UK air force stretched to limit by Libya mission, says air chief
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, April 4, IRNA -- Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton has said that Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) will need 'genuine increases' in its budget over the coming years if it is to continue running the range of operations the government is demanding.
With the RAF playing an important role in Libya, where bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft have all been involved over the past fortnight, the head of the air force admitted the service was now stretched to the limit.
'On current planning, we can continue in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Libya with what we have got. But that does bring you nearer the point that you have just about exhausted the bag. It's a heck of a lot to be doing at one time,' Dalton said.
Without 'genuine increases', the RAF would find it 'very difficult to maintain levels of capability', he warned in an interview with the Guardian, published Monday.
Britain is currently using eight Tornados and 10 Typhoons from bases in Italy to help secure the no-fly zone and is already hampered by the decision to scrap the country's only aircraft carrier due to cuts of 8 per cent in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget cuts in real terms that were announced last year.
Two squadrons of Tornados are due to be withdrawn from service in the summer while the remains of the fleet are also thought to be vulnerable as the MoD seeks to cover a £1bn overspend from last year's budget alone.
In his interview, Dalton revealed that the RAF was planning to continue operations over Libya for at least six months. His assumption is that planes will be needed 'for a number of months rather than a number of days or weeks'.
As the Libyan conflict continues, he said that extra cash was needed long before 2020, which is the target set by government for a wholesale revamping of UK defence strategy.
'It needs to happen from the next comprehensive spending review, 2014-15. If at that point the economy has recovered as the government is predicting it should, they can then start to reinvest in some of the future capabilities we will need.'
The air chief marshal also acknowledged that morale had been affected by a massive reduction in the defence's budget, which includes proposals to cut 17,000 jobs from the armed forces – 7,000 from the army and 5,000 each from the RAF and the navy.
'They also think there is a need to make sure the government, the public, understands what they do, and understands that they are prepared to do these things provided what they do is recognised,' he said.
A BBC poll on Sunday found the British public divided on the military intervention in Libya, with some 38% of people saying the UK and its allies were right to carry out air strikes, while 35% said it was the wrong decision. Two-thirds also believed Britain's military involvement would go on for some time.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30321819
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