As the Anglo/US task force converges on the Gulf at the speed of the slowest ship, it is worth remembering that the creation of a non-NATO so-called rapid reaction force is still on the agenda, mainly in the shape of the Airbus Military A400M transport.
The Gulf exercise, which admittedly is at the extreme of the envelope, shows just how limited the capability of a rapid reaction force would be.
The USA has long since recognised the problem and its deployment of carrier task forces, strategically located to reflect a particular situation, is probably the only practical solution.
However, a large transport aircraft is a sensible starting point for the inception of a rapid reaction force, but the current lumbering of the Gulf task force must call for an audit on how and what it can achieve.
D F Newland Stanmore, Middlesex, UK
Source: Flight International
