Royal Air Force - Royaume-Uni

Files Reveal British PM's 1978 Cold War Fears

LONDON - Britain feared it was too weak to resist Soviet attack during the Cold War after a confidential assessment showed its air force only had enough missiles for three days, declassified documents showed Tuesday.

"Heaven help us if there is a war," wrote the then-prime minister James Callaghan in 1978, in formerly secret documents.

Callaghan was driven to despair after the report on Britain's ability to fight the Soviet threat, which also revealed other major equipment shortages.

Callaghan, who led a left-wing Labour government between 1976 and 1979, described the situation as a "scandal."

The documents, from the National Archives in London, have just been released under British laws which allow classified files to be made public after 30 years.

Britain's position was exposed after its Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) issued a report looking at how easily the Soviet Union could launch an attack.

Callaghan demanded to know how Britain was placed to respond.

"I take it someone has worked out whether we can defend ourselves?" he wrote in October 1977, after the JIC report was sent to him.

In response, the Chiefs of Staff prepared another report which warned that Britain "cannot match the threat" outlined by the JIC.

"In the case of nuclear attack by ballistic missiles, there would be no defensive capability, save the indirect defence of our nuclear forces," the defense chiefs wrote in January 1978, when thousands of U.S. troops were based in Britain during the Cold War.

"Given even the maximum use of warning time, it is unlikely that the UK defences could prevent the loss of a substantial proportion of NATO's forces based in the UK."

Britain had less than 100 fighter planes to combat an estimated threat of more than 200 Soviet bombers, the report said, adding the British fighters "have sufficient missiles for only two to three days' operations."

Callaghan met his defense minister Frederick Mulley at Downing Street the next month to discuss the findings and seemed particularly concerned about the shortage of ammunition for fighter aircraft.

"The prime minister asked why we were in this situation; it seemed to him a scandal," an official note of the meeting said.

"The prime minister said that the conclusion he drew from the paper was that one or two people should be sacked."

In March, Mulley sent Callaghan a briefing paper arguing it was unnecessary for Britain to be entirely self-reliant because its membership of NATO, which sees an attack on one member as an attack on all, would be a deterrent.

But on the top of that document, Callaghan highlighted the lack of Hunt-class warships and Britain's apparent inability to build more of them quickly enough.

"I can't believe we can only build four more Hunts in 10 years. Heaven help us if there is a war," the prime minister wrote.

The exchanges on the issue continued throughout the year – in August 1978, senior civil servant John Hunt told Callaghan that it was "taking time" to build up defense stocks, particularly given budgetary constraints.

"But the problem is made worse by the rate at which the offensive capability which the Russians might use against the United Kingdom is growing," Hunt wrote in a briefing note. "We shall have to run hard to stand still."

Terma has been awarded a contract by BAE Systems to provide Advanced Infrared Protection Systems for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 Fighter Aircraft. The Tornado GR4 is an advanced ground attack aircraft, capable of operating during all light and weather conditions and delivering a large array of conventional and precision guided munitions. It can also be equipped with an advanced reconnaissance system, contained in the RAPTOR pod. For active self-defense the GR4 is equipped with two AIM-9L Sidewinder Missiles, and for self-protection it will now be equipped with Terma’s advanced infrared protection system. This system is based on the Terma Modular Countermeasures Pod, MCP, that is operational on several other types of aircraft in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. The pod for the Tornado GR4 is a derivative of the MCP which accommodates missile warning sensors and flare dispensers for the high speeds and loadings connected with operating the Tornado GR4. Since the flight time of an attacking infrared guided missile may be very short indeed, only a few seconds, it is essential that countermeasures action is taken automatically and without delay. Terma’s Electronic Warfare Management System, AN/ALQ-213(V), is well proven and ideally suited for this purpose. Not only does it ensure automatic and timely flare dispensing, it also ensures integration with other EW self-protection systems and with aircraft avionics, and it gives the pilot the necessary visual and audio warnings. BAE Systems has been selected by the Royal Air Force to integrate the Terma Infrared Protection System on the Tornado GR4. According to the contract, delivery will take place in the early spring of 2009. The time between contract signature and delivery under this program is unusually short, the main reasons being:

- Implementation of the program is characterized by a very open and trustful atmosphere between the involved parties, the RAF, BAE Systems and Terma.

