A recent House of Commons Committee report has highlighted concerns regarding reductions in the UK’s air power capabilities.
“2021’s Defence Command Paper… made significant cuts to the UK’s air power capabilities, with some aircraft to be retired early and plans to purchase replacements scaled back,” the report begins.
The subsequent full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia emphasised the risks of such decisions, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) acknowledging Russia as “the greatest threat to the open international order in decades.”
Despite the apparent threats, the July’s Defence Command Paper Refresh opted not to reverse any of the 2021 reductions. The report further states, “There are serious questions as to whether the UK’s diminished combat air fleet can successfully deter and defend against enemy aggression… the MoD and RAF must urgently address this lack of combat mass.”
Among the concerns is the retirement of the E-3D Sentry, which has left the UK without a critical Airborne Early Warning & Control capability. Delays have pushed back the in-service date for the Sentry’s successor, the E-7A Wedgetail.
When it is in service, the fleet will consist of only three aircraft, down from the original five. The report asserts, “The cost savings which the MoD cited to justify this cut are disproportionate to the significant reduction in capability.”
Moreover, the MoD’s early retirement of the C-130J Hercules is set to decrease the RAF’s air mobility fleet’s capacity, affecting operations across Defence and impacting Special Forces particularly.
Another significant issue highlighted is the prolonged waiting period for pilots in training. The report mentions, “Persistent and unacceptable delays in the flying training pipeline mean that pilots are waiting years to qualify.” The report underscores the need for the MoD and the RAF’s senior leadership to address these delays and improve system flexibility.
The Defence Committee report, aptly titled “Aviation Procurement: Winging it?”, concludes with a call for greater transparency and accountability. You can read more by clicking here.
If you don’t recruit pilots there will be insufficient for normal peacetime operations and clearly not sufficient for war. Is this why the RAF’s flying hours for the F35 and P8 are so low?- don’t fly aircraft and you don’t need more crews and increased number of aircraft. Great for the Treasury & MOD accountants but it means that deterrence is ineffective and encourages our likely enemy’s to take a risk and consider a surprise attack somewhere in our area of interest – or perhaps the MOD/Treasury have somehow arranged yet another Capability Gap – ie we do without an effective airforce and rely of the of the Red Arrows for defence and to fly the flag. Of course the USAF may come to our rescue but don’t hold your breath on that after US election next year.
One reason for the lowish F35 flying hours is in part due to the large amount of simulation flying the crews now do at Marham. Multiple pilots are networked in the synthetic environment, and can fly and operate the aircraft to its full operating capability. Its highly advanced simulators. And yes, it saves money. But is also a very effective way for the pilots to exploit the full warfighting capability of the jet in very demanding environments that can’t always be replicated on routine sorties out of Marham. It’s like being able to take part in a Red Flag type sortie, without having to deploy to Nellis. Manning issues have also effected flying hours and the on going infrastructure improvements to RAF Marham.
Quite so, I lose no sleep there as I know why.
But we need more assets mate, somehow, while keeping the tech and capability edge.
Agreed mate.I just didn’t know where the money will come from for extra assets. Inflation has eaten into the budget, and the substantial uplifts just filled some black holes, and funded more capability. Just that capability hasn’t turned into more airframes. Typhoon is getting more capable, but the fleet will be down to 107 post 2025. The deal for Tranche 2 F35B is clearly being worked on, and the funding line is available. And the effects both platform can generate is truly remarkable. But as you know mate. The real priority is more people. Talking about extra assets is difficult when we are struggling to meet recruitment targets for the current fleet. I am certain good work being done today will improve the situation. But it will be a few years down the line before the benefits will be felt.
The problem Robert is that it’s always a few years down the line. ALWAYS.
Posted on this website by George Allison in September 2022
Full Operating Capability for British F-35 jets
“The 2025 FOC milestone is the completion of the Tranche 1 delivery programme, when the last delivery of the 48th jet occurs, this remains 2025 as planned:”
“On 25 October it was revealed that the average time between beginning the Lightning II operational conversion course and achieving combat-ready status is 20 months.”
I think it’s 36 months after basic flight training.
We currently have 30 UK-trained F35-B pilots +3 (USMC/RAAF) so an additional 18 UK pilots will be required by 2025.
