“The ongoing DOC Audit of the RAF leadership
and track record needs to be expanded.”

1. A “woke” agenda is being pursued by Air Chief Marshal Wigston at the expense of Operational Priorities and Sister-Service needs. This is now so obvious that Ben Wallace has convened a DOC Audit addressing:
   1. The Mismanagement of the Military Flying Training System (MFTS),
   2. The Progressive Affirmative Policy of favouring females and ethnic minorities over white males in the RAF recruiting process, and
   3. The low morale and accusations of misconduct within the Red Arrows organization.
2. This Audit should also be addressing legitimate questions concerning some of the other progressive public policy statements by the Chief of the Air Staff:
   4. Proclaiming that all serving RAF personnel should be referred to as “Aviators”,
   5. Determining a “Net Zero target for the RAF”. Pandering to the illogical fear mongering claims of the Green Deal ideologues is surely beyond the terms of reference of one of our Service Chiefs.
3. A full investigation into these matters is of course necessary but the Secretary of State needs to go much further by investigating the ill health of RAF leadership and the malfeasance of the Royal Air Force over the past 6 decades. A detailed DOC Audit is urgently needed into
   1. Their incompetent management of major projects, whether collaborative or otherwise, and into
   2. The way that they have misled parliament over their capability to provide effective air defence of our homeland base and the air defence of the fleet at sea.
4. There is also the question of intentional misemployment of scarce frontline military air weapon systems.
5. A topical and major defining example of the latter must be the ongoing deployment of HMS Prince of Wales to the eastern seaboard of the United States for an Operational Exercise without the embarkation of its principal weapons system, UK’s F-35B Lightning II air defence all weather fighter. For extraordinary reasons beyond my understanding, the RAF has ownership and control of the F-35B despite the prime reason for its procurement being to furnish the Fixed Wing Air Groups of our 2 new aircraft carriers – in accordance with stated Strategic Maritime Policy.
6. In his assessment of “operational priority”, the Chief of the Air Staff and his team have ordered the deployment of F-35B fighters to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus where they enjoy five-star holiday conditions – at the same time leaving our aircraft carrier decks empty.
7. At paragraph 3, above, I used the word “Malfeasance” (the legal term for “wrongdoing, especially by a public official). That is a very serious indictment, but it is apposite. Examples of this are as follows:
   1. The logic for the 1967 Healey carrier decision was based upon the RAF lying to Ministers, saying, “We don’t need aircraft carriers. We, the Royal Air Force, can supply air defence of the fleet throughout the oceans of the world”. This lie ignored such compelling events as the Korean War (1950 to 1953) where UK air power was projected only by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft carriers – RAF fighter and attack aircraft could not and did not take part. The lie placed in jeopardy UK’s ability to defend itself against the Soviet threat and UK’s ability to project Strategic Military Power. The RAF failure to respond to the British Honduras (Belize) crisis in 1972 and then, importantly, failure to provide air defence of the Task Force during the Falklands crisis in 1982 were adequate testimony to their deceit.
   2. In the late 80s and early 90s, MOD/Air repeatedly confirmed to Parliament that despite claims to the contrary, the Tornado air defence fighter was “operational”. This was another major untruth. Throughout the period in question, this Tornado variant did not have a functional air to air weapon system and was incapable of fulfilling its prime role, the air defence of the UK homeland base. Any Soviet air offensive against the UK would have been unopposed by these land-based aircraft.
   3. Then in 2002, Air Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup and Lord Bach ensured the withdrawal of the Sea Harrier FA2 from service by lying to the Defence Select Committee saying that “the Sea Harrier had no capability against the main threat to our Fleet which was the sea skimming missile”. De facto, the Sea Harrier FA2 armed with the Blue Vixen radar and the AMRAAM beyond visual range missile was specifically designed for and capable of defending the fleet against this threat. It was applauded by all our Allies as such. Sir Jock Stirrup and Lord Bach’s testimony was either based on ignorance (unlikely) or malfeasance (more likely and demonstrating the lengths to which the RAF would go to rid our military of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm).
   4. In 2010, the National Security Council (NSC) recommended the withdrawal from service of the obsolete Tornado GR4 aircraft and the retention in service of the much more operationally capable Harrier GR 7/9 which was already doing sterling service in Afghanistan. In a secret meeting between Sir Jock Stirrup, then Chief of the Defence Staff, and the Prime Minister, David Cameron at RAF Brize Norton (within the Prime Minister’s constituency), the NSC decision was summarily reversed without any regard to operational capability and effectiveness for the Close Air Support of our ground forces. This reversal at the instigation of Stirrup left our Fleet without any embarked fixed wing capability and, in parallel, without any effective power projection capability beyond the NATO area.
8. In his published interview with Sky News, the “Head of the RAF says he will address ‘legitimate questions’ over diversity and harassment ‘as a priority‘”. In the light of the long-term malfeasance reported above, the DOC Audit into these matters must be expanded as suggested at paragraph 3 above. Only with such oversight and diligence can the RAF be held responsible for its wrongdoing and a better way ahead achieved for planned defence investment and procurement in support of stated Strategic Policy.
9. A transcript of the published Sky News interview with the Chief of the Air Staff is given below for convenience. Questionable statements have been highlighted with emboldened text. My comments, if any, are made [in parentheses].

