Para Major calls RAF "useless"

[Welbexian_RN]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5371392.stm

According to the above article this Para Major gives an example of an RAF harrier (I'm guessing GR7) missing the enemy during a strafing run, and that they'd rather call in the US tank busters. Now from my point of view, what I personaly think is that what we need is just more aircraft and better aircraft, which really just comes down to the forces generally needing more funding, correct me if I'm wrong. This Major is fair enough to critise if he feels that way, its understandable with all the stress they are under at the mo, but I'm sure the RAF / Fleet Air Arm / AAC are equally stretched at the moment. As I said, what is needed is more funding, not all this downsizing!

By the way, how do these sorts of emails even get out to the press?

 

[SILVER_FOX]

Nah - the RAF are just bloody rubbish. Why do we even need them when both the Army and RN have their own capabilities? OK for the Nimrod, Hercs and the odd Puma lift but you could practically do most of this by civ contract these days.

Lets get shut of them. It will keep the wolves from the door in terms of "Defence reviews" for a while too. Bonus!

SF

 

[jesse650]

nah, the transport boys and girls need to stay it's all the fast jet numptys we could replace with a couple of hundred cruise.........standing by........incoming due

 

[Navaleye]

The problem is their are just not enough strike a/c. 800 NAS are heading out now. No guns, not enough planes, piss poor comms. A recipe for failure, nothing to do with the professional doing their jobs on the ground and in the air.

 

[whitbylad]

I'm in the RAF. Get rid of us if you think we do not do a satisfactory job while the other two services are perfect. I've worked in a tri-service intelligence environment for 14 years now and am at least as good as my navy and army counterparts. The four years prior to that when I was trained and worked in a single service environment we did a brilliant job and I was extremely proud. When I deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 I had no trouble mixing in and pulling my weight with the Marines and SF that I was colocated with and I wasn't sitting in some REMF air base either!

I suppose you would deny what my predecessors did for the country in the Battle of Britain next.

Surely you would miss us for our sense of humour????

 

[Shakey]

I suppose you would deny what my predecessors did for the country in the Battle of Britain next.

Surely you would miss us for our sense of humour????

According to the recent historical research, the Battle of Britain was irrelevant anyway 'cos the Navy would have been able to stop any invasion as the Luftwaffe would not have been able to attack our ships.

This has caused an uproar amongst certain people as I'm sure you're aware.

As for the famed Crabair sense of humour, eh? :?

PS. We fly weekends too. :wink:

 

[bunnyjumper]

Better aircraft - no. Problem with the GR7 is it's not designed for strafing runs. It's basically a bomber - it isn't even equipped with guns to the best of my knowledge (and I'm in the business), so what's it gonna strafe with??? They got rid of the fighter version (i.e. the Sea Harrier). Take note Silver Fox - that means the RN haven't got their own facilities. Ever heard of Joint Force Harrier. Hell, it may even have been an RN pilot.

Interestingly, the US military described their version of the GR7 (AV8B) as one of the most decisive weapons platforms of the last Gulf conflict.

Of course it's easy to criticise the crabs, but what about the booties who invaded Spain, the certain frigate that ran aground off Australia, and dare I bring up the RNR captured by the Iranians.

People in glass houses and all that :wink:

 

[SILVER_FOX]

jesse wrote: nah, the transport boys and girls need to stay it's all the fast jet numptys we could replace with a couple of hundred cruise.........standing by........incoming due.

Mate - I've just spent three and a half days getting back to the UK from the Sandpit thanks to the "competence" of the RAF movers and their charters. True there aren't enough military types involved and those that are aren't all up to the required standard. As for the charter - well, it's obvious we're already contracting out so why not go for quality and dependability rather than the cheapest bloody quote. Don't bother to answer than one - i already know the answer.

SF

 

[whitbylad]

Silver Fox wrote:

Mate - I've just spent three and a half days getting back to the UK from the Sandpit thanks to the "competence" of the RAF
-----

And you got 3.5 days pay for it! It's not like flying back from Spain you know!

I flew back from Afghanistan on an An-124 Condor (via Baku). Now THAT's what the RAF needs. I was mightily impressed with the C-17 as well.

 

[Heart-of-Oak]

Better aircraft - no. Problem with the GR7 is it's not designed for strafing runs. It's basically a bomber - it isn't even equipped with guns to the best of my knowledge CONFIRMED ON THE RAF WEB SITE (and I'm in the business), so what's it gonna strafe with??? They got rid of the fighter version (i.e. the Sea Harrier). Take note Silver Fox - that means the RN haven't got their own facilities. Ever heard of Joint Force Harrier. Hell, it may even have been an RN pilot.

This is a serious point. For all we know it was a RN pilot flying an aircraft maintained by the FAA.

In fact not 24 hours ago I spoke to a matelot serving in that theatre on a business matter. The RN (and I realise the RM are heavily involved) may have the smallest presence of the three services out there but we are contributing and we must all work as one team. This kind of warfare is about as difficult as it gets; if we divide: we will be conquered. It's bad enough not having the majority of the British population behind our actions nowadays.

h-o-o

P.S. Still, tell me a joke about the RAF anyday and I'll still laugh my arse off but lets keep the banter in-house. :lol:

 

[andym]

It was announced on the news that therewill be more aircraft on the way to the area.A whole one more harrier bringing the total to.......................................................7!!!!!!!!!

Is it really worth it?7,bloody hell its crazy!surely we have more aircraft than that to spare?If not maybe we ought to lease a few A10's from the septics!!

 

[SILVER_FOX]

Whitby wrote: And you got 3.5 days pay for it! It's not like flying back from Spain you know!

I'd rather have lost the 3.5 days pay and kept the R&R days mate. Time with the family is priceless and can never be retreived.

SF