Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
tbf, they’ve had borrow the RAF’s tin and flyboys until 809 Naval Air Squadron is formed, which is due to be stood up in 2023...
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It makes sense for the RAF to skill up on the first ones to come off the line - in any case even the Invincible Class carriers embarked RAF Harriers when required.
QE and PoW are brand new, cutting edge ships carrying brand new, cutting edge planes. There was always going to be a lot of testing and training and the best logistics department in the world was never going to bring everything together at precisely the same time. That was foreseen a long time ago, which is why the US Marines were invited some time ago to provide air power alongside the RAF on QE’s first operational deployment.
“Carriers with no planes” is just one of several dog-whistle messages from 2014, appealing to that portion of the Yes vote that was in it entirely (or mostly) because of Trident, with little risk of upsetting the Forth and Clyde shipbuilders who were actually building the things.