Sea Jet
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SE490618
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On Sunday 17 June there will be a Veterans’ Parade, including a drum-head service and march past, on Horse Guards in London
Sounds good. How many of those veterans will be still serving in the Armed Forces????
I will be for one....anyone else?
Mind you....can you trust the RN web site..? This link will take you to the page about the Lynx Mk8.... any guesses how many pics of a Lynx Mk8 there are...?http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2371
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Wenatchee, WA
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Navaleye,
"grand total of 6 fixed wing aircraft on board" - well how many more would be on board if a whole SHar Sqn from the good old days were on board - and how many pilots would a 'fully' manned SHar Sqn have had over the last few years? Not that many more really...
And, at risk of sounding like a stuck record, a standard Marine Expeditionary Unit on an LHA/LHD generally only floats with 6 AV8Bs. (but of course the USMC boat also carries a shed load of helicopters + grunts to really take the fight to the bad guys..... if only the RN had been as interested in amphibious assault/expeditionary warfare 20 years ago, they may have bought a better boat eh? - who knows they may have even gone down the II+ road and then we wouldn't all be in this pickle would we?)
Regards,
Single Seat, Single Engine, The Only Way To Fly
"grand total of 6 fixed wing aircraft on board" - well how many more would be on board if a whole SHar Sqn from the good old days were on board - and how many pilots would a 'fully' manned SHar Sqn have had over the last few years? Not that many more really...
And, at risk of sounding like a stuck record, a standard Marine Expeditionary Unit on an LHA/LHD generally only floats with 6 AV8Bs. (but of course the USMC boat also carries a shed load of helicopters + grunts to really take the fight to the bad guys..... if only the RN had been as interested in amphibious assault/expeditionary warfare 20 years ago, they may have bought a better boat eh? - who knows they may have even gone down the II+ road and then we wouldn't all be in this pickle would we?)
Regards,
Single Seat, Single Engine, The Only Way To Fly
Oh look - a Sea Harrier aboard Lusty.
From: Illustrious Kicks Off Konkan 06
The Sea Harrier FA2 and 801 NAS pages are still on the RN website.
From: Illustrious Kicks Off Konkan 06
The Sea Harrier FA2 and 801 NAS pages are still on the RN website.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK
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Bigger boat appears to be a small issue.
We now only have three squadrons of embarkable aircraft. (Soon to gust to four, but with no extra planes.) For a fair portion of the year they have better things to do with their time than embark. (Small but very important on going Op etc). Now i know they take the Queen's shilling but if you spend 1/4 of your entire life on Ops in an austere environment, then there's only so much boat time that you can stomach. Oh and then there's Flag etc.
If we can't find aircraft to fill up a CVS, then we've got issues. Purely talking personnel - school leaver to frontline = five years, so there won't be a short term fix. And just to draw in another argument it's not going to be won or lost by a blue badge on everyone's left arm.
Two 'RN Heavy' squadrons out of four able to embark is simply below critical mass for a nation that wants a Maritime Strike capability.
We now only have three squadrons of embarkable aircraft. (Soon to gust to four, but with no extra planes.) For a fair portion of the year they have better things to do with their time than embark. (Small but very important on going Op etc). Now i know they take the Queen's shilling but if you spend 1/4 of your entire life on Ops in an austere environment, then there's only so much boat time that you can stomach. Oh and then there's Flag etc.
If we can't find aircraft to fill up a CVS, then we've got issues. Purely talking personnel - school leaver to frontline = five years, so there won't be a short term fix. And just to draw in another argument it's not going to be won or lost by a blue badge on everyone's left arm.
Two 'RN Heavy' squadrons out of four able to embark is simply below critical mass for a nation that wants a Maritime Strike capability.
Suspicion breeds confidence
A quick question for anyone at Culdrose, have the SFDO Shars arrived yet? What's happened to the existing inventory. Me thinks they'll need more thna 6 a/c when they start practising for CVF.
Have a butchers at this 
Source:
http://www.everettaero.com/
SEA HARRIER FA2 ZH806
Year of Construction: 1998
Total Time Airframe: 1291 Hours.
Total Time Engine: None Fitted / Choice Available
ASKING PRICE: £P.O.A.
Cheers,
LXGB
Source:
http://www.everettaero.com/
SEA HARRIER FA2 ZH806
Year of Construction: 1998
Total Time Airframe: 1291 Hours.
Total Time Engine: None Fitted / Choice Available
ASKING PRICE: £P.O.A.
Cheers,
LXGB
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK
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Errrr, dude.....who cares what state they are kept in? The notion of anyone being able to once more strap the dear old Sea Jet to their backsides is fanciful in the extreme.
Suspicion breeds confidence
I'm sure the SFDO birds will be well looked after. Nothing like having a real fighter to move about your concrete deck. As orca points out, with the infrastructure required to operate them now thrown to the winds, the chances of them ever being used again are very slim.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The notion of anyone being able to once more strap the dear old Sea Jet
Or regenerate the SFDO ones. Or use the ones currently stored if they haven't been flogged by then.
As for pilots, maybe I'm just thick but if ex Sea Harrier pilots who flew airliners could go back and fly the Sea Jet as RNR pilots, then surely GR7 to Shar would be less of a challenge? I've got a booklet here from a couple of years ago about the RNR Air Branch, there were pilots attached to 899 NAS.
Also a few years ago, I read in Navy News that the RN had about 50 or so jet jocks, including (I assume) those in instructional posts, desk jobs, doing PWO jobs or driving minehunters/patrol vessels/frigates. Has this number declined recently?
As for pilots, maybe I'm just thick but if ex Sea Harrier pilots who flew airliners could go back and fly the Sea Jet as RNR pilots, then surely GR7 to Shar would be less of a challenge? I've got a booklet here from a couple of years ago about the RNR Air Branch, there were pilots attached to 899 NAS.
Also a few years ago, I read in Navy News that the RN had about 50 or so jet jocks, including (I assume) those in instructional posts, desk jobs, doing PWO jobs or driving minehunters/patrol vessels/frigates. Has this number declined recently?
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Scotland
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WEBF,
I think you will find that those "doing PWO jobs or driving minehunters/patrol vessels/frigates" are far more gainfully employed and far more useful where they are.
6 or even 12 Puff Jets in any ongoing UK deployment of the moment is not going to change the balance of power. It would simply be a political and short-sighted gesture.
Cheers
BHR
I think you will find that those "doing PWO jobs or driving minehunters/patrol vessels/frigates" are far more gainfully employed and far more useful where they are.
6 or even 12 Puff Jets in any ongoing UK deployment of the moment is not going to change the balance of power. It would simply be a political and short-sighted gesture.
Cheers
BHR
Join Date: Feb 2003
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LAL,
It is no less respectful than WEBFs comment about PWOs and tin-canners.
However, I stand by my comment. I am not having a go at those driving the Puff Jets but in military terms their contribution does not change the balance of power in the sandy place.
Were they not to be there things would not be significantly altered either way.
Cheers
BHR
It is no less respectful than WEBFs comment about PWOs and tin-canners.
However, I stand by my comment. I am not having a go at those driving the Puff Jets but in military terms their contribution does not change the balance of power in the sandy place.
Were they not to be there things would not be significantly altered either way.
Cheers
BHR
But it's not always about changing the balance of power, sometimes it's just about saving the poor squaddies bacon when it all gets nasty down there.
But I feel we are drifting off on a tangent....
Cheers
But I feel we are drifting off on a tangent....
Cheers