- Terma’s experience of many years in designing EW self-protection solutions based on previously developed core EW components such as the AN/ ALQ-213(V) EW Management System, the Tactical Data Unit, the Modular Countermeasures Pod, and the Advanced Countermeasures Dispensing System with magazines, sequencers and EMI filters.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4670

UK’s Procurement Programmes (Part 1 of 2)
A400M, Eurofighter, MRA4, FRES and Future Lynx helicopters

On January 12 British State Secretary for Defence John Hutton, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Quentin Davies together made statements on several major defence procurement programmes and on military operations during a debate in the House of Commons.

On the A400M Hutton said: “The A400M programme is now likely to be subject to considerable delay because of problems that EADS is having in producing the aircraft, not because of any policy decision made by the UK Government or any other partner nations involved in the project.” He also stated that UK cannot accept a three or four-year delay in the delivery of those aircraft. “That would impose an unnecessary, unacceptable strain on our air assets,” he added. He also pointed out that together with the Ministers of the A400M nations, he will consider very carefully what the right response to the problem is.

On the Eurofighter Quentin Davies said that discussions with the partners are continuing on the shape, size and timing of tranche 3.

On the Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance and Attack (MRA4) Davies said: “The MRA4 aircraft is being procured to provide maritime patrol, anti-shipping, anti-submarine and search and rescue capability. It will take over from the Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance (MR2) aircraft.” He said that the cost of the programme for the nine MRA4 aircraft currently on order is some € 4 billion (£3.6 billion/ $ 5.2 billion).

“When it comes into service, the MRA4 will carry Stingray torpedoes but through life it can be adapted to carry an extensive range of weapons and equipment including anti-ship and anti-submarine weapon systems,” Davies said…….

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence also confirmed that the MoD plans to buy 34 Future Lynx helicopters for the Army and 28 for the Royal Navy. These new arrangements will provide increased commonality leading to greater versatility and flexibility. The In-Service dates remain as 2014 and 2015 respectively.

The UK Royal Air Force has flown its first operational sortie over Iraq carrying an upgraded version of MBDA's Brimstone air-to-surface missile. Now being carried by 9 Sqn-operated Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft deployed to Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the Brimstone has recently been equipped with a dual-mode seeker (DMS) that offers a laser guidance mode in place of its original millimetre-wave radar sensor. The work has been conducted under an urgent operational requirement deal to support British and coalition activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The new DMS Brimstone and [Raytheon Systems] Paveway II weapons fit is perhaps the most relevant to current GR4 operations," says 9 Sqn officer commanding Wg Cdr Nick Hay, speaking to UK publication RAF News after the recent milestone. The Brimstone system is also expected to arm the GR4s that will be deployed to Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan in early April, replacing a long-term RAF and Royal Navy detachment of BAE Systems Harrier GR9/9As. In addition to having a new precision guidance mode, the weapon's 50kg (110lb) launch weight will offer a low-collateral damage option to commanders in the battle against the Taliban. The Tornado GR4 force is also soon to receive Raytheon's 226kg Paveway IV laser/GPS-guided bomb, which entered use with UK Harriers in Afghanistan late last year. Heavily adapted from Lockheed Martin's helicopter-launched AGM-114 Hellfire missile, the Brimstone was developed for fast-jet applications under the UK Ministry of Defence's air-launched anti-armour weapon programme. This was worth a projected £899 million ($1.3 billion) before the DMS upgrade effort, according to figures released in the UK National Audit Office's Major Projects Report 2007 publication. The baseline Brimstone system entered RAF service with the GR4 in 2007. The weapon is also to be integrated with the UK's Harriers and Eurofighter Typhoons.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/01/20/321329/pictures-mbdas-brimstone-missile-makes-raf-combat.html

Rolls-Royce secures £198 million contract to support UK Pegasus fleet

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a £198 million contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the Pegasus engines which provide the Harrier fleet with its unique Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capability.

