Post by Chris Gurney on Oct 7, 2007 18:08:41 GMT
Plans were outlined for yet more defence cuts this weekend, when is this madness going to STOP! To quote someone over on FC, Lions led by Donkeys.
A few pointers:-
1. 6,000 Army personnel to go
2. 2 x Squadrons of GR4s
3. Several warships (again)
4. We got rid of a load of Challenger II's in place of lighter armoured recce vehicles
5. We get rid of SHAR (some of which were new builds in 90's) and have no replacement for years so no fleet defence apart from relying on Warship based missile systems.
6. We get rid of some Helicopters before we have a replacement ready even though we are so short of them at the moment.
7. We rely on just 67 Apaches, half of which are in storage or unserviceable, and we get rid of the Lynx TOW capability which showed its worthwhile in Iraq. So all those Lynx out in the dusty places with just a 50 Cal on the door could be supporting troops with TOW when an Apache is not around (which is ineviteable) in some places in the AO.
8. We rely on a squadron of Harriers in Afghanistan, which means all the spares go to them out there and none reserved for Cottesmore units, out of 60 Harriers (or whatever the number is), how many are actually flying? Hardly any.
9. Next year we mothball every Trafalgar class Attack submarine, which have all just been upgraded to take Tomahawk. Seven? boats to be replaced by 4 Astute which half haven;t even been built yet.
10. We get rid of half the Nimrod fleet... to be replaced by ever decreasing numbers of MRA4's.
11. We have to scrounge off other nations to borrow or buy helicopters because we have cut so many in the first place or they are just knackered.
12. We sell off fairly new Type 23 frigates to South America and still keep the very old Type 22 Destroyers because we haven't got anything to replace them with... oh yeah, we have the new Daring Class Type 45, which only a few have been built and only one is on trials. Yet they are cutting the DDG force nearly completely before they are replaced aswell.
13. We cut our order of Typhoons and let the Saudis have them instead
14. We get rid of Jaguar, before we have a replacement ready to fulfil the attack role.
15. We are chopping up VC-10s before we have a replacement.
16. We are chopping bases because we have chopped everything to go in them...
17. We are privatising the SAR fleet cause of no funds to keep them going
18. We privatise the Communications, and it degrades the system
19. We have to limit training for conflict because we can't afford it. (Loads of exercises were cancelled last year due to cash problems)
20. We have advanced Chinooks sitting in hangars for years when we are short on helicopter support all because the MoD are fussy over Avionics when every other country uses the same as the manufacturers put in...
21. We are now downgrading those Chinooks to HC2A standard because we need them so bad but we still can't make our minds up over the Avionics issue when all we had to do is fit the standard fit avionics which all the other countries have done. Yet with the C-17A's we just hurry them into service with no messing around.
A few pointers:-
1. 6,000 Army personnel to go
2. 2 x Squadrons of GR4s
3. Several warships (again)
4. We got rid of a load of Challenger II's in place of lighter armoured recce vehicles
5. We get rid of SHAR (some of which were new builds in 90's) and have no replacement for years so no fleet defence apart from relying on Warship based missile systems.
6. We get rid of some Helicopters before we have a replacement ready even though we are so short of them at the moment.
7. We rely on just 67 Apaches, half of which are in storage or unserviceable, and we get rid of the Lynx TOW capability which showed its worthwhile in Iraq. So all those Lynx out in the dusty places with just a 50 Cal on the door could be supporting troops with TOW when an Apache is not around (which is ineviteable) in some places in the AO.
8. We rely on a squadron of Harriers in Afghanistan, which means all the spares go to them out there and none reserved for Cottesmore units, out of 60 Harriers (or whatever the number is), how many are actually flying? Hardly any.
9. Next year we mothball every Trafalgar class Attack submarine, which have all just been upgraded to take Tomahawk. Seven? boats to be replaced by 4 Astute which half haven;t even been built yet.
10. We get rid of half the Nimrod fleet... to be replaced by ever decreasing numbers of MRA4's.
11. We have to scrounge off other nations to borrow or buy helicopters because we have cut so many in the first place or they are just knackered.
12. We sell off fairly new Type 23 frigates to South America and still keep the very old Type 22 Destroyers because we haven't got anything to replace them with... oh yeah, we have the new Daring Class Type 45, which only a few have been built and only one is on trials. Yet they are cutting the DDG force nearly completely before they are replaced aswell.
13. We cut our order of Typhoons and let the Saudis have them instead
14. We get rid of Jaguar, before we have a replacement ready to fulfil the attack role.
15. We are chopping up VC-10s before we have a replacement.
16. We are chopping bases because we have chopped everything to go in them...
17. We are privatising the SAR fleet cause of no funds to keep them going
18. We privatise the Communications, and it degrades the system
19. We have to limit training for conflict because we can't afford it. (Loads of exercises were cancelled last year due to cash problems)
20. We have advanced Chinooks sitting in hangars for years when we are short on helicopter support all because the MoD are fussy over Avionics when every other country uses the same as the manufacturers put in...
21. We are now downgrading those Chinooks to HC2A standard because we need them so bad but we still can't make our minds up over the Avionics issue when all we had to do is fit the standard fit avionics which all the other countries have done. Yet with the C-17A's we just hurry them into service with no messing around.
