RAF Cottesmore.

[HighlandSniper]

Keep up the good work Figgis, who knows what your campaigning might achieve

[garethbrum]

I don't think this is over yet.The government have severly misjudged how the press and public would react to this. It can't be a coincidence that the base chosen for closure is in a safe tory seat as opposed to one of the Scottish bases(which shouldn't be closed either). Playing devils advocate economically there would be much less impact of Kinloss closing than Cottesmore. The top brass were quite clearly told there would be cuts it was just whether it was on their tems or the governments. They did it with the Navy when they told them to get rid of ships in order to get CVF and then the Carriers weren't ordered for ages.
Brown seems to be trying to make things as difficult as possible for the Torries.

Things can change in the world. Russia,China,Iran who knows.Its not over till the fat lady sings.

And the decision would be reversed on what grounds? If anything, it's going to get worse, regardless of what happens at the GE.

Is there a campaign to save the Nimrod? That decision leaves us with an actual capability gap.......

[HighlandSniper]

I don't think this is over yet.The government have severly misjudged how the press and public would react to this. It can't be a coincidence that the base chosen for closure is in a safe tory seat as opposed to one of the Scottish bases(which shouldn't be closed either). Playing devils advocate economically there would be much less impact of Kinloss closing than Cottesmore. The top brass were quite clearly told there would be cuts it was just whether it was on their tems or the governments. They did it with the Navy when they told them to get rid of ships in order to get CVF and then the Carriers weren't ordered for ages.
Brown seems to be trying to make things as difficult as possible for the Torries.

Things can change in the world. Russia,China,Iran who knows.Its not over till the fat lady sings.

I beg your pardon - on what basis have you made this assumption? The closure of either of the Moray bases would absolutely devastate the local economy, why on earth do you think that the closure of Cottesmore would have more economic impast than that of Kinloss?

I am flabbergasted at seeing such a statement here! I'm as angry as the next man at the proposed closure of Cottesmore, but I'm furious at your assumption posted above.

[cottesmore09]

I see you statement on the Stamford Mercury website .

Hope people do sign the petition when it goes live!!

http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/S ... 5919697.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cottesmore09]

I say close Wittering from its RAF status and make it too a barraks now insted of waiting a few years. Then keep Cottesmore open and move 20 (R) squadron there. This makes more sense too me. But yet again the goverment does not have any sense!!!

[cottesmore09]

agreed and like most of us have said there is quit a size differance too !

[HighlandSniper]

Apology accepted. I think closing Kinloss would have the more serious impact of the two because AFAIK it has the larger element of civilian employees - SERCO, FRA/Cobham, MoD etc., etc. - although any such action against Lossie would clearly have a serious effect as well.

The closure of any military base will have an impact on the surrounding community the extent of which is directly related to the specific activities performed on that base and the number of personnel involved.

The campaign to save Cottesmore must move forward, but in my opinion the only hope is a change of government, but even that hope is a slim one unfortunately.

[HighlandSniper]

You're doing a fantastic job Neil - is there any indication on when The Office of the Supreme Numpty (i.e. No.10) will activate your Cottesmore petition?

[cottesmore09]

I wonder if the higher authority staff at Cottesmore know what feelings we have for Cottesmore. Hope tomorrow gets more people on board with this campain. Would be good if we can get this campain on local radio's (radio rutland etc). We just have to keep going hey!

thanks, Cottesmore09

[cottesmore09]

Well if they get so many they might expect alot of people are in favour for Cottesmore to be kept open . But as Flying Figgs said people will sign which ever one is choosen.

[cottesmore09]

I cant remember where i see this but someone had spoke to a crew member at Cottesmore and they said that the Harrier would start moving out around March next year but they must have all left by April 2010. But the base would not close fully for a while after because of moving people etc. So if the closure was to go ahead (hope it don't) then i think by April there would no Harriers.

BUT I CAN NOT SAY THIS IS AN OFFICAL TIME, BUT IS A TARGET FOR THE CAMPAIN!!

[HighlandSniper]

I find it strange that there hasn't been much of an indication as to a closure date.When it was announced Coltishall was going to close a time frame was also announced

I can't help wondering how much of the current vagueness has to do with the short-term nature of this government. In all seriousness even a half-witted labour MP - and there are plenty of them - must realise that a lot of them ain't going to be collecting their outrageous expenses cheques for much longer. We know the Conservative party is committed to Afghanistan, but apart from perhaps the Nimrod MR.2, nothing else is going down the pan that quickly and is surely open to reversal under a new government.

I'm sure the Shadow Defence Team will be watching current events closely and will no doubt have their own policies formulated already. It also has to be born in mind that the Tories are perhaps closer in real terms to the reality of the military world, especially with their appointment of Gen. Sir Richard Dannat to their team. That aside, Dannat is historically no great friend of the RAF, but his appointment perhaps gives the Opposition a better finger on the pulse than the current incumbents.

Only a new Government and the terms of The Strategic Defence Review will reveal the full story.

[cottesmore09]

If the MOD whats to save money then pull out of a war with no real reason and let the Americans do what they want like Iraq. Then buy the Chinooks but not as many AS 22!

Then they can save the RAF from becoming to a point where we wont really be able to fight another war!!!

