Revivng our defence capabilities

Their Finest Hour

On the second Saturday of my life, around tea time, Hermann Goering sent 348 bombers escorted by 617 fighters overhead the Thames Estuary to bomb London. Few along their flight path ever had imagined such a futuristic invasion nor the awesome spectacle of a summer sky decorated by hundreds of white vapour trails leading to glinting aircraft. Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding with his immortal ‘ few ’ plus Henry Tizzard (who ensured that Fighter Command had operating radar) and the maestro of science fiction, HG Wells, had made the right calls. Tizzard also foresaw the atom bomb.

Four fighter squadrons above the Isle of Sheppey plunged into rank upon rank of bombers and fighters piled more than a mile and a half high. Air Vice Marshal Keith Park, commanding 11 Group, swiftly assembled above London another twenty squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes that ripped through the huge armada. A running fight began as the great flock shuddered though pressed on towards the docks.

An hour later, still largely intact though scattered and disorderly, the vast formation was streaming for home. Fighter duels chalked vapour rings over Streatham and Croydon. British fighter pilots picked off those in trouble before turning away, low on fuel and out of ammunition. Of forty-one RAF pilots shot down, twenty-six were alive and most unhurt. They would fly and fight tomorrow. Sixty-three German bombers and fighters were shot down, their crews killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The East End of London suffered most on the 7 September 1940. There’s a famous picture of Tower Bridge dwarfed by a huge pall of thick smoke rising from the docks. That night Goering sent another 300 bombers loaded with incendiaries that bumbled overhead until four in the morning.

A Sense of Urgency

Robert Watson-Watt built a working radar set in 1935 and the RAF formed Fighter Command the following year. Hugh Dowding, Air Council member for research and development, was appointed its commander. He and Henry Tizzard brought together radar with aircraft radio communications as a command system for directing fighters in the sky by relaying the positions, heights and courses of enemy aircraft, allowing a commander unheard of flexibility when intercepting single aircraft or whole raids. The British Isles were divided into four zones called 10,11,12 and 13 Groups. These were divided into sectors with several airfields, one the sector station that controlled the others. Fighter controllers worked by moving symbols – that represented individual squadrons or raids – around a plot table map with rods resembling snooker queues. This gave them a birds’ eye view of the battle.

Making this complex machine was desperately urgent. On the Continent Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini increased their power daily. The first four chain home radar stations were built by 1937 and began operating in 1938. Fast monoplane fighters – Hurricanes and then Spitfires – were introduced as fast as possible but still a few old bi-plane Gladiator fighters were to see combat over Norway in 1940 and two years later, Malta.

Lady Luck

War broke out in September 1939 with the invasion of Poland and bombing of Warsaw. After the Germans and Russians carved up Poland between them a Phoney War followed. Not for the Finns who were invaded by Russia that winter. But the breathing space gave Fighter Command another eight vital months to train pilots and increase their fleet of modern fighters. Although in those days fighters could fly from grass airfields they still needed tarmac dispersals, hangars and workshops. Pilots and ground crew needed living quarters. All that had to be built against a ticking relentless political clock.

On the 9 April 1940 the Germans struck north, invaded Denmark and Norway. On the10 May 1940 they attacked west. For the all conquering Germans over Britain later that summer of 1940 those recent empty skies suddenly filled with hostile fighters. None the less – as the Duke of Wellington confided after the Battle of Waterloo – it was a close run thing.

Today more and more people fear we’re living through another period horribly similar to the mid-nineteen-thirties. What must we do to prevent or survive another 1940?

The Cold War

After a shaky start by the height of the Cold War the Royal Air Force was an impressive weapon. Most politicians in this country are not old enough to remember so let’s look at the simple facts. Britain invented and built the first jet aircraft and fighter. When the programmes for building the first faster than sound jet fighters took longer than planned, to help counter the Russian Mig 15 fighter, under the Mutual Defence Aid Programme, the United States supplied North American Sabre fighters built under license by Canadair. The RAF took 428 aircraft, many for its dozen fighter squadrons based in Germany.  Once the Hunter and Swift fighters were operational 302 Sabre fighters were sent back to North America. A large number returned to Europe for defending Yugoslavia.

