The final bow
 

Be hard to replace, what a fantastic bit of kit thats been

BBC News - Last trip for one of Britain's iconic aircraft
Harrier jump jets fly into retirement

Re: The final bow
 

Yes and only 8 years earlier than expected, with aircraft carriers planned that will be commissioned around 20?? then waiting another 8? or more years before they have aircraft.

No wonder we should all sleep feeling safe in our beds.

Re: The final bow
 

well whats the betting the argies will have another pop at the falklands in the next 10 years?:rolleyes: the harrier was a great bit of kit in its day, now outa date, but to scrap it wi no immediate replacement is sheer stupidity to me, still better that than reducing foreign aid.:mad:

Re: The final bow
 

This has nothing to do with the harrier being outdated ..it's got everything to do with the governments defence cuts..it seems it was more or less a toss up between the vulcan bombers or the harriers for aircraft to be cut... this mob are playing a very dangerous game.
BBC News - Struggle at the top over decision to scrap UK Harriers

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I have said before what I think we should do if they do.


http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...1&d=1292489021

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There's some great photos in the media of the various fly pasts

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yup teh argies will have anothe rpop especialy now large oil deposits have possibly been found there in the falklands

mind you if there is oil there you can sure bet teh good old USA will want some of teh action the nexttime around

Re: The final bow
 

Senseless waste ! The tornado fleet would have been better scrapped than the Harriers. The imbeciles responsible need to hope we really don't have a major set to outside of our own doorstep in the next x years.

The UK is turning in on itself, what a sorry state for a once proud nation.

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Mancie...you idiot...the Vulcans were retired about 20 years ago. There's only a couple of them left.. there's one at Blackpool airport and there is another undergoing restoration to full flying capability. There may be one or two more in museums.

I think you're getting confused with the Tornado, which was never that much good - look how many, proportionatly were lost during the first Gulf War.

But you're quite right about degrading our defence capabilty and all the civilian industry skills associated with it. Cameron, Clegg and and all the other Tory-Lib scoundrels should be put on a charge of high treason.

Re: The final bow
 

There was less fuss when Labour retired the Sea Harrier back in 2005. Leaving the Royal Navy with empty aircraft carriers.
FA2 Sea Harrier - VSTOL Fleet Defence Fighter Aircraft - Naval Technology

Land Harriers are not designed to be used at sea and are not built to deal with salt water.

It is a shame though.

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Pretty sure that RAF Harriers were drafted to the Navy for the Falklands War. They are /were doing more tp help[ our troops in Afghanistan than Trident is:confused::confused::confused:

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The Vulcan at Blackpool was one of the reserve aircraft for the Falklands campaign. It was chopped up a few years ago. A real shame

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and selling sea king rescue helicopters and relying on private firm for sea search and rescue:confused:

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To replace them would cost upwards of 7 or 8 billion pounds, you and Mancie have a whip round as there's out int coffers and after all its only reviving a policy first brought forward by the last government:rolleyes:

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OK calm down Tealeaf.. you muppet.. I did mean the tornado...both aircraft are getting outdated but the only reson the harrier has been dumped is due to defence cuts.

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Very true and the Harrier will be missed by all concerned, however I do believe it was the last government who decided to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, costing the tax payer billions.

A war in which the incumbent government did not provide our troops with the right equipment, little things like body armour, guns that work, helicopters whose blades fail after 27 hours due to them not being adapted to work in desert conditions, Apache AH-64D gunships that due to the software not being bought for them, were stuck in a hanger until QinetiQ received a multi million pound contract to rectify. Battle tanks that were not adapted for desert operations resulting in sand blocking the air filters....#

Still it's not as juicy as what's happening now:eek:

Re: The final bow
 

The Seaking is an aircraft from the 1960's, the Merlin HC3 is the new British Military main helicopter now(came into service 2002). That being the case it makes sense to phase out the Seaking at least in this case they're not losing capabilities as a replacement is already in use & operational.

As to the tendering out of services to Civilian firms, this is nothing new & was also encouraged under the previous Government, so I wouldn't get so aerated, over this proposal as there is a precedent. (Selective recollection ?)


More privatisation under New Labour than Thatcher and Major

BBC NEWS | Business | Labour's public row over privatisation

Glass houses & stones my friend, glass houses & stones ! ;)

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This is not about privatisation or tendering out defence projects.. it's all about the massive cuts in defence the tories always carry out as soon as they get power.. you can blame any past goverment if you like but the fact is that this government are making the draconian cuts to defence.. I would have expected anyone ex or serving armed forces man to be "up in arms" at the cuts.. but you tories never surprise me anymore.

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To me and to friends who are serving and have served this country, the most damming thing is not the cuts to old aircraft. But the loss of the Military Covenant, by the last Labour government and conveniently forgotten by certain members of this forum.

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Mancie, Mancie, if you look you'll see ..... really you will !" My comment was in reply to C'mon's over exaggerated post #13 & if you look further at post #8 which I myself entered, I'm against the Harrier cuts, as they are far more versatile in my opinion than the Tornadoes, but something had to give. You really need to get down to Specsavers & have your Lenses changed or at least cleaned. :)

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Do specsavers do glasses to combat alcoholic haze then Dave:rolleyes:

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Some cracking photos here
FighterControl • Home to the Military Aviation Enthusiast • View topic - Cottesmore, 13th,14th & 15th now added

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You say you are against the cuts.. but "something has to give".. who told you that this country needs to make massive cuts in defence... was it Jaysay or the daily mail?

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I required neither thank you very much Mancie. Being someone who is capable of gleaning relevant information eclectically & not purely Party Pish, or the scrawlings of one publication, I think I can gain a better & balanced over view.

Unlike some who tend to get stuck in a rut of blind belief in whatever their "leaders" or "Chosen Rag" tend to espouse. ;)

Re: The final bow
 

It also goes back to the previous Government too (Jan 2009), admittedly the cuts have come under the Coalition, but even if Brown & his Boys had gotten back in the cards had already been dealt.

Letting the Harriers fly away - Defence Management

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They don't want to hear that Dave;)

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Or this regarding the Sea Harrier being retired back in 2006
Navy waves goodbye to Sea Harriers ? The Register

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And who are "they" that don't want to hear stuff?.. do you mean those who do not agree with the massive cuts in the defence of this country?.
no matter who is in charge?
(link from Dave)
Letting the Harriers fly away - Defence Management

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No people like you don't want to know that it was Labours idea;)