Is It Time To Disband The RAF?

[S600BSB]

Article in the Daily Fail today claiming that the RAF is having to send its pilots abroad for training - at huge cost - because of a jet shortage. Claims that half of the RAF’s Hawk trainers are unavailable because of engine problems. Can this really be true?

[Evanivitch]

S600BSB said:

Article in the Daily Fail today claiming that the RAF is having to send its pilots abroad for training - at huge cost - because of a jet shortage. Claims that half of the RAF’s Hawk trainers are unavailable because of engine problems. Can this really be true?

Hawk has had a low pressure compressor issue for 2 years that needs fixing and certification.

[alfaspecial]

S600BSB said:

Article in the Daily Fail today claiming that the RAF is having to send its pilots abroad for training - at huge cost - because of a jet shortage. Claims that half of the RAF’s Hawk trainers are unavailable because of engine problems. Can this really be true?

Possibly, yes.
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/lockheed-deta...


Hardly surprising given we have 22% fewer fixed-wing platforms over the last 7 years.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/raf-aircraft-numbe...



But 'them Damned Ruskies won't dare attack us - not when while can still field six different RAF bands.....

[Electro1980]

alfaspecial said:

Possibly, yes.
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/lockheed-deta...


Hardly surprising given we have 22% fewer fixed-wing platforms over the last 7 years.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/raf-aircraft-numbe...



But 'them Damned Ruskies won't dare attack us - not when while can still field six different RAF bands.....

Worry not! We have our last line of defence that no nation will overcome. Massed pipers:

[alfaspecial]

Electro1980 said:

Worry not! We have our last line of defence that no nation will overcome. Massed pipers:

And if the massed pipers don't scare them off, we do have the NUCLEAR option

[F1GTRUeno]

At least four were out last night. Perhaps the pilots are just having fun whilst they still can? Looks like they took off from a base in Lincolnshire but they did a fly over of Merseyside and I’m gutted they did it at night, would’ve loved to have seen them.

[Pan Pan Pan]

Byker28i said:

Pan Pan Pan said:

The problem with having just a few very expensive jets (no matter how capable they are) is that it would take relatively little effort to wipe out large sections of the air force, (in a putting all their eggs in one basket sort of way)
It would only need an attacker to get onto an RAF base, with a truck, and he could knock out a large [percentage of the aircraft just by driving into them.
If we are only going to have a few jets, then every single one must be secured in a high tech reinforced security bunker, no matter what part of the world they are operating in.
I we only had `one' albeit super performance jet, it would only need a problem to occur with that one jet, and we would not have `any' air force.

Anyone mentioned our drone capabilities yet?

No, how good are they? Can the signals that control them be blocked, or are they capable of autonomous operation?. All genuine questions

[Pan Pan Pan]

Evanivitch said:

Pan Pan Pan said:

The problem with having just a few very expensive jets (no matter how capable they are) is that it would take relatively little effort to wipe out large sections of the air force, (in a putting all their eggs in one basket sort of way)
It would only need an attacker to get onto an RAF base, with a truck, and he could knock out a large [percentage of the aircraft just by driving into them.
If we are only going to have a few jets, then every single one must be secured in a high tech reinforced security bunker, no matter what part of the world they are operating in.
I we only had `one' albeit super performance jet, it would only need a problem to occur with that one jet, and we would not have `any' air force.

You think the RAF Regiment can't do the job of a high tech reinforced security bunker?

Yes. why do you ask?