During the 1960s Fighter Command was divided into three dozen day fighter and a dozen all weather squadrons. (RAF Germany was a separate Command) Numbers of fighters purchased give a measure of the investment. Nearly 2000 Hawker Hunters were built and the RAF took more than a 1000 fighters. Of 435 Gloster Javelin all weather fighters built the RAF took nearly all of them. Some served in Germany, on Cyprus and Singapore islands but most defended the British Isles.

Bomber Command divided into about thirty Canberra medium bomber and reconnaissance squadrons and sixteen squadrons of V bombers as our strategic deterrent. Of 900 Canberras built the RAF took 782 bombers. (Canberra was the world’s first jet bomber and caused a sensation when first displayed at Farnborough Air Show – I still remember its shadow streaking across the tea tent roof followed by the thunder of its engines.) A single V bomber cost a million pounds to build during the 1960s. For our strategic deterrent Vickers built 107 Valiant bombers built, Avro built 136 Vulcan delta bombers and Handley-Page built 86 crescent winged Victor bombers all for the RAF. (I saw a 90 ton Vulcan perform a loop at Farnborough.) The V Force aimed to launch 150-160 nuclear armed bombers at the Soviet Union or China or both. At one point in my career I had the maps with their targets in my office cupboard!

The Canberra took the world altitude record by reaching 70,000 feet. One always should take official performance figures for warplanes with a pinch of salt. Usually the real figures are much better.

During the 1960s the RAF introduced its first Mach 2 fighter, the English Electric Lightning with twin engines and ultra swept back wings. Its role was to defend the V Bomber airfields, not the country. Some 335 were built, some for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the rest various versions for eleven fighter squadrons and a training unit. One squadron was on Cyprus and another on Singapore island. The Defence Minister, Duncan Sandys, son-in-law of Winston Churchill, in 1957 had claimed it would be the last manned fighter for the RAF. All the air crews I knew shook their heads in despair. Sandys cancelled the most advanced strike bomber on the planet and the next air defence fighter, similar to today’s F 35 though sixty years ahead of its time. Although too late to save both projects, the aircraft builders commenced a long overdue move to merge themselves into three large companies.

Blackburn produced the Buccaneer for the Royal Navy as a twin-engine strike aircraft for global operations. They were handed over to the RAF when Denis Healey destroyed the Royal Navy’s five ship aircraft carrier fleet. Over 200 aircraft were built including a squadron for South Africa. The RAF formed them into squadrons for attacking Russian ships in European waters.

The tactical nuclear role was covered by the SEPECAT Jaguar – a joint production aircraft with France. The RAF took 165 single seat versions and 35 two seat trainer versions. Six squadrons were formed, four based in Germany to deliver tactical nuclear strikes and two based in Britain mainly for reconnaissance. The nuclear strike weapon was the W177 free-fall bomb with yields of 0.5 kilotons, 10 kilotons, 200 kilotons and 450 kilotons. France has retained the ability to carry out tactical nuclear strikes by keeping the air force and naval air elements of her deterrent forces. That makes far more sense than trying to enlist enough NATO soldiers to outnumber the Russians and Chinese. The sooner we restore our tactical nuclear strike capability, the less we will hear from the Kremlin.

During the 1970s both the RN and the RAF flew McDonnell Douglas F 4 Phantoms because Sandys had cancelled the new fighter and bomber projects followed by Healey scrapping our aircraft carrier fleet. Eventually a new joint project, the swing wing Panavia Tornado, was launched with Germany and Italy. Tornado became the last time a British government ordered enough aircraft. Over 900 two crew swing wing strike and air defence fighters were built. The RAF took 385 – 230 of the strike and reconnaissance version and 155 of the air defence version. Tornado went on to serve this country for forty years. That 1970s and 1980s programme was similar to the F 35 Lightning programme today.

I list all these aircraft to provide some perspective, recalling the enormous and sustained effort made by the generations before mine, my own and the one after mine. The freedom and standard of living we all enjoy today across the democratic world is owed to our three generations, mostly to the one before mine who fought and won the Second World War. They were the generation who ordered all those bombers and fighters. According to recent polling only 48% of 18 – 34 year olds know what took place on D Day!

Today

Eurofighter Typhoons were built by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. Nearly 700 aircraft were built, of which the RAF took 160, the Luftwaffe 180, the Italians 90. Spain took 90, Saudi Arabia 70 while a further 80 went to Austria, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. Already the peace dividend was a gamble no British politician could resist.

