Did you think that the fight to get the Harrier back into service was over? If so then you haven't read Sharkeys World Blog.
I don't know how wide spread the movement is, but British Forces will suffer a power projection nightmare for at least 5-10 years if this decision isn't reversed. The Royal Air Force is professional but a Naval Air Arm is essential.
Update:
The Ark Royal is finally being paraded to the scrap yard ... this quote best states my opinion ...
What will be the next strategic shock? I cannot predict it - nor can the Government. To lose our maritime strike capability in such dangerous times is short-sighted.Lord West of Spithead
My opinion certainly is that the cuts of the SDSR are misguided. Indeed I'd be tempted to question the very idea of wholesale cuts in defence expenditures at a time when ones military is already over stretched during a rpotracted war.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the harriers aren't coming back.
Ultimately the real scandal is just quite how badly the old labour government managed to fuck up (softer words just don't cut it) UK defence procurement. A £40bn overspend on a £40bn annual budget is just staggering incompetance. These cuts are painful, very painful, but one must recall why they are having to be made in the first place.