Uk F4 Phantoms being tested on HMS Eagle 1969

[Gil Boyd]

I have mentioned on here before about Abbey Wood MOD laying off 5,000 staff some years ago now, and just goes to show, they clearly were seen for what they were, the majority, a waste of space, literally!!.

As they do, a new manager comes in and brings in loads of staff so he can relax a bit, to a point where nobody does anything fast, and really sits and twiddles their thumbs and does very little , whilst a long a corridor one person is working like a dog.........odd!

I remember how this was all exposed. It was to do with a catapult system that was fitted to the then new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth and cost millions, which after installation, they realised a procurement person had bought a catapult system for an American jet we didn't, and were not going to use in the Royal Navy.

The truth on the Navy carrier debacle? Industry got away with murder • The Register

I had a friend, whose sole job was to fly around the world buying up all the spares for the VC10 aircraft's we had to keep them flying. She told me that her first class seat was always booked for her and the best hotels on arrival!!!

Every day, I get a link to a webiste in the UK, where an MOD clearance site sells "brand new" Range Rovers, some armoured which cost millions to produce for sale. They currently have hundreds of Catapillar generators all boxed all new unused.....................how can procurement people get that so wrong!
I developed and manufacturerd a torch, which MOD bought after it saved two EOD lads lives as it was so powerful if fopund trip wires in bunkers in Iraq. They would order them say 100 at a time, then I would see brand new ones exactly the same unused for sale on this particular website at a fraction of the cost WTF!!!Nuff said!!

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[GeeRam]

It was to do with a catapult system that was fitted to the then new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth and cost millions, which after installation, they realised a procurement person had bought a catapult system for an American jet we didn't, and were not going to use in the Royal Navy.

Not quite.

There was always the option during build to make the carriers cat n trap, which is what we should have done from day one, but dithering and the lack of steam generation for traditional catapaults (and the Harrier mafia within the RAF) pushed the no cats route, and then a change of mind in Govt and the announcement we would change the F-35B order for F-35C and fit the EMALS system that was being fitted to the new US carriers.
Then they changed their mind again, and went back to the B and no cats n traps.

We should have stayed with cats n traps and cancelled the ludicrously expensive not so stealthy jets and bought some new Super Hornets instead (just as USN are now doing) the money saved would have more than paid for the EMALS cat system and redesign of the carriers to accommodate them. This would have also allowed a much cheaper off the shelf buy of E-2D AEW aircraft (just as the French have done) and shaved a fortune and time with all the Crowsnest fiasco. Which would have also allowed much better cross decking options with the USN as well as the French rather than only the USMC (which doesnt have organic AEW as they rely on the USN CBG's)

As usual HMG wants to give the impression to the rest of the world we still deserve a place at the top table, but not wanting to actually spend the money to do it properly, and expect our wonderful Armed Forces to get on with it and make do.