El primer ministro británico ha confirmado gran parte de los recortes que se rumoreaban para la RAF en el documento de Defensa para el Reino Unido.
Se cancela Nimrod MRA4, a pesar de la gran inversión realizada en el proyecto y se anticipa la retirada de los Harrier.
La retirada del Harrier, prevista para Abril de 2011, es menos sorprendente, aunque si lo es el hecho de que la versión del F-35 elegida para los nuevos portaaviones sea la de despegue convencional, la F-35C.
El pedido de 22 helicópteros Chinook, se reduce a 12 unidades, aunque se modernizará la flota de helicópteros Puma.
(key.aero)
Otros recortes anunciado para la RAF son:
Se reduce la flota de Tornado en dos escuadrones.
El C-130J será retirado 10 años antes de lo previsto, en 2022, cuando se complete la flota de A400M.
Lo mas sorprendente es la retirada del avión de inteligencia Sentinel R1 ASTOR, que se retirará cuando las operaciones en Afganistán no requieran de su participación. El Sentine estará solo en servicio un par de años, y será sustituído por tres RC-135W ‘Rivet Joint’ en 2015.
(Key.aero)
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In a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon, UK Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed much recent press speculation and announced a series of cuts to the Royal Air Force as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Key amongst the announcements was an immediate cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 and early retirement of the Harrier fleet. Despite billions being spent on the Nimrod and the aircraft being ready for service introduction, it has become perhaps the highest profile victim of the cuts deemed necessary by the Treasury and will affect many aircrew and families at RAF Kinloss in Moray, who now face an uncertain future.
Early retirement of the Harrier is less of a surprise as the Prime Minister also announced that the conventional carrier variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, is to be procured for the two new aircraft carriers instead of the Short Take-Off and Landing (STOVL) variant F-35B, although no numbers were confirmed. Navy pilots are expected to be transferred to the US Navy to continue training on F/A-18 Hornets to build up expertise in catapult and arrester wire operations. Harrier operations will cease by April 2011.
In an answer to a question from the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband, the Prime Minister confirmed that the Chinook order announced in December last year has been reduced from 22 aircraft to 12 but that the planned upgrade to the Puma fleet will go ahead.
(key.aero)
Other cuts are about RAF are:
The Tornado force will also be reduced by two squadrons and one of the two operating bases, either RAF Lossiemouth in Moray or RAF Marham in Norfolk, will be surplus to requirements.
The C-130J is now to be retired ten years earlier than originally planned, the new out-of-service date being 2022 as the A400M force is expected to be complete.
Most surprisingly, the Sentinel R1 ASTOR system will be withdrawn “once it is no longer required to support operations in Afghanistan”. Sentinel has only been in service for a few years but is now expected to be replaced by the three RC-135W ‘Rivet Joint’ aircraft expected to enter service in 2015.
(Key.aero)
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