Updated 20211012 E-3D Sentry retirement from RAF service after 30 years

[John B (Sc)]

Sorry to see these go, so soon - it seems. 

 

So 8 Sqn returns to Lossiemouth but with three aircraft only. Strewth.  I recall thinking when the old 8 Sqn reduced the number of Shack AEW2s that things were getting bad, but this...

Three aircraft isn't a Squadron , it's a Flight !   How can they justify a Wing Commander as OIC , etc?  The aircraft numbers and rank structures are getting truly absurd & embarrassing now; I feel sorry for the service folk involved! 

 

John B

[Whitewolf]

41 minutes ago, John B (Sc) said:

Sorry to see these go, so soon - it seems. 

 

So 8 Sqn returns to Lossiemouth but with three aircraft only. Strewth.  I recall thinking when the old 8 Sqn reduced the number of Shack AEW2s that things were getting bad, but this...

Three aircraft isn't a Squadron , it's a Flight !   How can they justify a Wing Commander as OIC , etc?  The aircraft numbers and rank structures are getting truly absurd & embarrassing now; I feel sorry for the service folk involved! 

 

John B

3 is a ridiculous number, it should be a minimum of 5. But good old UK is still wearing that blindfold......

[Scimitar F1]

6 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

3 is a ridiculous number, it should be a minimum of 5. But good old UK is still wearing that blindfold......

The public are blissfully unaware of the risks being run. Even worse than the lack of capability is the projection of force beyond what exists. It invites challenge that cannot be responded to adequately. So we send a single carrier with limited air wing and other vessels across the Globe with no real ability to support it if something goes wrong. This is not wise.

 

The same can be said with the RAF, Army etc. and yet the cuts continue. We are only fooling ourselves.

[Whitewolf]

1 hour ago, Scimitar F1 said:

The public are blissfully unaware of the risks being run. Even worse than the lack of capability is the projection of force beyond what exists. It invites challenge that cannot be responded to adequately. So we send a single carrier with limited air wing and other vessels across the Globe with no real ability to support it if something goes wrong. This is not wise.

 

The same can be said with the RAF, Army etc. and yet the cuts continue. We are only fooling ourselves.

Support for the carrier would come from other sources, primarily the US and her airwing could be boosted if need be. But the RN badly needs new ships, heavily delayed by incompetent politicians. When some of those arrive, like the Type 31, they'll only be able to function as an OPV due to a lack of armament. The RAF is the weakest its been in decades along with the Army, once again for the same reason, a complete failure to understand the need for a modern capable armed forces in a world where potential foes are spending the money we arn't......

[Scimitar F1]

10 minutes ago, Whitewolf said:

Support for the carrier would come from other sources, primarily the US and her airwing could be boosted if need be.

It is nice to have friends but less so to have to rely on them. Just look at what happened in Afghanistan.

 

I couldn’t agree more with the rest of your post. 

[John B (Sc)]

Entirely agree with you both, 'Whitewolf' and 'Scimitar F1'. 

 

Type 31s useful only as OPVs - ouch !  "credible frigate", with only one 57 mm gun, Admittedly 200 rounds a minute helps, but still a rather light weapon.  (Oops - gone a bit off topic here!)

Edited October 28, 2021 by John B (Sc)