Keep in mind that the RAF has no fast jet bombers any longer. Then compare 160 with 385 and you see how many F35s the RAF needs to regain its strength during the last Cold War. take away 160 aircraft from 385 and you’re left with 225 aircraft. That’s the strike fighter hole dug by the so-called peace dividend. Cameron, Clegg and Osborne stand alongside Denis Healey and John Knott as scandalous priests of strategic myopia, reckless gamblers with their country – and thereby all of us.

Because – providing the government is serious about our freedom, trade and prosperity, the navy needs 140 F35s for its two carrier strike groups. That means they should double the original order to have enough F35s for an RAF strike force and order at least 160 Tempest air defence fighters. Britain, Italy and Japan have joined forces to produce a sixth generation stealth fighter – the BAE, Italian design is Tempest and Mitsubishi have a design called F- X. This aircraft is the replacement for our 137 surviving Typhoons, soon down to 107 when 30 Typhoons are retired and used for spare parts.

Moreover, the Tempest consortium with Italy and Japan needs an urgency that reflects the relentless ticking of the warning clock. Putin threatens to attack British targets in Ukraine or elsewhere if long range missiles we supplied are fired at targets in Russia. He would be a lot less bellicose if we possessed a strong tactical nuclear strike force.

 Maritime Patrol and Airborne Early Warning.

The Shackleton was the post war Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Avro built 185 of which 8 were bought by South Africa. The RAF formed fourteen squadrons  worldwide. Shackletons had a range of 2,200 miles or fourteen hours endurance. They were replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Nimrods modelled on the Comet jet airliner. The RAF bought just over 50 and formed half a dozen squadrons, most based in Britain but with detachments on Malta and Cyprus. Nimrods flew from Ascension Island during the South Atlantic War. They served in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The successor Nimrod 4 was cancelled and 9 American built Poseidon P 8 ordered. This was classic Cameron and Osborne and utterly inadequate. Some forty or fifty aircraft are needed to patrol the British Isles naval back yard and support the Royal Navy globally.

Airborne Early Warning began for the Royal Navy by converting 44 single turbo-prop Fairy Gannet anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The RAF then developed an AEW version of the Nimrod and 11 including 8 production versions were built. The programme was cancelled and the RAF had to make do with 7 Boeing E3 Sentry AEW aircraft. The RAF bought 3 Boeing Rivet joint SIGINT aircraft. Both types are very good aircraft but the numbers purchased ludicrous for current threats.

Tactical and Strategic Deployment and Logistics.

Grant Shapps scraped around to provide a pair of A400Ms for the memorial parachute drop on the 80^th anniversary of D Day.

Again, let’s measure the effort by the numbers purchased. The ‘just after the war’ work horse Handley-Page Hastings bought by the RAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force, 151 built nearly all for the RAF. The Blackburn Beverley was the RAF’s first post-war transport. Rather like a giant glider with four radial engines and a fixed under-carriage, they could carry big bulky loads, ninety troops or seventy paratroops. Jumping from them was a crowd scene. Their short take-off/short-landing ability was remarkable. The 49 built all served with the RAF. Armstrong-Whitworth’s Argosy was the RAF’s second post war transport, four turbo-props, drive-on for small trucks or artillery, fifty-four paratroops or seventy ordinary troops, much faster and a very steady jump ship. Altogether 74 built, all for the RAF save 17 civilian versions. The Short Belfast was a heavy lift strategic freighter. Only 10 built, all for the RAF. The Belfast could carry 150 troops and big heavy loads. With an extra removable deck a Belfast could carry 250 troops. The RAF then decided to buy American with an order for 25 Lockheed C 130 Hercules which became 27 in the end. These gave sterling service until last year. They are being replaced by 22 Airbus Atlas 400 transports. These are big four turbo-prop aircraft with a tactical performance like the C 130 and as nimble. The RAF probably needs twice as many. Backing up the Atlas fleet are 4 leased Boeing C 17 Globemasters that can fly a tank or self-propelled gun or 150 paratroops into battle. Again, the numbers ordered are ludicrous, the fleet should triple.

For anyone who served in the Vietnam War and regularly spent time with US and ARVN troops ours was a tiny transport force even at its zenith! As fighter pilot turned Air Attaché, Group Captain Mickey Swiney used to point out, there were more aircraft based at Tan Son Nhut airfield just north of Saigon than the whole RAF. The Americans produced a stable of very practical lift horses from the twin engine C23 to the modern four jet engine C17 Globemaster. The latter can take off from a thousand yard runway, pretty well fully loaded.

