Defence Review

Adult Staff The Staff Mess
21

Nope. Too dangerous. Due to RAF Astra we only have drones now. It reduces the risk of hurting an actual pilot. Given we only operate them, the RAFAC can follow suit.

But you can’t do it for real of course; enter the new Babcock sponsored DroneSim. You still need a medical chit from your GP. And 50% of cadets will no show for their DroneSim slot. Causing many angry ranty emails.

And ACTO35? That’s being redrafted so that you can’t go drone flying with your Civi drone flying mates - even if they have got a CAA licence and are a Drone Instructor.

3 Likes
22

Reminds me of an episode of Stargate

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23

Topic?

24

Hey! That’s my line! (They are right though, keep on track please)

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25

Well with the Force being removed that leaves Royal Air as a small bespoke transport company…

But hey we will be in charge of Space Command…

Expect next gen Bader system to be renamed Buzz Lightyear

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26

Fine … sorry! strops and sulks

On a more serious note, what sources do you fine folks use to gen up on topics such as these - how do you separate the good intel from the utter tosh.

It would be good to expand my reading set from the rubbish i read online!

27

The uk defence journal can be good for somethings

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28

That’s no way to talk about ACC!

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29

The main think tanks - RUSI, Chatham House, IISS.

The Times & Telegraph seem to have the most coverage but I take it with a cellar full of salt (maybe personal bias as I don’t share their political leaning).

I find the Economist is a good bite sized source for international relations and defence generally, especially for non U.K. developments. Cribbing their coverage got me through OASC.

UK Defence Journal is ok, Jane’s is considered the gold standard but it’s got a pay wall. Aviation Week is excellent and most content is free if you register.

If you can filter out the politics again Task & Purpose and The National Interest are good for what’s happening across the pond.

Air generally gets less coverage than sea or land though.

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30

You must be a liberal then… as the telegraph is hardly right wing!
:rofl::joy::rofl::joy::rofl::joy:

31

I tend to find that reading the Guardian and the Times and then assuming the truth is halfway between the two very different stories works quite well.

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32

When I used to help run pre-uniform courses, we ran a current affairs exercise looking at the same news event reported by different newspapers. Students found it a real eye opener to read about the same event in the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Fail and Mirror, then realise how much spin and political slant there was. I find the BBC generally is balanced, but probably less engaging to read and with less analysis because of that.

33

Broadly what I do. Though I find The Times has a better online presence. (Maybe because it is paid for) I miss The Independent (printed version).

34

guilty as charged

35

It’s great, but may end up going the way of Navy Wings and becoming a charity.

36

Yeah I find that the Guardian has the same levels of journalistic integrity as the Daily Mail. At work we tend to find that if we’ve annoyed both of those two papers then we’re probably doing something right.

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37

Hardly a travesty if the BBMF goes that way!
To be honest… and I appreciate this is radical and will make some choke on their morning cereal…

But…

I would transition all the ‘PR’ type units in the military to that status also.

Red Arrows
Parachute display teams
BBMF
Etc

If the choice has to be made between maintaining front line fighting forces and luxury or historic units, we have to be realistic.

Of course I would personally rather we didnt give nations with a space and nuclear program any aid and spend that on ourselves instead!

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38

except, afaiu, they’re a significant source of income for the RAF

39

I didn’t realise the Mail had any journalistic integrity :slight_smile:
I find the Guardian does some good honest reporting, alongside the outraged leftwing columnists

40

yeh, that’s my take on the Grauniad - it’s the only non-public-funded news app I’ve got downloaded on my phone. I tend to avoid most of the columnists though