The 10-year contract provides a guaranteed level of availability of Pegasus engines to power the aircraft operating in the UK’s Joint Force Harrier, which is operated by both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

Under the terms of the contract, Rolls-Royce will undertake all aspects of engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both at operating locations and from the Rolls-Royce state-of-the art facilities in Bristol…

Harrier dispute between Navy and RAF chiefs sees Army 'marriage counsellor' called in


The relationship between the First Sea Lord, Sir Jonathon Band, and the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Glenn Torpy has become “poisonous” due to a disagreement over the aircraft that is jointly run by both services.

Frustrated at the lack of compromise between the two military leaders, Major General Paul Newton, an Army officer with no flying background, has been appointed to resolve the dispute.

Air Marshal Torpy suggested that the Ministry of Defence could save £1 billion if the Harrier was phased out of service within the next five years with the closure of Joint Force Harrier with its 50 Navy and RAF pilots.

This would have signalled the end of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, regarded as the most professional of all air forces, despite the two new aircraft carriers entering service by the end of the next decade.

Admiral Band was incensed by the proposal, which would have meant there would be no Navy pilots to fly off the carriers, and threatened to resign.

But Air Marshal Torpy is thought to have the backing of the Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup, who was also an RAF pilot.

“Relations between Torpy and Band have become very bitter and very poisonous,” claims a defence source. “General Newton is being used as a marriage counsellor to ensure that the rowing does not become public.”

Major Gen Newton, Director of Development, Concepts and Doctrine in the MOD, is expected to agree with the Navy that a small force of sea-going pilots is vital to Britain’s interests if it wants to project power abroad when he presents his report to a meeting of MoD chiefs today (weds).

There is a suggestion now that Air Marshal Torpy will resign if the Navy wins the bitter turf war, according to Whitehall sources.

The Naval Strike Force will probably become the main Harrier force preparing pilots to fly the ‘fifth generation’ Joint Strike Fighter made in America.

The sticking point for the RAF is that only half of the 150 British JSF are likely now to be ordered with the Navy getting the majority. This would mean the RAF would struggle to get a full replacement for fourth generation Eurofighter Typhoon leaving them without a cutting edge aircraft

A senior Army officer described the dispute as “a bunch of overgrown school boys arguing over who gets to play on a new toy”.

The internecine battles being fought between the Services over a limited defence budget are said to be at the most bitter since the “east of Suez” defence cuts of the Sixties.

The RAF argues that with Afghanistan land-locked and the new carriers not coming into service until at least 2016 there is no current need to have carrier-borne fighters. Once the ships become operational, the RAF would be able to fly off them.

The savings would come through the maintenance contract that has yet to be signed with BAE Systems and by closing RAF Cottesmore when the Harrier force is based.

An MoD spokesman said: “The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Air Staff are committed to working together for the benefit of the Armed Forces and will continue to do so in the future.”“During any planning round a number of options are considered to ensure our spending plans are matching our priorities and delivering value for money. But we do not provide a running commentary on this process. At this stage no decisions have been made.”

BAE Systems awarded contract to support RAF Tornado and Harrier aircraft

BAE Systems has been awarded two contracts worth £119 million by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide additional support to current in-service Tornado and Harrier aircraft under a strategy known as CAPS (Commodity Availability Procurement Strategy).

