A 3000 round trip and they didn't even bring any pasta!!!

[VectraMan]

Have the Cypriots refused permission or something? The BBC were reporting the day before yesterday how the RAF were moving Tornados from Scotland to Devon to be closer to Libya, whilst ignoring the blindingly obvious that they'd fly from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus (my Dad used to be stationed there).

[Durbs]

I'm taking the kids to Crete soon, ruddy great, if we dont get blown out of the sky on the way over cos our 757 looks like a Mig to a yank pilot our villa is then within missile range of a nutjob.

Didn't consider that when booking.

[Sockpuppet]

FFS, we send some Tornado's on a 3000 mile round trip to bomb **** all and they don't even bring us back some pasta!

Menelaus, it's about time you had a word.

On a serious note, how much did that little jaunt cost and who the **** is going to foot the bill?
(I think I guessed the answer to the last part of the question.)



Why didn't we leave the Tornado's in Cyprus or Gibraltar for a later mission?

Becuase dropping bombs on civliians is acceptable as then it wouldn't look like we'd wasted money.

Besides by the time they landed with the rising cost of fuel the dreggs would have been worth more than the all the fuel at the start of the flight so it actually saved money.

[Churchill]

Becuase dropping bombs on civliians is acceptable as then it wouldn't look like we'd wasted money.

Besides by the time they landed with the rising cost of fuel the dreggs would have been worth more than the all the fuel at the start of the flight so it actually saved money.

I'm not expecting the RAF to bomb civilians.

You missed the point.

Why make a round-trip of 3000 miles? There are staging points a damn sight nearer to Libya.

[EternalOptimist]

Maybe there is some playing to the gallery. I supose it shows that the RAF can launch a long range , refuel in flight, mission , and have such good intel and integrity that they abort when civilians are seen near the target.
Meanwhile the RN is also showing what it is capable of. Maybe they have one eyeball on the cuts, and one on PR

i wouldnt blame them a bit

[Churchill]

Maybe there is some playing to the gallery. I supose it shows that the RAF can launch a long range , refuel in flight, mission , and have such good intel and integrity that they abort when civilians are seen near the target.
Meanwhile the RN is also showing what it is capable of. Maybe they have one eyeball on the cuts, and one on PR

i wouldnt blame them a bit

I suppose it's to much to ask but do we have any WE.177 bombs left?
(It's ok, I know the answer.)

[TykeMerc]

I'd guess it's because the vast majority of the Tornado's are based in Marham with all of the support and servicing infrastructure located there.

It's not a 2 minute £10 job to lift and shift all the kit, ammunition, spares and people to the Med, in fact it's probably cheaper to pay for the fuel for round trips. The nearest place to Libya with Tornado service kit and technicians is Saudi, getting agreement to fly from there could be interesting.

[EternalOptimist]

I suppose it's to much to ask but do we have any WE.177 bombs left?
(It's ok, I know the answer.)

zeity's the expert on that stuff.

as far as I know, we are using air launched cruise missiles at the moment, it must be the frogs and the US who have been blatting the convoys on the coast road

[EternalOptimist]

I'd guess it's because the vast majority of the Tornado's are based in Marham with all of the support and servicing infrastructure located there.

It's not a 2 minute £10 job to lift and shift all the kit, ammunition, spares and people to the Med, in fact it's probably cheaper to pay for the fuel for round trips. The nearest place to Libya with Tornado service kit and technicians is Saudi, getting agreement to fly from there could be interesting.

Italy is a darn sight closer than Saudi Arabia

[Mich the Tester]

Italy is a darn sight closer than Saudi Arabia

...and you don't get hanged for having a drink in Italy.