Much like my favorite waste of Time & Money, the two UK aircraft-carriers! We hastily get rid of our highly modified Harrier-Force for small-change & scrap the Carrier, then about 11 years later we get the semblance of a single operational Carrier loaded-out with all 3 of our serviceable/willfully inadequate F-35B's & no credible AEW, AAR, COD & now reduced surface vessels to make up the CSG? After that time elapsed without the capability one questions why we need such a 'prestigious target' wallowing around.
Not into ships, but dumping all the Mine-hunters & some Frigates/Destroyers ahead of a new fleet of ships later this decade leaves another gaping hole in capability....that questions the absolute need to fill it?
Reducing the UK AWACS Sentries to just 2 barely able to fly, but only lasting to 2021 year-end ahead of the new 'force' of 5 reduced to 3 Wedgetails due in operational service 2023?
Potentially retiring forthwith Hercules, Puma & whatever right away? More potential for shortages in airlift capacity....bring-on those civilian freight-hauler contracts!
Equipping with P8 Poseidon years after we lost the Nimrod. whilst the need for Maritime Patrol was served with RAF C-130J..... they're soon gone. We managed years without a dedicated MPA, but now we've got 4 so far? Don't hold your breath for the full order.
Capping RAF/RN F-35B at just 48, having financed training, simulator, maintenance,etc for a minimum 146? Infrastructure costs divided by 48 & reduced order costs must've escalated the unit price of each underwhelming F-35 B (Frightening 2) to well...frightening amounts.
Scrapping early typhoons now, while Tempest is just a full-size Airfix kit. Clearly there is prestige, jobs, skills preservation, in developing such a advanced 'British jet' but it's still a international co-operative that isn't likely to enter service before 2040? We'll all be using matter-tranporters before then or dead from Covid 23.5.
On the subject of Nukes, I had imagined we already had a big enough arsenal to ensure any naughty Nation could be annihilated ....seconds before we are!
PS: Remind me what platform we are using to drop Tactical Nukes like the B61 Mod 12 since the Tornado was retired?? Still, I am impressed that a Typhoon popped a Storm Shadow or 2 up an insurgents cave in some piece of worthless desert. That's 'Value-For-Money' & you can't do that with a Dreadnought submarine either!
I'm sure my cynicism is not universally shared & I welcome any input that makes this bleak outlook appear better.
