[Paul Bunyan]

Slimey indeed see how he is a two faced scumbag who expects our airforce to fight on two fronts yet he is sacking them wholesale
Facing Cameron sacked RAF fliers
The Daily Telegraph
Friday June 17, 2011 (Page 2)
By Thomas Harding Defence Correspondent

RAF graduates listened in silence yesterday as David Cameron made an impassioned speech about the nation's security without realising eight officers in front of him were about to be made redundant.

The Prime Minister spoke in front of 83 officer cadets and their families at a passing out parade at RAP Cranwell. He told them the day was about honour, duty and pride and that the Air Force would become a "formidable and world-class force".

He assured the officers that they would "have the resources you need" and promised "I'll never compromise on the nation's security."

He ended by saying: "You are doing your duty by us and we will do our duty by you.". However, his words were heard by the recruits who made it through training knowing they werein line to be fired.

The eight officers are part, of 170 RAF trainee pilots who are to be removed from flying training. They were selected for redundancy after interviews and aptitude tests.

Last year,. Mr Cameron was confronted by a Harrier pilot, part of the fleet that has been cut, at the Forces headquarters in Northwood.

Speaking after the parade yesterday, Air Vice Marshal Mark Green, commander of 22 Group said: "We all understood that cuts were necessary." He added that for those on parade "their future is very bright".
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A spokesman for the MOD said: "The Strategic Defence and Security Review made clear that there will be reductions in the numbers of personnel and aircraft across 'the three Services, including a reduction of some 5,000 RAF personnel by 2015."

The Prime Minister spoke after presenting the. Sword of Honour. He said that in Afghanistan, air power had "never been more important". and without it there could be no operation there. THEN THIS

Foreigners take sacked RAF pilots' places
The Daily Telegraph
Friday June 24, 2011 (page 4)
By James Kirkup Political Correspondent

TRAINEE RAF pilots sacked underdefence cuts will be replaced on flying courses by officers from foreign air forces. The Ministry of Defence is "actively seeking" foreign personnel to pay, for "surplus" training places left by British pilots dismissed earlier this year, a minister has admitted.

About 170 trainee RAP pilots were told in February that they were being made
redundant to save money. Some were only days away from becoming fully qualified to fly fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft.

A defence minister has now admitted that because they were dismissed at such short notice, the staff and equipment for their training are still in service and 'must
be funded to help meet the costs, foreign pilots will be trained. Student pilots from countries including Algeria and Kenya are understood to be taking up the vacant training places at RAF bases.

The cuts, part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, are said to have badly damaged morale in the RAF, which is actively engaged in Afghanistan and Libya.
Lord Astor of Hever, a defence minister, was challenged in the House of Lords about the impact of sacking the RAF trainees. He said: "It will take some time to remove the resulting additional spare capacity from the training programme and we are actively seeking to offer any surplus training slots to foreign students provided at full cost to their home govements, he said.

As well as immediate financial gain, the minister said that training foreign pilots would have long-term benefits to Britain. He said: "Supporting the training needs of our partners and allies provides important defence and diplomacy benefits and is also a critical factor in securing contracts for defence export sales, which are worth billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to the UK defence industry."

Andrew Brookes of the Air League, advocates higher spending on air power, said that the decision underlined the folly of sacking RAF trainees. These cuts have not been thought through properly," he said.

"We have wasted the £300million that went into training future RAFpersonnel. Now it is only other nations that are keeping our training system going by paying to take their places."

In all, the RAF will lose 5,000 posts over the next three years, reducing its headcount by almost 15 per cent to 32,000. Around 1,000 posts will go this year, with hundreds of similar compulsory redundantcies expected in September. Senior commanders say cuts are undermining the RAF. Last month, Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant, the RAF's second in command, told MPs that the air force is faces running short of both pilots and ground crew Morale among airmen is "fragile" and their fighting spirit is threatened by being overworked, he said. Servicemen's sense that the nation valued their efforts was being undermined by the cuts, he added .

Jeremy Blackham: Page 28 On Armed Forces Day we should reflect on Britain's military decline http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...y-decline.html