This timeframe might slip once again due to backlogs in deliveries.
We have 42 UK F35 pilots today plus exchange pilots.
and that is absolute BOLLOCKS, that may include pilots in training, but they are not qualified, its been hidden by the RAF constantly.
Have you also read that the second squadron, due to be operational this year, will not be ready until 2025. Another two years down the road. Whichever way we look at it Robert it just isn’t good enough.
Deliveries are scheduled for 2025 but the word here is “deliveries”, not operational. The formation of the second operational squadron will also now be 2025, not this year as planned. According to an article in UKDJ it takes five years BEFORE the pilot gets to an OCU and then ???. Also of course we are not just training F35 pilots so goodness when squadron 3 is going to turn up. Keep pushing my friend.😉
Keep pushing for what? Has Nigel got a direct line to the Treasury to ask for a 3% defence budget? No. All this wishful thinking is pointless until a politician announces a very large increase In defence spending. And with the wider pressures on the economy, especially inflation, anyone with half a brain knows the chances of that happen are slim to say the least. Labour aren’t promising big increases in defence spending. So there we have it.
Please don’t start with the argumentative attitude again Robert. I thought we had got over that. It was a throw away remark, not a personal insult aimed at you.
Im not sure if we have room in the current defence budget,
I’ll check next time I’m in at the Treasury to see if we can afford it now or in 2029 when it’s supposed to be finished.
Plus the cost of fitting the new engines of course to power it!
“Jeremy Quin, the U.K. Minister for Defense Procurement and member of the country’s Conservative Party, offered this note about upgrading the F-35Bs in response to a question from Kevan Jones, a member of parliament from the opposition Labor Party, on June 23, 2020.
Jane’s Gareth Jennings noted the exchange in Hansard, the official record of the proceedings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, on Twitter.
Jones asked “whether the F-35 Block 4 upgrade is already (a) costed and (b) budgeted for in the existing F-35 programme budget for the U.K.; how many aircraft will be upgraded; and what the forecast programme cost range is.”
“The F-35 Block 4 upgrade has been included in the U.K. F-35 programme budget since its inception,” Quin responded. However, “decisions on the number of aircraft to be upgraded will be made on the basis of military capability requirements.”
The clear implication here is that while Block 4 has been a factor in the U.K. government’s budgeting around the F-35, that doesn’t mean that it plans to upgrade all 48 of the jets it expects to receive.
Quin also declined to offer a figure for the total project cost of the upgrades, though Jennings noted that it has been reported to be as high as 22 million pounds – nearly $27.4 million at the rate of exchange at the time of writing – per aircraft in the past.”
Pleased about your new treasury job 💼. If you could manage a few quid for the army as well? Meanwhile, back to aeroplanes. I don’t think I have ever since seen a figure about upgrading existing airframes, if at all. There is certainly no budget available. As for Block4 I wonder if we are ever goin to see them. It was announced earlier this week that the TR3 schedule had gone awry again with “software and technical issues”. Another years delay!
So 48 airframes by 2025 or now maybe 2026? A promise of another 27 by the ” early” 2030’s but no order and no money. Are Labour going to commit to £3 billion plus? I doubt it .There is a ready made excuse not to proceed, simply by saying that Tempest is due for 2035, although we all know that probably means on aircraft and at the rate we move it’ll be 2040 before the second one arrives.🐌.
I think we can assume 48 for now while we take a look at drones/loyal wingmen to make up the difference.
Royal Navy seeking information on cats and traps to launch drones
“A Request For Information (RFI) issued to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed that the Royal Navy is seeking information on potential electromagnetic catapult and arrestor wire systems that could be used to launch and recover ‘air vehicles’ from ‘a suitable ship’ by as soon as 2023.”
LINK
“We have 42 UK F35 pilots today plus exchange pilots.”
I posted this yesterday.
“Full Operating Capability for the British F-35 fleet was planned for 2023, it has now slipped by two years to 2025.”
And his reply was?
“Because of manning issues Nigel. Maybe you should join up and help them out. But I don’t think they’ll take on idiot’s like you who can only use copy and paste articles”
Which way is the wind blowing across the flight deck ⚓✈
I’m going to keep saying it. One operational squadron in ten years and no where near enough pilots. We are now one of the smallest air forces in top ten air forces world wide, if not the top twenty and the majority of them are at least as capable as the RAF.
