dogmonkey
LE
Here's one to consider. And yes, again this would probably be killed straight away by the counters.
Having been fortunate to work within the MEF, it would appear that their force structure which includes air as simply another manouevre arm, works pretty well. As we were briefed by their pilots / ANGLICOs (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies who were attached to each battlegroup in order to control punishment dealt to the Iraqis by Cobras / FA-18s), air support is not the main event. It is indeed just that, air support to ground manouevre. It was excellent to see soldiers flying planes / helicopters in support of us on the ground, instead of us just being on the ground to be overawed by some nonce in a grow-bag who turns up when he feels like it if the sky is the right colour. Probably, because they had the same training as their comrades in Bradleys / M1A1s, they were far more aware of what their role was, ie fire support.
And my argument? Sack the RAF and get rid of the (skilled I'll grant you, as it must be fairly complicated to fly / nav / bomb) egotistical hotel-staying-ponces in blue and have them employed by the Army. This will ensure a considerably larger degree of empathy and therefore more likely a desire to show up. Let them keep their AEW / Fighters, but everything which can fly in support of ground forces, be chopped away from them and given to the green side. Let them do the same basic training and therefore understand what it's like, it seems to have worked well for the USMC so why not us?
Having been fortunate to work within the MEF, it would appear that their force structure which includes air as simply another manouevre arm, works pretty well. As we were briefed by their pilots / ANGLICOs (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies who were attached to each battlegroup in order to control punishment dealt to the Iraqis by Cobras / FA-18s), air support is not the main event. It is indeed just that, air support to ground manouevre. It was excellent to see soldiers flying planes / helicopters in support of us on the ground, instead of us just being on the ground to be overawed by some nonce in a grow-bag who turns up when he feels like it if the sky is the right colour. Probably, because they had the same training as their comrades in Bradleys / M1A1s, they were far more aware of what their role was, ie fire support.
And my argument? Sack the RAF and get rid of the (skilled I'll grant you, as it must be fairly complicated to fly / nav / bomb) egotistical hotel-staying-ponces in blue and have them employed by the Army. This will ensure a considerably larger degree of empathy and therefore more likely a desire to show up. Let them keep their AEW / Fighters, but everything which can fly in support of ground forces, be chopped away from them and given to the green side. Let them do the same basic training and therefore understand what it's like, it seems to have worked well for the USMC so why not us?