Harrier RIP

A

AlanJ

Elite
 North Yorks
Harrier jump jets, victims of a last-minute decision in the recent strategic defence and security review, were offically retired today, more than 40 years after they came into service.

I have been fortunate in my career with HM Government (UK) to have served in 3 war zones - the first being the Falklands where standing on the deck of HMS Invicible under the command of Captain JJ Black I saw Harrier aircraft depart and thankfully return in defence of our ships and troops. Now I don't want to make a political statement on the value of conflict or the politics that surround a decision to go to war BUT how on Gods Earth can the current UK Government justify, at the drop of a hat, the scrapping of what has been the cornerstone of our (the UKs) air defence capability.

I can only agree with Alan West, former head of the Navy and Labour's security minister, who today today wrote to David Cameron, saying the PM was a 'victim of bad and biased briefing,' in his decision to scrap the Harrier jump jets.

But then of course we have to save money somewhere to pay for the handouts we give to the illegal immigrants, bogus asylum seekers etc etc..... :headbang:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/15/harrier-jump-jet-uk-defence
 
Don't worry lads we can always rely on our missile defence, we currently have two but ones got wood rot and the others elastic band has broken . :roll:

So god help us all..........
 
Couldn't agree more Alan, But then we don't have any carriers anymore to launch them from and won't have for another 10 years :o , They have shafted the military the NHS, students, local councils etc etc etc. AND not one overpaid money grabbing back stabbing incompetent MP has even so much as offered to take a pay cut whilst thousands face redundancy. I bet they are stil all trying to claim for crap they are not entitled to as well.
The only good thing to come out of all of this is another generation have come to realise that it does not matter what a politician promises you, at the end of the day they are in it not for the people they are suppose to represent but purely for themselves.

One tory politician commented yesterday that unemployed northeners should be made to go south and pick fruit instead of letting immigrants do it. he later said it was said as a joke. when will these idiots learn that they are not comedians, they are a laughing stock, but not comedians.

So going forward I have still not been persuaded not to write on my ballot papers NONE OF THE ABOVE. :x :x :x


Rant over
 
AlanJ said:
Harrier jump jets, victims of a last-minute decision in the recent strategic defence and security review, were offically retired today, more than 40 years after they came into service.
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yeah..... but we all have to work longer before we can retire....
 
Nosa said:
Couldn't agree more Alan, But then we don't have any carriers anymore to launch them from and won't have for another 10 years :o , They have shafted the military the NHS, students, local councils etc etc etc. AND not one overpaid money grabbing back stabbing incompetent MP has even so much as offered to take a pay cut whilst thousands face redundancy. I bet they are stil all trying to claim for crap they are not entitled to as well.
The only good thing to come out of all of this is another generation have come to realise that it does not matter what a politician promises you, at the end of the day they are in it not for the people they are suppose to represent but purely for themselves.




Rant over
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Well said
 
AlanJ said:
But then of course we have to save money somewhere to pay for the handouts we give to the illegal immigrants, bogus asylum seekers etc etc..... :headbang:
Click to expand...

Please, don't get me started :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:
 
Not wishing to be the devils advocate but the current government are having to save this money for a reason, and that reason lies mainly in the past.

Also the Harrier is pretty pathetic BVR (Beyond Visual Range) and in Hot n High climates (like in the middle east) due to lack of thrust. Both important factors considering their deployments in the last 30 years. They only really excelled in the Falklands as the Argentines Mirages were sparse on fuel (land deployed), laden with Exocet missiles and crap IR AA missiles. The harriers had the excellent pilots and used their thrust vectoring and modern sidewinders for the WVR dog fights. All that isn't a modern threat anymore.

If this is to bring forward the F-35, i'm all for it, its just a shame its designed/built here :(
 
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