MoD Purchase 'Bird in Hand'

[Bucky P]

it was just a thought, you never know what that loon will do next or what's going on in his head i feel sorry for Ukraine not only fitting Russians but north Korean's, Knowing Trump if he withdraws support
lord knows what will happen if Putin wins he wont stop there he could go on as far as Germany Trump needs to think on about USA basses in Germany it's only Ukraine holding Russia back at the moment.

Trump is a bit pally with Putin so is unlikely to want to upset him! I don't think Trump thinks, he just does what his 'buddies' tell him to do! Putins puppet as some see him!

[Nighthawke]

Maybe we need a separate Trump thread - or preferably none at all!

[The Apprentice]

RAF Mildenhall was first slated to close in 2015, during the Obama Administration. The main aspects of this plan were that the 352nd Special Operations Wing would relocate to Spangdahlem, while the 100th Air Refuelling Wing would likely relocate to Ramstein and the other tenant units would find provision elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The process was subsequently delayed several times until 2020. That year, the former US Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper, visited the installation and subsequently announced major force posture changes across the European Theatre. Within these plans, Esper reinforced the 'strategic importance' of RAF Mildenhall, explaining that all plans to withdraw from the base had been reversed indefinitely. This was just before the end of the first Trump Administration in the summer of 2020; Biden was then elected as President of the United States in November that year.

Within the 2020 plans, the Trump Administration sought to downsize its forces within Europe, focussing mainly on Germany, in correspondence with Donald Trump's frustration at the German government's lack of contribution to NATO. Among other things, it was suggested during Esper's initial announcement that the 480th Fighter Squadron would consolidate within the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy. However, this has not materialised and has also since been discarded as a policy decision. NATO also pushed back at the time, continually reiterating that no formal plans had been agreed for US forces to withdraw from Germany, to the extent that was initially suggested.

As an aside, Mark Esper, who was the driving force behind many of these policy contributions (which in effect, were largely just suggestions in the end), was removed from post by Trump over political disagreements in November 2020.

Here are some relevant links to support this, should they be desired!

Hopefully this clears some bits up, as for the future, only time will tell!

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/esper ... gic-sense/
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... on-speech/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... nald-trump
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54880774

[Snoop 95]

Thanks for that 'The Apprentice'; very comprehensive. As you say, only time will tell what happens under the new administration.

[Deramore]

Well if Trump does close everything we are knackered.
The RAF is a shadow of its former self and we are relying on bases like Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

[NorvilleRogers]

Rely on them for what? They are great employers for the local area but I think from a defence point of view they are only there to serve the needs of the USA and are not part of the defence of the UK.

[Snoop 95]

Rely on them for what? They are great employers for the local area but I think from a defence point of view they are only there to serve the needs of the USA and are not part of the defence of the UK.

Except for the concept that once one NATO member country is attacked the others are to render assistance. The USAF is only in the UK in support of NATO.

[POL]

Except for the concept that once one NATO member country is attacked the others are to render assistance. The USAF is only in the UK in support of NATO.

Best remind yourself how many times Article 5 has actually been invoked, and then by whom!

[Fighterfoto]

The USAF is also here for US sovereign reasons. Take for example El Dorado Canyon, that wasn’t a NATO mission.

[Philly1971]

Taking it back to the original post, The Bird in Hand pub, I think it summed up everything that’s wrong with British Pubs, especially chains, of which the BIH was part. I think it may have been a Green King pub, of which I have no major issue, but of course it meant it was exactly the same as every other GK pub, and made no attempt to adapt to its location, in either beer or more importantly its food menu. Every time I debated where to go a get a bite to eat, I just saw adverts about its Sunday roast, all very British! I just screamed to be a free house, where perhaps the owner could have bought in a US chef, with a food menu of some good ole southern cooking, from breakfast through to dinner, plus Bud or other US ice cold beers on tap, and US sports on the TV. Also a takeaway service seeing as you have hundreds of flats housing US servicemen within walking distance. At the end of the day it closed because it was a rubbish pub, that hasn’t moved with the times, or even its location.

[Snoop 95]

The USAF is also here for US sovereign reasons. Take for example El Dorado Canyon, that wasn’t a NATO mission.

The F111 in both its forms was identified as the most suitable platform for the El Dorado mission. The fact that they were UK-based was a potential problem, but fortunately the then US President Ronald Reagan was very chummy with our PM Margaret Thatcher, which made her decision to allow UK-based US jets to be flown 'in anger' on a non-NATO mission somewhat less complicated. Other nations on the ideal flight-path to Libya did not feel the same way and denied overflight.https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedi ... ado-canyon

[STN RAMP RAT]

Interesting as this thread is, and it is. Please can we stay on topic.