Under CAPS, the current Tornado aircraft availability contract (known as ATTAC) has been amended to include an availability service to support key primary warning and defensive protection equipment for both the Tornado GR4 and Harrier fleets. This first availability service contract, worth £103.5 million, will see BAE Systems assume responsibility for the provision of spares and repairs, and technical, software and test equipment support for a range of EW equipment.

A second contract, with a value of £15.5 million, is to provide wheel, tyre and brake service across the Nimrod MR2, Harrier, Hawk and VC10 fleets.

Steve Millward, Tornado & Harrier Managing Director for BAE Systems said: “Currently key commodity items such as the EW equipment and other multi-aircraft items such as wheels and brakes are managed by individual IPTs within the MOD. Under the CAPS strategy BAE Systems will take responsibility for improving the in-service availability of frontline aircraft to ensure they are available when and where they are needed

“The development of the CAPS strategy and subsequent award of this contract for Tornado and Harrier is proof that the continued partnership between BAE Systems and the MOD on current availability contracts is working well.”

Group Captain Chris Daykin, the MOD Director for the CAPS programme, said: “CAPS will optimise existing aircraft availability contracts by removing MOD dependencies, gaining better value for money and assuring operational outputs. This is the achievement of a major milestone, and the first contractual result for CAPS.”

BAE Systems and the MOD continue to further develop the strategy to cover other commodity items that will support in-service aircraft.

RAF Harrier crashes in Cyprus

Two crew members were forced to eject when a Royal Air Force BAE Systems Harrier trainer crashed on the runway at Akrotiri air base in Cyprus on 9 February.

The UK Ministry of Defence says the accident happened during a training sortie, and that both crew members "ejected safely" from the aircraft. An investigation team is being set up to determine the cause of the mishap.

The RAF established a base at Akrotiri on the southern peninsula of Cyprus in 1955, and the site currently hosts approximately 850 service personnel. It is also used by the RAF's Red Arrows display team as a winter training ground.

Forming part of the UK's Joint Force Harrier organisation with the Royal Navy's 800 Naval Air Squadron, the RAF had a training inventory of five Harrier T10s and four Harrier T12s prior to the accident, according to Flight's MiliCAS database. The majority are assigned to the service's 20 Sqn operational conversion unit.

Four die in mid-air plane crash

Two Air Training Corps cadets and their RAF trainers have been killed in a mid-air crash between two light aircraft near the south Wales coast.

The cadets were teenage girls, thought to be related. They died after a collision near the seaside resort of Porthcawl just before 1100 GMT.The Grob planes had been involved in 20-minute "air experience" flights from RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.

The wreckage was spread over about half a mile near a nature reserve.Three separate inquiries are under way into the crash.Group Captain Andrew Naismith describes the loss to the "RAF family" of the cadets and their tutors to Penny Roberts.

At least one of the twin-seater planes was on fire when emergency services reached the scene.One eyewitness told the BBC she saw two planes hit each other, before she heard an explosion.

Reena Callingham told the BBC News website she was putting out her washing when she saw two planes flying close together.

"I just couldn't believe it. At first there wasn't an explosion straight away but then there was. They just went down," she said.

Police said wreckage was strewn across quite a wide area and officers were receiving reports from members of public coming across the debris.

Flight lieutenant Alastair Hawes said the planes were on "air experience" flights from RAF St Athan, about 20 miles away.Such flights usually feature an RAF instructor alongside someone, usually a young person or cadet, who is interested in a military career.

The aircraft involved were Grob Tutors, twin-seater light aircraft with propellers, popular with flying training.Although the aircraft were based at St Athan, their "parent" headquarters is the number one Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

Andy Naismith, group captain in charge of flight training at Cranwell, said a service inquiry was being run in parallel with the police and air accident investigation.

He said: "We would like to learn what lessons we can from this tragic incident."He added: "Four members of the RAF family have tragically lost their lives following an accident which took place near Porthcawl just before lunchtime today.

