Simple defence cost saving measure, with absolutely no loss of capability, abolish the RAF. It hasn’t shot down an enemy aircraft in combat since Biggles was in short trousers. And what it does could very easily and more efficiently done by expanding the existing aviation components of the Army and the Navy.
Needless duplication would disappear, inter services squabbles would reduce by 66% we if we had two armed services and not three.
The US Army Air Force and US Navy managed to achieve total air superiority over both Germany and Japan, the integrated Israeli Defence Force saw off the overwhelmingly larger Arab forces several times, including mastery of the skies. So an administratively separate air force is neither essential nor, perhaps, even desirable.
I do think there’s a genuine need to identify what exactly our military role is going to be before we can think about what sort of level of service to maintain. Clearly, we’ve been set up to be able to assist in US-led military adventures, graduating to the point where we could bilaterally fuck up Libya with just France as company.
What are our needs? Defence? World’s (shittest) policeman? Until we can address that one point, ideas on spending and reorganisation need to be kicked into the long grass, I reckon.
And Trousers, if he’s on this site in another guise?
I don’t think we’ve got the real life trousers on here. Shame, because I really do like the boy. I referenced him in a tweet when we launched Optimus trousers.
If you are going to have any military capability at all surely that must include air support? If it werent for the RAF in 1940 we would all be speaking German now. Having air support is crucial. Maybe we have had to shoot down planes for some time but who is to say we wont have to in the future. It is also not only about aerial combat though. Army, navy and the airforce all play their part.
I think the OP’s point is that air support is going to work better if integrated into the land and sea services, rather than as a third force separately and independently maintained.
Various bodies do integrate though. The navy have an air arm. The army have a marine corps. There are some things that work and some things you need a separate command. I am sure service men could put the case better than I. Where is Batman when you need him?