wonwinglo

The RAF has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn on its policy of not allowing pilots of the new Eurofighter Typhoon to fire their gun.
The service has decided to issue ammunition to future Typhoon squadrons and train pilots in using the fighter's single German-made 27mm Mauser cannon, reversing its cost-cutting edict.
The decision follows experience in Afghanistan showing that guns are still one of the most effective weapons when supporting ground troops.
In a scathing e-mail, a Parachute Regiment major commanding an isolated outpost described air support from RAF Harriers, which have no guns and rely on rockets, as utterly, utterly useless.
He contrasted their performance with the support offered by US air force A10 aircraft, which are equipped with a 27mm rotary cannon.
At a conference last week, Air Vice-Marshal David Walker, the officer commanding No 1 Group, which includes the Harrier and the newly-forming Typhoon squadrons, said he had decided to proceed with the Typhoon gun, buying ammunition, spares and maintenance equipment.
Seven years ago, the ministry decided to dispense with the gun on all but the first 55 of the 232 Typhoons planned for RAF service, in contrast to the
other nations in the Eurofighter consortium, which kept it on all ordered
aircraft.
The experts argued that Typhoon did not need anything as crude as a gun. The plan would have saved the taxpayer about £90 million.
But Typhoon is designed to such fine specifications that the loss of the gun created a weight imbalance and it was finally realised that the cheaper and
easier option would be to fit a real cannon.

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tigertc

Is it just me or has the MOD not learnt very much from 2 world wars ?
Sending our boys to war without the tools to get the job done seems genetic for the MOD. My son in law is about to do a posting in Iraq, he's bought his own bp vest just incase.

willja67

I guess the RAF didn't have to pay for the lesson in blood the way the US military did during Vietnam but the lesson of how innefective a gunless fighter is was proven time and again. It truly is a pity that lessons keep having to be relearned and often the cost is in blood of soldiers who might still be alive if some beancounter hadn't gotten queasy. The old probverb of folks who don't know history are doomed to repeat it still rings true.

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Will

Nigel.D

My brother inlaw is at this moment in Iraq he is a fac assigned to the bods at Hereford

Lips McGee

Sometimes a wall of lead is what it takes to make a man realize his judgement may have been a bit fogged.

rjwood_uk

wow, only just read this lol.

what i find amazing is that david walker used to live down my street lol. not sure what rank he was then but it wasnt vice-air marshel. he used to come down to our ATC to give pep talks and i knew his daughter. it was only about 4 years ago so i must have been quite a high rank then!

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...One finished model...5 O'Clock in the morning!

Screw Loose

After having had experience with the MOD nothing they do is a surprise !

The ONLY thing they care about is how cheap they can get something! Honestly some of the junk our lads are issued is incredible.

I can only speak from the Naval side, but there are ships out there (the few we have left) that arent much better than WW2 period ships. They were crap on the drawing boards, and not a lot better now!

But they were CHEAP ! And that ticked the little boxes of the wasters in the MOD accounting dept.

Anyone remember the formica clad bulkheads in 1970's era ships, in the Falklands when they were hit by bombs/missiles etc, that formica made excellent shrapnel! But it was cheap !
And remember the nylon number 2 uniforms, great until theres a fire, then they melt and stick to the skin, leaving awfull scars and reconstructive surgery to look forward to ! But hey, they were CHEAP !

Just as well our EXCELLENT servicmen can work round these ARES!

Sorry lads, sudden rush of blood to the head

Lips McGee

Right on Screw. Good sailors and Marines can make good of any equipment.