Posted on 08/10/2010 8:31:08 AM PDT by pabianice
In the most significant changes to Britain’s defences since the post-Suez review of 1957, ministers and officials plan to scrap large parts of the Armed Forces. The RAF will bear the brunt of the planned cuts. The Air Force will lose 7,000 airmen – almost one sixth of its total staff – and 295 aircraft. The cuts will leave the Force with fewer than 200 fighter planes for the first time since 1914.
The entire force of 120 GR4 Tornado fighter-bombers looks destined for the scrap heap to save £7.5 billion over the next five years. The Tornado was supposed to be in service until 2025, but with a major overhaul due in the next five years costing £10 million for each aircraft, it is now under threat.
The cut will mean job losses as RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Marham totalling almost 5,000 personnel.
Under the plans, the number of Eurofighter Typhoons is likely to be reduced further from 160 to 107 planes based at a single RAF airfield to save £1 billion. The entire fleet of 36 Hercules transport aircraft, the workhorse in Iraq and Afghanistan, is to be phased out and replaced by an order of 22 new A400M planes.
The £3.6 billion project for nine Nimrod MRA4 reconnaissance aircraft is also vulnerable, along with a number of other surveillance planes.
For the entire article see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/7931465/RAF-to-shrink-to-World-War-One-levels.html
Even if a conservatives gain control of Congress and a conservative wins the Presidency in 2012, is America on the road to unilateral disarmament to some degree simply because we can no longer afford to be the world's only military superpower?
I’m not surprised by these cuts... they’re necessary. Like real estate and medicine and higher ed, defense programs have priced themselves out of the realm of sanity. No nation... I don’t give a damn who they are... can afford $191 million per fighter plane.
No shock that the Brits will kill the MR4. The price tag comes out to almost a billion per aircraft. Again, utter insanity.
It’s all a question of national priorities. The UK has discovered that cradle-to-grave socialism is incompatible with being powerful. We’re headed down that same sorry path unless we kick 0 and his clown posse out of DC.
Traditional, legitimate functions of government must be de-funded in order to free up funds urgently needed to buy votes for politicians.
Looks like a Nimrod.
Sheesh!
What a name for an aircraft.
Biblically, Nimrod was a hunter, “a mighty one in the earth,” a hero of the people. With his skills of hunting and war, he protected the people against wild animals, thus causing people to turn to him for protection
ping
However the word has been bastardized to something that does not resemble the real meaning.
That is what I was referring to.
He also had the tower of Babel built so he could go to the top and talk with God. Some accounts say he built the tower to protect his people in case God decided to have another world flood. He was the great-grandson of Noah.
I bet a certain former 1st Lord of the Admiralty is chewing a his cigar in the great beyond at this time.
Didn’t they learn from the whole WW1 - 1920’-1930’s WW2 thing.
A bad economy,A little German nationalism, and next thing you know, It’s panzers for all.
Nice picture. When dealing with bomb bays, size does matter.
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I have seen this aircraft do amazing things for its size.
The A-10 is not very attractive however it is highly effective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWU0MsRxZSY
I am a huge fan of the Warthog.
Beauty is in the eye of the beeholder.
Just look at how many libtards think that MOOCHelle is “sexy”.
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