I imagine there'll be a significant number of additional items to the flying programme, what there is so far isn't at all bad. But at 20 or so items, its looking more like the Fridy programme in total, and it's now cutting it fine as we are just inside two months to go. I dare say with the US and Fr...

Let’s stop the “droaning” on 🤣 we have no influence over the MOD, government , Ruskies or little green men. So best if we all just let it go. Chill out and have a beer or a milkshake. Peace Man!! ✌️ I'm working tonight (well I say working, but you know what I mean) so I still can't have a Beer and ...

One more thought Sparts99, There was also the Skyblazers, also F-100s but a Germany based USAFE unit. Equally flambouyant with lightning flash red,white and blue bars on the nose and wing tips and a navy blue fin with stars! They were around a bit earlier, but I'm sure made it to Biggin Hill each ye...

The main issue with Typhoon is how few of them there are. After all these years just 6 actual combat squadrons at just 2 bases. I remember the cold war plan was something like 5 bases! During the 1990s from memory it was going to be 232 Typhoons and 3 bases. Now they follow all the eggs in one bask...

Blackcat1 and Warthog,

Thanks for posting, I was beginning to think I was going quite round the twist. Even that last post to you Blaccat 1, all one can sya is these chaps are brilliant at defending the indefensible, therefore should serve the colours, if not already doing so!

LF

Yes I was at that one. The one I missed was 1967, I had a broken leg, the year that the Thunderbirds displayed in Super Sabres. The Thunderbirds weren't on the prgramme for'67, unless they turned up for the Air Fair. The weather at the 1967 Biggin Hill At Home, 16 September, was very poor as it was...

The Jags were scrapped because the MoD saw that the Eurofighter was on the horizon and would knock spots off a jag playing its own game of ground attack, not to mention the EF could dogfight as well as any with the tornado covering the whole of the ground attack profile for a while. then that went,...

Mass alone is a quality. There seems to be a mindset that the armed forces only need to have representative capabilities. If we, NATO or whoever, finish up in a war of attrition such as is going on in Ukraine at present, HM forces won't be able to absorb the initial, certainly not sustained, shock o...

The Biggin Hill one could well have been my first air show. I have a memory of seeing a Javelin formation when I was very young, maybe that's it, but Valiants at Biggin Hill? Wish I could remember that. Fantastic post triggering all kinds of memories of the BoB At Home days at my local, thanks. Hi ...

Add Tornado and remove Jaguar although to be fair, I don’t think retiring Jag left much of a capability gap. Likewise Tornado, although that had RAPTOR which I think has been partly replaced by Litening V? The rest I agree with. Can also add the reduction of the Wedgtail fleet to 3. My Jag pilot fr...

An interesting point to make, given my personal obsession with politics, by the way. You'll note that just about all the Station Commanders were WWII veterans at the time. I must mention the most interesting one was the CO at Colerne. Gp Capt Mackie, was a highly decorated Bomber pilot during the wa...

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-to-scrap-warships-military-helicopters-and-fleet-of-drones-to-save-money-despite-threats-abroad-13257285 This Sky News' take on the MOD announcement, Healey simply says "out of date" Not beyond repair, or airframe expired or no longer seaworthy. And again the replacemen...

I trust we can recall being told by the Government that no decision on anything, particularly the 2.5% level of defence spending whether by 2030 or beyond, can be announced, until the current defence review reported next Spring, on 1st April I would imagine. Therefore, how are they able to release ...

I trust we can recall being told by the Government that no decision on anything, particularly the 2.5% level of defence spending whether by 2030 or beyond, can be announced, until the current defence review reported next Spring, on 1st April I would imagine. Therefore, how are they able to release s...

Leuchars fan. Poland, of course doesn't have Nuclear submarines. We do. That's pretty good defence as far as I am concerned. I would be interested in as to where you would find the money for your defence strategy!. Russia will invade the Baltic states, for example, whether we have our Trident four ...

EGDR,

This will go on and on, you won't change youe mind nor will you change mine.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/1 ... -carriers/

Here is something else for those on the inside track to explain away as nothing to see here.

LF

I wonder how much Income Tax we would be paying if we kept all those aircraft. We simply have to cut our coat according to the available cloth!. Is this an argument for a token ineffectual military posture? Do you honestly think your taxes are going to increase at all noticeably, by any attempt to ...

cat1 wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 21, 2024 6:21 am

Forgive me if I'm wrong (which I probably am),
But doesn't it seem wise to wait for replacementments first?

Ukraine or Israel could spiral at any time, which would mean we may need that kit even if it is old...

Hear hear!

Leuchars Fan I suspect you haven't really looked into this that much have you, I might suggest a bit more research on various forums which will tell you a fair amount. The retirement of the 14 oldest Chinooks was pretty much announced around the time they ordered the new batch of 14 CH-47ERs. If yo...