Disband the RAF? I hope not or my line of responsibility will be somewhat diminished, in fact my organisation tree would only have me in it!
Lot of talk about this in JFH (Joint Force Harrier) a lot of it just banta to wind up the crabs, we call it the 100 year experiment!
The reality is yes the RAF are over manned compared to the Navy, even after this round of redundancies, this is because many of their trade boundaries are so narrow. To say that they are experts in their small trades is also false, they know no more in their single trades than their Naval equivelants do in their "multi trades" believe me on this I am in a position to know, that is just the RAF blowing smoke up their own arses to justify what they do. Muliti-skilling is the way ahead for the Airforce- catching up with the rest of the world is the reality.
A big but in this though, who is the fool, the service which has allowed it's numbers to dwindle to the point where gapping is the norm or the service which has left enough fat in it's numbers to allow for the unforeseen?
To use the heroics of a previous generation to defend the ability and necessity of the current is a useless argument, and I truly believe those who use it know this. We all know those guys went above and beyond the call of duty, their sacrifice will never be forgotten, certainly not by me anyway. The Royal Air Force is without doubt the best Air Force in the world, I have flown with a few and know who I would rather fly with! They need to come through this current round of manpower reductions and LEAN and maintain their ability to do what they do yet strive to do it better.
The best Air Force in the world is not the same as the best operators of aircraft- that obviously sits firmly with the FAA.
And Punisher. to defend th RAF is acceptable but to defend the regiment!!! that is difficult/ stupid. :lol: