Once-mighty RAF is disintegrating: One-third of British warplanes not ready for prime time

Great Power War ^ | 1/15/19 | USA Features

[SleeperCatcher]

A report in British media is claiming that the Royal Air Force, which saved the country from Nazi invasion in 1940, is not ready for full-on combat should another war break out in Europe.

The Daily Mirror reports that one-third of British RAF planes were either in storage or in maintenance as the air service celebrated its 100th year in existence.

Quoting the Defense Ministry, the news site said that aircraft have been mothballed and taken out of front-line service for periods of time because they need repairs and upgrades.

[StormEye]

This doesn't worry them. They're depending on
the USA to save them if war comes.

[robowombat]

What are comparable USAF readiness rates?

[SuperLuminal]

Not combat ready?... NBD!
Important thing is that all planes are fully supplied with prayer rugs...

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I thought it was pretty normal to have about a third of things like ships/aircraft not being available due to maintenance etc.

[dfwgator]

that the Royal Air Force, which saved the country from Nazi invasion in 1940

Thanks to the Polish pilots of the 303rd.

[Blood of Tyrants]

It is. The only time 100%v of the Navy jets I worked on were flyable is when they were flying off the ship at the end of the cruise.

[shanover]

...the Royal Air Force, which saved the country from Nazi invasion in 1940

The ineptitude of Hitler was also key.

[dfwgator]

A lot of questions over if Hitler really ever wanted to invade Britain, or merely to neutralize them.

[MeganC]

Given the growing number of EUropeons talking about invading the UK to prevent them from seceding from the EU then the RAF should be a major concern for the UK.

[central_va]

I thin Hermann Goering blew it for Adolf

[Pining_4_TX]

Too many of Britain’s real men were killed off in the 2 world wars. Many had no offspring. Yet another way war is destructive.

[Dundee]

Depending on what they are talking about, this is normal. Aircraft go through maintenance cycles so in reality a country will not have 100% availability. It’s normal for anything between 1/4 and 1/3 of aircraft to not be combat ready.

For sustained ops the numbers drop even more.

In the Navy, for every ship to be maintained on station in the combat zone you need 2 more ships. 1 in maintenance and 1 doing raise/train/sustain activities.

[DesertRhino]

They could not do the Falklands war today. No Harriers at all, no strategic bombers like the Vulcan that was used to good effect.

They have nothing essentially. Which is really Ok as they are well on the way to becoming an islamic country.

[familyop]

The U.K. should probably reorder its priorities more towards defense and away from supporting big government pay packages for civilian administrators. All free nations should do the same now, including ours.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Too many of Britain’s real men were killed off in the 2 world wars. Many had no offspring. Yet another way war is destructive.”

I don’t think that they have ever really recovered from WW I.

[StormEye]

"What are comparable USAF readiness rates?"

Probably better. We have more planes and personnel.

[ought-six]

And thanks to the utter idiocy of Adolph Hitler, who decided in 1940 to start moving most of his forces to the border with the Soviet Union with orders to invade that country.
England had its back against the wall in late 1940, and was hemorrhaging military assets. British military analysts were stupefied — and giddy with relief — when they found out that Hitler was changing his focus east.

[dfwgator]

I think Hitler was still holding out hope that the Brits would turn out Churchill and sue for peace, and I’m convinced that’s why he sent Rudolf Hess there.

[central_va]

Stalin was stupid too. He wouldn’t believe his own intel about the Germans plans. Heck, even AFTER the Krauts invaded he couldn’t accept it as real. He went into a deep depression and forget to stop shipping material to the Germans for a few days!