New bases?

[Nnthusiast]

Carribean and Asia for UK forces, mooted on Sky news report online.

The big target (aircraft carrier) is also off for a pootle round the pacific in 2021 with 2 squadrons of F-35 deployed.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Carribean and Asia for UK forces, mooted on Sky news report online.

The big target (aircraft carrier) is also off for a pootle round the pacific in 2021 with 2 squadrons of F-35 deployed.

Bermuda gets my vote.

[stamford4782]

Please note that Bermuda is not in the Caribbean. It is in the Atlantic approximately 665 miles south east of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Please note that Bermuda is not in the Caribbean. It is in the Atlantic approximately 665 miles south east of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

Fair point, well made...

...it is quite close though, and has excellent facilities.

[tornado17]

Carribean and Asia for UK forces, mooted on Sky news report online.

The big target (aircraft carrier) is also off for a pootle round the pacific in 2021 with 2 squadrons of F-35 deployed.

One of the squadrons will be from the USMC as we will still only have 617 operational.

[bizfreeq]

The date for the two squadrons deployment is 2021 according to the OP, surely we will have more than 617 active by then?

[andrewn]

The date for the two squadrons deployment is 2021 according to the OP, surely we will have more than 617 active by then?

I wouldn't bank on it. QEC seems like a hugely expensive way of "projecting power" to me.

[Agent K]

The date for the two squadrons deployment is 2021 according to the OP, surely we will have more than 617 active by then?

I wouldn't bank on it. QEC seems like a hugely expensive way of "projecting power" to me.

If only you'd been employed as a strategist in MoD you'd have save the country a lot of money.............


Given that the F35B acheived IOC as per plan, and with 207 to return to the UK this year things seem to be going to schedule.

[tornado17]

The date for the two squadrons deployment is 2021 according to the OP, surely we will have more than 617 active by then?

I wouldn't bank on it. QEC seems like a hugely expensive way of "projecting power" to me.

If only you'd been employed as a strategist in MoD you'd have save the country a lot of money.............


Given that the F35B acheived IOC as per plan, and with 207 to return to the UK this year things seem to be going to schedule.

The 2nd operational squadron, 809 NAS, is not scheduled to form to 2023 I believe. 207 is, as I understand it, going to be the OCU.

[Sparts99]

At the risk of tipping out a can of worms, the comment by the minister about new bases was in the context of leaving the EU releasing funds for us to become a big power on the world stage. Why would we need a Caribbean base anyway? What threat would that deal with?

[RubyRoo]

At the risk of tipping out a can of worms, the comment by the minister about new bases was in the context of leaving the EU releasing funds for us to become a big power on the world stage. Why would we need a Caribbean base anyway? What threat would that deal with?

It wouldn't deal with any threat.

It would enable British vessels to be based nearby to assist with humanitarian work and disaster relief. The RN has a long standing commitment in that area.

[Agent K]

Not to forget, or course, that the RN has ships and capability positioned in the area providing quite effective counter narcotics operations.

[Redflag17]

So why not fund the base out of the international aid budget?

[Agent K]

Not aware how these are to be funded and by what budget line(s) yet? clearly you have more insight.

But, of course, ultimately they all come from the same place......

[andrewn]

The date for the two squadrons deployment is 2021 according to the OP, surely we will have more than 617 active by then?

I wouldn't bank on it. QEC seems like a hugely expensive way of "projecting power" to me.

If only you'd been employed as a strategist in MoD you'd have save the country a lot of money.............


Given that the F35B acheived IOC as per plan, and with 207 to return to the UK this year things seem to be going to schedule.

9 aircraft Agent K, single figures, and I dont think any more than 3 have been seen active on the same day so far. We wont be projecting much power with F35 for some time to come I am afraid. It might look impressive, but QEC is a whole lot of (expensive) floating real estate, with not a lot of any susbstance beneath the gloss. My opinion of course.

[Vulcanone]

As far as I am aware the forthcoming jaunt for 617 Sqn on Queenie in the Far East, is later this year with some cross decking from the USMC.

Presumably everyone was expecting dear old Lockheed Martin to build all our jets and deliver them in one go.? Remember we bought the Typhoons in 3 Tranches, and still have 5 left to deliver. assuming you add Tranche 2 ZK350 into that

[andrewn]

Not surprised about the USMC cross-decking - good training for them and helps us fill a big space I suppose.

I certainly wasnt expecting all of them to be delivered at once, but a total of 35 aircraft over 11 years - just over 3 jets per year, that's a slow ramp up by anybodys standard.

[Steven]

I think the F-35 has the unfortunate timing of being the first fast jet aircraft to be inducted into service with the social media and forums in full-swing. If FighterControl was around when the Tornado was introduced into service between 1979 and 1984 there were 7 crashes resulting in 4 fatalities (XX950, ZA408, ZA451, ZA494, ZA558, ZA586, ZA603). Not to mention the many accidents since 1984 - so I'd hedge a bet that FC users in the early 1980's would have been slating the Tornado - and look at it now.

[tornado17]

As far as I am aware the forthcoming jaunt for 617 Sqn on Queenie in the Far East, is later this year with some cross decking from the USMC.

Presumably everyone was expecting dear old Lockheed Martin to build all our jets and deliver them in one go.? Remember we bought the Typhoons in 3 Tranches, and still have 5 left to deliver. assuming you add Tranche 2 ZK350 into that

I believe that QE and 617 are going to the US in September. The Far East is part of the 2021 trip.

[Vulcanone]

I read the full speech from Def Sec, it didn't seem to give dates... Anyone know anymore....