Retiring T1 Typhoons is not a done deal yet depending on cost.
BAE SYSTEMS: RAF’S TRANCHE 1 TYPHOONS COULD BE UPGRADED AND RETAINED
LINK
Be good to see Nigel but?
Purley as an example and leaving the drawing board in 2016, the KF-21 Boramae fighter has successfully fired the AIM-2000 and is currently testing weapons release of the Meteor missile.
Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) has successfully test-fired an AIM-2000 InfraRed Imaging System-Tail control (IRIS-T) missile from its KF-21 fighter aircraft for the first time.
The Meteor air-to-air missiles, which were located in the weapon stations under the fuselage of the KF-21, were seen to be able to leave the station safely. In the same way, the tests of the weapon stations on the wing of the aircraft continue.
Another system tested was the aircraft’s 20mm Gatling gun. Continuous firing of the machine gun system in flight was tested. According to the statement by South Korea’s DAPA unit, the plane’s missile system and Gatling gun operated smoothly and did not cause any damage to the plane.
Korea Aerospace Industries [KAI] aims to deliver 120 KF-21 Boramae fighters to the South Korean Air Force by 2032.”
So, around the same time, we can expect to start testing Meteor and Spear 3 on our F-35Bs.
Interestingly, they are already designing internal weapons carriage with the option for full stealth coatings to be applied.
https://www.defensemirror.com/uploads//news/big/kf-x_feat_1617955401.jpg
Someone get a grip 🔧🔩
As I’ve said before, we’re all doomed😎. Luckerily you’ve still got me and I can really fly……………
Not for a moment would I stand and defend the pathetic stance on defence carried out by the past, and the current British Governments. (I used to subscribe to the view that the government would act if the security of the Uk is threatened, but all I have seen is support from our MPs and Political elites for those who wish the UK ill and from what I have seen of the shower waiting in the wings, things are only going to get worse) But regards the above, i read this the other day: (will self delete in a day)
https://i.postimg.cc/vHvybnN3/img373.jpg
Meanwhile the son in law of India has just handed over £2 billion in aid to the climate fund which the likes of India, China not only don’t chip into but have received handouts from:
UK PM Rishi Sunak commits $2 billion to UN-backed climate fundThe Green Climate Fund (GFC) – the world’s largest such fund – was set up under United Nations’ climate change negotiations to help channel money needed by poor states to meet their targets to reduce carbon emissions, develop cleaner energy sources and adjust to a warming world.
That’s a 12.7% increase towards the Paris climate fund which the likes of India, China receive money from, but pay nothing into, yet their CO emissions vastly outnumber the Uks (With both having overtaken the Uk in cumulative emissions years ago) No doubt The son in law of India is seeding his future chances of a well paid job once he is removed from power, and lets be honest Labour will simply increase the above handouts with no doubt billions paid to India, china, Africa (even Argentina) in reparations.
I feel sure that the current situation is based on total NATO capability and not on individual national strengths. The RAF component would not be inconsiderable within the alliance and that goes for the other two services too! The increasing national budget and shrinking GNP is a realistic concern right now and the UK’s wealth has been diminished in recent years. On reflection, some decisions on asset strength are in need of further debate and Wedgtail is certainly one of them.
Now there’s a surprise. Funny how most people are expected to do “More with less” & not ask for inflation matching rises, but the rich, powerful & influential must always get way above inflation every year. Keeping that up over decades results in disaster.
If we face a widespread attack by missiles & drones we’ll obviously be better off with less aircraft, fewer already tiny numbers of SAMs, air defence DDGs etc.
I think we really do need to have the names and job titles of the people who make these decisions made public so they can be held.to account. It’s not just the defence secretary
A surprising aside-the much maligned (by me) Mail Online published an excellent piece over the weekend written by their Senior Defence correspondent, highlighting the small number of front line jets that the RAF operates compared to 3 other major European Airforces. Rounded off, Italy, Germany and France field +- 200 each whereas we are down to 160. Quality notwithstanding, this is a dangerously low number even given for the fact that the European total is probably just enough. He also reminded us that the RAF/RN had 450 plus in the 1990’s