Future of the Tornado

[Fifties Fanatic]

The papers are reporting the grounding of the Tornado squadrons to save £7 billion. What do we think? How will it effecr our abillity to defend ourselves - if at all? I am not sufficiently au fait with modern military hardware to appreciate the significance of this suggestion.

[Mayfly]

I thought they were being phased out anyway.......but could be wrong

[Fifties Fanatic]

Well that might be the case, of course, but I had the impression this was new news and a rather rapid grounding of the fleet, as opposed to a phased withdrawal. Others may have better info.

[Mayfly]

Oh it could well be & would put money on that's exactly what is - but I thought they were to go in the next couple years or so but google tells me the date was 2018.

[Fifties Fanatic]

So if it was 2011ish it would certainly save a few quid. Since the MoD is going to have pay for Trident, apparently, they will need all the readies they can get!

[Hungry Haggis]

Well as I understand it here next door to Leuchars there is only 111 sqn left here operationally with I think it is 8 fully operational aircraft and the rest to keep those flying they don't do anywhere near the amount of flying now as they did .I also see they have now got a sunset airborne symbolic handover from the Tornado to the Typhoon at the end of the air show. For all the UK QRA to 6 Sqn after which I believe Leuchars will go very quiet until the trembler's get their new Typhoons in the Autumn.Then I hear that there should once again be 3 operational Sqns there although 43 was disbanded Recently it is hoped they will be back soon .I only wish I could be here to watch the handover and also I believe 558 will be doing a fly in display and away again ,as she is not listed as on the ground at all.So on that note This is your Jock corespondent signing off From here .will soon reappear from under the glide path at Newcastle airport .It's sure going to be different from the 3 mile blast as a Tonka reaches for the heavens on reheat.

I can feel the correction coming on if I'm wrong

[Fifties Fanatic]

Interesting and useful insight - thanks for that. Yes, it will be picnic days south of the border for you - not many places left where you can get a gut-rumble from a few thousands pounds worth of jet grunt.

[Mackrick]

The offer, made in the RAF submission to Phase 2 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) earlier this month, also includes the early retirement within five years of all of the service's Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft. More information here http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw100716_1_n.shtml

[Fifties Fanatic]

It seems to me that this is happening the wrong way round. Until there is a coherent foreign policy which defines the Nation's priorities for the next 10 - 20 years I don't see how there can be a defence review or how any Service can determine its priorities if its requirements are not known. Cart and horse come to mind.........

[Mayfly]

There soon won't be an Airforce full stop!!!

[Hungry Haggis]

The offer, made in the RAF submission to Phase 2 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) earlier this month, also includes the early retirement within five years of all of the service's Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft. More information here http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw100716_1_n.shtml

Reading that article I skipped some but the possible closure of 3 bases sprang out at me as up here It is being kicked around that Kinloss is on the brink of is it going to close or not ,there has been speculation about that since the nimrods were grounded .There will no doubt be others with a bit more info about this but if it does go I guess it will be because the plonkers that be have pulled the plug on the new one,leaving yet another big hole in the already stretched Search & rescue efforts. Which I had heard was already being put out to grass tender.I am not quite old enough to remember the run up to the second world war but didn't they get caught with their pants round their ankles that time.Very few ships hardly any army and just about no aircraft .Seems history might just be repeating itself .As in we don't have to worry no one will attack us, lets get rid of just about the whole of the forces apart from get a couple of really expensive carriers have a couple of sardine tins to protect them a few aircraft to just fly about and look busy and several foot slogers to shift around here there and everywhere to make us look important .Dump thousands out of work massage the figures to say the dole queue is getting shorter Stitch everyone up for more taxes Tell everyone that the troops are coming out of Afghan the white house shouts sh*t and back in they go.NOW where did i leave my rock to hide under

[Mackrick]

Latest rumours ...

The RAF is expected to ground its fleet of Tornados because of Treasury demands that the Ministry of Defence must cut its spending by between 10% and 20%.

The Tornado has been the mainstay of the RAF for more than 30 years

The grounding of the Tornados would save the air force around £7.5bn, according to a document leaked to The Times, and that would be billions of pounds more than withdrawing the Harrier jet.

The document is part of the Strategic Defence Spending Review, ordered by the Treasury in order to find the cuts.

The decision was mooted at a meeting of the National Security Council at the weekend when it was agreed that one of the three fleets would have to be sacrified.

The fleets consist of the Harrier GR9, the Tornado GR4 and the Eurofighter Typhoon - the latter has been ruled out because it is only just entering service.

[Hungry Haggis]

From the BBC scotland site this afternoon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-n ... d-10815544

[Xplumberlives]

Would the LAST Airman standing please turn off the lights when he leaves!

[Howslo]

As I've said elsewhere, am I the only one who worries about this country's ability to defend itself these days?

[Mayfly]

There won't be an RAF in 20 years. We will have an integrated military.

[Fifties Fanatic]

As I've said elsewhere, am I the only one who worries about this country's ability to defend itself these days?

No you are absolutely not. But, as I have said elsewhere, until the government decides what its long term foreign policy is I don't see how we can have a meaningful defence review. Yes, we have to make cuts - that is accepted -but where? -that's the critical question. And until we know where the UK is positioning itself over the next 20 years plus, that question cannot be answered.

[Smudger 565]

Latest rumours ...

The RAF is expected to ground its fleet of Tornados because of Treasury demands that the Ministry of Defence must cut its spending by between 10% and 20%.

The Tornado has been the mainstay of the RAF for more than 30 years

The grounding of the Tornados would save the air force around £7.5bn, according to a document leaked to The Times, and that would be billions of pounds more than withdrawing the Harrier jet.

The document is part of the Strategic Defence Spending Review, ordered by the Treasury in order to find the cuts.

The decision was mooted at a meeting of the National Security Council at the weekend when it was agreed that one of the three fleets would have to be sacrified.

The fleets consist of the Harrier GR9, the Tornado GR4 and the Eurofighter Typhoon - the latter has been ruled out because it is only just entering service.

I bet with all this going around you Rick the depression in the RAF must be at a all time low Will RAF personnel be told their going or will they step forward for it?

PS

[Mackrick]

Only time will tell .. still to early .... lets wait for the SDR results....

[Roy898]

Might as well just put out a sign "All ye who wish to take control of UK now would be your best time as we have little or nothing to fight you of with"
Navy - One small boy and a row boat (no oars)
Army - One ageing man and a spud gun (he can't afford the spuds)
RAF - One young girl and a sheet of A4 paper (she's still learning how to fold paper aeroplanes)

So don't worry just walk right in, we''ll even make you a cuppa tea, no milk mind, our services can't afford it anymore.

[Delhud]

Oh dear

The bean counters are at it again --there will only be a token RAF if this costcutting
isnt managed properly

Should we be thinking about

ICONIC SHIPS or is the RN decimated as well

The UK will end up having a smaller defence force than Oz has

Delhud