RAF Tornados stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus are poised to begin bombing Islamic State targets in northern Iraq as soon as the weekend.
However, there are concerns that after years of budget cuts an extended air campaign would stretch the RAF to breaking point.
The UK's aging Tornado fleet is now 30 years old, while America has a brand new fleet of F-22s fighter jets. Meanwhile, Britain currently has just seven combat-capable air squadrons, compared to 15 for the French air force.
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The 'Telegraph' again prints half truths amid it's nonsense.
ReplyDeleteHow do you compare a country which has just one of it's states that is larger than the entire UK. ridiculous.
As for the ageing Tornado, well lets compare that with current US frontline aircraft.
Tornado. First Flight 1974. In Service 1979
F16. - 1974 - 1978
f15 - 1972 - 1976
A10 - 1972 - 1977
F22 - 1997 - 2005
So you see that in fact the majority of US aircraft are as old if not older than Tornado
Only the F22 is newer, although not as the 'Telegraph' claims, brand new.
They also forget to mention, that it is already out of production due to it's eye watering cost. This is one of the reason that it has never been committed to combat before now, they are just too expensive to risk losing.
'Telegraph' at least get a defence correspondent who has some knowledge of defence.