Helicopters.

The RAF built up a force of nearly 75 heavy lift helicopters, twin rotor Chinooks, plus a medium lift force of 23 single rotor Pumas. One Chinook can carry forty troops while a Puma carries 16 troops.  These forces are threatened with mothballing a third of the Chinooks.

My doctrine would hand most over to the Army, just keep enough for RAF needs. But after operating quite a large fleet for so many years such an upheaval makes no sense for now. Having run a combined RAF and Army and civilian organisation on Cyprus as a diplomat, good teamwork solves most problems and often makes the best choices. A change of balance will make sense when the Army and the RAF order a new generation of medium lift helicopters.

The Royal Air Force today.

Like their forbears in the 1920s and 30s our modern admirals, generals and air marshals fought the House of Commons by ensuring that the foundations of their mansions survived – recruit training, officer training, aircrew training, technical training, flying schools, staff colleges, research establishments. A glance at the RAF’s stable of aircraft during last year says it all. If one includes the Viking gliders for the Air Cadets there are 304 training aircraft in a force of just over 500 aircraft and about 100 helicopters.

The next Arms Race must be won like the Last One

Restoring the RAF to its Cold War sound structure and safe strength is almost as urgent as restoring the Royal Navy though an equally huge task. Keir must get real and start building for any chance of turning preparation for hot war into another cold war. The alternative is a global radiation catastrophe that makes the Chinese leaking Covid on the West look like a minor incident.

Learn from Israel

Group Captain Michael Norris wrote in The Times how recent events in the Middle East should give us all pause for thought. Israel has capable air defence systems combating air attacks by multiple advanced unmanned air systems, from drones to ballistic missiles. Britain does not possess the same range of capable anti-air warfare systems; beyond a limited number of manned air defence aircraft. We have no obvious integrated multiple platform air defence capability, certainly nothing like the “Iron Dome” to defend our cities. There may be plans to position an air defence destroyer in the Thames, but this would depend on global events whether one was available and still leave most other major cities undefended. He warned that we seem to have arrived at a situation analogous to 1938, when years of lazy assumptions were rudely shattered. This time the threat is advanced and multi-directional. We can no longer focus on the Channel. An attack could come from any direction. Spending more on defence is long overdue. The priority is a multi-platform defence system for the country.

Fighters – Design and Teamwork after the General Election.

Sixty years after that missed opportunity in 1966 leading to the F4 Phantom purchase, British Aerospace are a partner in the whole F35 programme, part of the design and manufacturing teams. By making the tail and other parts of every aircraft, British Aerospace and several other UK firms together will earn about 15% of the price of each aircraft. Just over 1,000 aircraft have been built so far and they cost $ 100 million each. Another 2,400 are on order or will be ordered between now and 2035. The US Navy, US Marines and US Air Force, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland and ourselves all have ordered batches of the aircraft. Thailand, Taiwan and UAE are still negotiating. Turkey’s order has been shelved for the moment.

Italy, Sweden and more recently Japan have joined BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Leonardo and others to develop the Tempest 2 sixth-generation fighter. This aircraft will feature some exciting ideas. The pilot’s visor will display its instrument panel as a virtual cockpit, sometimes there won’t be a pilot, swarms of drones will act as wingmen, deep learning AI will have a role by filtering the flow of information so the pilot isn’t swamped, the aircraft will carry hypersonic weapons and directed-energy weapons. Also, Tempest will be modular thus easily adapted for different roles. Tempest will have Cooperative Engagement Capacity – meaning the fighter can share data with other aircraft, ships, or ground troops. As with the F35 Lightning 2, five partners spread the development costs and make possible a large enough order to defend the British Isles properly.

This programme has two billion pounds earmarked for it but the government has to speed up. Time has a price for our island home. However, since the 2015 cuts when Cameron and Osborne made a third of the trainee pilots redundant, the RAF has been run down so much that its pilot and aircrew training system no longer works as it should. There are nowhere near enough instructors. Trainees are taking six years to go through courses that used to take three years.

I strongly recommend reading an article on the UK Defence Matters website. The author is an RAF Group Captain, former station commander who has 7,700 hours in his logbook, most of them flying fast jets.

https://ukdefencematters.com/f/the-pace-of-raf-pilot-training—by-dim-jones-mst