeds clean.

Or even run a more economical spotter service.

Engineering is not taught in our schools, nor do you see many Scots at University level.

It all looks very grim.
15

oder,

Scotland 18/12/2008 23:55:49
18 arc of insolvency

cant afford the carriers but will spend 20 billion on trident.. who is delusional? its England that still thinks they are a super power! get used to the idea your not!

PS what the difference between a nationalist and an extreme one?

 

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