Royal Air Force

Article taken from the Times Online website;
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6917297.ece

AIR FORCE chiefs are preparing to cut 10,000 staff — a quarter of their manpower — and close up to five large air stations.

The plans will reduce the RAF’s strength to 31,000 personnel over the next five years, little more than half the level during the recent Iraq conflict and seriously diminishing its capability of fighting another conventional war.

It also intends to retire the majority of its Harrier and Tornado jets early, leaving it with about 80 fewer aircraft by 2025. The cuts are part of a package prepared for the 2010 annual spending round.

They are designed to pre-empt the savage cuts expected as part of the strategic defence review promised by whichever party wins power in next year’s general election.

A senior RAF officer said the plans were designed to save “significant amounts of money, measured in billions of pounds a year” rather than having them forced on the service by the review.

The RAF has 19 flying stations in the UK, but the reduction in aircraft means up to five are expected to be closed and sold over the next decade.

The stations most at risk include RAF Cottesmore in Rutland and RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, both of which will close when the Harrier fleet is retired.

One of either RAF Marham in Norfolk or RAF Lossiemouth in Morayshire is under threat because of planned cuts to joint strike fighter numbers. So, too, is RAF Kinloss in Morayshire, with the new Nimrod MRA4 expected to move to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

One plan under consideration would see all RAF fast jet training moving to RAF Valley in Anglesey, leading to the possible closure of RAF Linton-on-Ouse and RAF Leeming, both in North Yorkshire.

Other proposals would see all the RAF’s Merlin helicopters move from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire to a joint RAFRoyal Navy station at what is currently Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.

The proposals were ordered by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the new chief of the air staff, and the air force board ahead of the 2010 spending round. It comes with the RAF ordered to find £200m in cuts tand ensure all possible available resources are diverted to Afghanistan.

Short-term cuts will see reductions in the RAF’s flying schedule, the grounding of Nimrod MR2 aircraft and Puma helicopters until April, and the mothballing of four of its seven Boeing E-3D Sentry Awacs airborne warning aircraft.

Senior RAF officers believe that whichever party wins the general election it will have to make cuts to defence because of the economic situation.

The Ministry of Defence said: “These are challenging times and, like all government departments, we routinely review spending to ensure that best use is made of the defence budget.”

We spoke about this earlier today and have come to the conclusion that we have two full Squadrons of Spitfires, a couple of Hurricanes, a Dak and a couple of Chippies in reserve, so all is not lost.......

And RAF Woodvale survives yet again!

Dave wrote:

And RAF Woodvale survives yet again!

They need somewhere for the 'squadrons of Spitfires, a couple of Hurricanes, a Dak and a couple of Chippies' to land.

Graham

And they certainly wouldn't look out of place there!

I have my own feeling on this matter that we will see in years to come a European Defence Force where all nations will be integrated with their Defence Forces. I personally detest the idea and the EU at large....

There already is some form of integration in our own Armed Forces, next year the SAR units will be integrated with the Army, Navy, RAF and HM Coastguard [this was confirmed to me by a 22 Squadron Pilot this Summer]

Once UAV's get a foothold what price a second hand Tiffie [EuroFighter]

Well of course we should cut our manned aircraft force, this is the age of the missile! Or was missile that part completed airfield in Northern Ireland?

We are cutting manned aircraft! - Join the Air Force and fly UAV's.

As for Northern Ireland - Aldergrove for example - worked OK as a Mil/Civ airfield...

Maybe they should close the stations mentioned then if required deploy to Finningley or Kemble perhaps? - With a few exceptions the regional airports are going to find it hard to survive so why not tag a military infrastructure on just in case? - Everyone's a winner.

Cheers
Duncan Sandys

PS.. Bet the last aircraft in RAF service before it's amalgamated into the combined GB Defence Force will be the VC10.

PPS.. John - You posted as I was typing!! - Great minds??