"Those who died were two members of the RAF and two Air Training Corps cadets. "Grp Cpt Naismith said next of kin have been informed but the families want more time before they are named "to let them absorb and come to terms with this devastating news".

"I would like to hereby thank all members of the emergency services for their rapid and caring response and once again ask for the media to exercise restraint at this most difficult time for the families," he added.

Supt Tim Jones, of South Wales Police, said: "A major incident room has been set up at police headquarters in Bridgend and a response is being co-ordinated from there."

He said it was a complex response because of the nature of the scenes they were managing and that it would be a joint investigation.

"Clearly, the scene is expansive and we will be needing to protect the scene tonight to maintain the integrity of the investigation and we would appeal to members of the public to avoid the area tonight," he said.

Rod Hammerton, head of operations for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said some 90 firefighters were initially sent to the scene of the crash, near Kenfig nature reserve.

He said: "Twenty-four appliances and 90 firefighters were despatched, as well as chemical units and search and rescue. During the incident most resources were not used.

"We would like to extend our sympathy to those who have and will be touched by this, and would like to thank the other emergency services." A number of helicopters were used during the incident to gather evidence and mountain rescue teams were on stand-by.

The inquiries will be undertaken by police, Ministry of Defence and the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

Britain Pulls Nimrods for Safety Upgrades

Royal Air Force Nimrod surveillance aircraft are being withdrawn from overseas operations in order to have vital safety upgrades fitted, Britain's Ministry of Defence announced March 9.
Royal Navy Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft. (MilborneOne)

The upgrade was to have been fitted to all Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft by the end of March, but the program has been delayed by supply problems with the fuel seals that will replace existing equipment on the aging aircraft.

The aircraft will be withdrawn from service on March 31 and returned to Britain for modifications. They will return to operation by early summer, an MoD spokeswoman here said.

The ministry says other British and coalition surveillance assets will plug the gap while the aircraft are upgraded. The RAF is known to operate the aircraft over Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in the United Kingdom where it has homeland security, maritime surveillance and other duties.

The upgrade follows the 2006 crash of a Nimrod in Afghanistan. The crew of 14 was killed when a midair fuel leak ignited a fire on the aircraft soon after it had completed air-to-air refueling.

As a result, inflight refueling on the Nimrod has been banned.

After a board of inquiry in late 2007, the MoD directed that the 18 Nimrods have their fuel seal and engine bay hot air ducting replaced by the end of the first quarter. That didn't happen, so the aircraft are being withdrawn from overseas service.

About half a dozen of the MR2 and R1 intelligence aircraft have been modified with the new hot air ducting; one of the revamped aircraft has had new fuel seals fitted.

In a parliamentary statement, Bob Ainsworth, armed forces minister, said, "Problems with the provision of replacement fuel seals mean that both programs will be delayed beyond that date" of March 31.

The minister said that while the hot air ducting changes were essential, the aircraft could continue to fly safely without the new fuel seals.

"In order that the risks involved in operating the aircraft remain tolerable and as low as reasonably practicable, no Nimrods should fly after 31 March 2009, unless their hot air ducts have been replaced," Ainsworth said. "Delays to the replacement of fuel seals will, however, have no impact on flying since our experts assess that the risk is tolerable."

BAE Systems is the contractor that is doing the work as part of a wider support deal it has on the Nimrod fleet.

It is not clear whether the company or the government is responsible for supplying the fuel seals.

One official with knowledge of the program said the seals were to be provided as government-furnished equipment.

A spokesman for BAE said it was a matter for the MoD.

It is "inappropriate for the company to comment," he said.

The work is being undertaken at the RAF MR2 base at Kinloss in Scotland and the R1 base at Waddington in England. The minister said the work would temporarily reduce routine U.K.-based Nimrod flying.

The MR2s were to have been replaced by the new Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft being developed and built by BAE. The new aircraft should have been in service in 2003 but a series of delays mean the MRA4 is now not expected to be operational until 2010.