Douglas Barrie/LONDON
Strategic Defence Review (SDR) proposals being considered by the UK Government could spell an end to the Royal Air Force's Sepecat Jaguar fleet and the merging of its British Aerospace Harrier GR7 fleet into a joint RAF/Royal Navy force.
The move to cut RAF aircraft numbers is inspired by a Treasury desire to reduce defence expenditure rather than as a result of strategic thinking. Initial results of the SDR are expected in mid-year.
The SDR proposal could bring the planned replacement date of the Jaguar forward by at least seven years, to around 2000-1.
If the options are pushed through by the UK Government, the RAF would lose three squadrons of Jaguars and its base at Coltishall, Norfolk, could be under threat. The two GR7 units at RAF Wittering would become part of a merged advanced short take-off and vertical landing (ASTOVL) wing with the RN, although the GR7s would remain under the authority of the RAF.
Moves to cut the Jaguar force, confirmed by senior Whitehall sources, revisits a battle the RAF fought, and won, during the last round of defence cuts. Then a proposal to cut the Jaguars is understood to have been scotched only by the then Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Michael Graydon.
Whitehall sources indicate that the RAF is again preparing to fight for the Jaguar's future. The fleet, which totals 80 aircraft, is undergoing a rolling avionics upgrade programme to enable it to maintain its effectiveness beyond 2008.
The loss of the Jaguars would place an even heavier burden on the RAF's Panavia Tornado interdictor strike squadrons. Recent Jaguar deployments have included Bosnia as well as operations over northern Iraq. There is already a general consensus that the RAF's commitments are spreading resources too thinly, even with the Jaguars in service.
If the outcome of the SDR does demand a cut in RAFaircraft numbers, then it is believed that the service would like to be allowed to spread the reductions across several types, rather than sacrifice a complete combat fleet.
The RAF's GR7 strike capability is being viewed with increasing interest by the RN. The RAF aircraft are now on deployment on HMS Invincible in the Gulf. The Navy Sea Harrier F/A2 is a capable air defence aircraft, but has only a basic ground attack capability.
Source: Flight International