OR

Labour should just walk out now!

[garethbrum]

I find it strange that there hasn't been much of an indication as to a closure date.When it was announced Coltishall was going to close a time frame was also announced

I can't help wondering how much of the current vagueness has to do with the short-term nature of this government. In all seriousness even a half-witted labour MP - and there are plenty of them - must realise that a lot of them ain't going to be collecting their outrageous expenses cheques for much longer. We know the Conservative party is committed to Afghanistan, but apart from perhaps the Nimrod MR.2, nothing else is going down the pan that quickly and is surely open to reversal under a new government.

I'm sure the Shadow Defence Team will be watching current events closely and will no doubt have their own policies formulated already. It also has to be born in mind that the Tories are perhaps closer in real terms to the reality of the military world, especially with their appointment of Gen. Sir Richard Dannat to their team. That aside, Dannat is historically no great friend of the RAF, but his appointment perhaps gives the Opposition a better finger on the pulse than the current incumbents.

Only a new Government and the terms of The Strategic Defence Review will reveal the full story.

The Tories have thus far refused to guarantee even ring-fencing the defence budget as it stands now so don't go expecting them to save everything. If anything, expect worse.

[Sheff]

Why should he have kept his mouth shut and why is he wasting our time????????

Maybe I didn't explain myself clearly. What I meant was that he ought to have kept his mouth shut in order to avoid looking like the idiot he does now. Naturally, he ought to have had his mouth open a long time ago when there was a practical opportunity to persuade the MoD to handle things differently. It's not as if he couldn't have known what was coming - we all knew about it for months and months while he appears to have remained surprisingly quiet. All he's doing now is making all the appropriate noises in order to ensure that his voters think he's doing a great job. But he knows all too well that he can't change a thing now. That's why he's wasting our time. He's acting after the deed is done and, judging by his comments, he hasn't got a clue what he's talking about and hasn't got even a simple persuasive argument to support his position. Anybody would think that he didn't give a toss about Cottesmore until a few weeks ago when he suddenly realised that it might have an impact on his future career prospects...

Besides, Garethbrum makes a very valid point. Obsessing about Cottesmore's future achieves nothing. On the face of it, we are to lose only one Harrier squadron (for now) which will have little overall effect on the Harrier force's capabilities. On the other hand, as Gareth says, the Nimrod fleet is being axed immediately leaving us with nothing to replace it for a couple of years. That rather more serious development seems to have been ignored by everybody including the media.

Oh and "ring fencing" the defence budget after the Defence Review? Not a chance. This saga is going to run and run. I don't know why anybody would imagine that the defence budget will be any safer with the Conservatives in control. It will not be. The country is virtually bankrupt and defence is the easy target, no matter who is in power.

[Richard B]

Just a thought about those new Chinooks we will get in around 3-10 years.

If we are going to stay in Afganistan for more then 3 years, then the present chinooks we have will be at a guess,
past there sell by date and fatigue life!.
so in the end we will not have gained anything. plus we will not gain any more capabilty
that we need today not now, or in 3 years time.

Suggest we send the Harriers out there and just bomb the crap out of any suspect Taliban movement. sod the buildings and civillains
its WAR.

The civillains are out there watching our young men get blown to bits and they know who is doing it and where they are.
maybe a few shells hitting them may make them push the taliban out.

Why we are on the subject, if we are going to give up Trident.
instead of storeing them away. can we not just use them and turn a few sandy places to glass, should sort the whole problem out in a few minutes.

[HighlandSniper]

Just a thought about those new Chinooks we will get in around 3-10 years.

If we are going to stay in Afganistan for more then 3 years, then the present chinooks we have will be at a guess,
past there sell by date and fatigue life!.
so in the end we will not have gained anything. plus we will not gain any more capabilty
that we need today not now, or in 3 years time.

Suggest we send the Harriers out there and just bomb the crap out of any suspect Taliban movement. sod the buildings and civillains
its WAR.

The civillains are out there watching our young men get blown to bits and they know who is doing it and where they are.
maybe a few shells hitting them may make them push the taliban out.

Why we are on the subject, if we are going to give up Trident.
instead of storeing them away. can we not just use them and turn a few sandy places to glass, should sort the whole problem out in a few minutes.

I do hope your tongue was in your cheek when you made the above post - if not it's seriously worrying. The reason our troops are in Afghanistan is to prevent terrorists carrying out the type of indiscriminate acts you propose.

[Richard B]

Did not know we had troops in Iran.

[f-4]

Quick summary of what I think the plan is, gathered from various sources:

One RAF squadron to go, probably 4 Squadron, and most likely by 31 March;
Move to Wittering to commence in April and be 'complete' by April 2011;
Front-line strength of JFH to be 16 jets in two squadrons, one Navy, one RAF (I think 20(R) will also go and a Training Flight established);
Cottesmore to close as a flying station in 2013, presumably when maintenance facilities & ATC have been moved;
Harrier OSD in 2015 as first (ha!) F-35s start to arrive;
Army units from Germany relocated into Cottesmore in 2015.

Of course, this all assumes JFH and carriers survive the SDR.

[gonk]

Does this stand as a warning as to why we should keep the armed forces strong, come on wake up MOD, unless you want to held to ransom

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle ... 420774.stm