The Interview.

The head of the RAF says he will address “as a priority” a series of “legitimate questions” raised in the media over diversity targets in the air force, allegations of sexual harassment and bullying within the Red Arrows and concerns about military flying training.

In the first officially released statement since reports about the controversies broke, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said any aviator [do you not mean, “any individual”? Serving RAF personnel are not all aviators.] who has a concern about activity within the service should raise it with their chain of command, alert a confidential helpline or tell the RAF police.

Two defence sources, however, dismissed the comments as weak, saying they appeared to be a sign of “backpedalling and buying time” following mounting criticism.

One source said: “It’s an appeasement policy, whilst clearly admitting that things have gone wrong.”

The second source added: “No apology that he has failed?… Why is he still so focused on diversity when we have p***** off personnel he’s struggling to retain?… Can’t believe he’s hiding behind this ridiculous reply.”

In a message to his people that was released by the Ministry of Defence on Thursday, Air Chief Marshal Wigston said: “Recent news coverage has addressed our values and standards, our culture and behaviours, and our determination to meet the MOD’s level of ambition for diversity.

Air Chief Marshal Wigston said this would be the focus of a meeting of the Air Force Board of senior officers on 7 September.

“As a leadership team, we are clear that unacceptable behaviours have no place in our service,” the air chief said.

“We also remain committed to increasing our diversity and I can confirm categorically that neither our operational effectiveness, nor the quality of our new entrants has suffered as a result of our attempts to widen our recruiting from across society.

“We continue to deliver against every operational task asked of us by the government; the RAF is deployed extensively,

[only within the immediate NATO area. You are unable to deploy effectively and in strength East of Suez, in the Indo Pacific region and even in the South Atlantic.]

operationally active, and is indisputably lethal,

[when are you going to start embarking and deploying our F-35B fighter aircraft in our aircraft carriers?]

and nothing in that regard has been or ever will be compromised by our drive to attract and recruit people from the widest pool of talent in the UK workforce.”

Three simultaneous crises have engulfed the Royal Air Force in as many weeks in a huge challenge for its leader.

The collection of woes – as revealed by Sky News – involve: the resignation of the head of RAF recruitment over an “unlawful” order to offer jobs to women and ethnic minorities over white men; claims of bullying misogyny and sexual harassment in the elite Red Arrows, and a revelation over the state of military flying training, with hundreds of pilots stuck in limbo for months, sometimes years.

Read more: Defence secretary orders audit of military flying training as RAF leadership in ‘tailspin’ over leaks

Air Chief Marshal Wigston, whose three-year stint as Chief of the Air Staff has been extended by a year to next summer, is alleged to believe there is a “concerted strategy” against him, sources said. [You reap what you sow!]

They noted that he would do better to consider the substance of the claims along with signs of poor morale among his people and waning confidence in him.

The head of the RAF, in his message, said: “You will be well aware of the ongoing focus on the Royal Air Force in the media and on social media, on a number of topics, over the past weeks.

“I am acutely conscious that the coverage affects us all – whether regular, reserve, civil servant, or contractor – as well as our families and loved ones; and there are legitimate questions being asked which I am determined we will address as a priority.”

He continued: “We play a critical role in the security and defence of the UK and our allies, and that is where our primary effort must always be.

[But your short-range Typhoon fighter is no deterrent to a longer-range air launched Russian missile attack from the Northeast. So, what is your critical role?]

I would ask that commanders and line managers at all levels continue to support your teams, and to ensure nobody feels isolated or marginalised.

“It is essential now more than ever that we pull together and focus on our essential purpose: global air and space power to protect our nation.”

[You have no effective global air power projection capability other than embarking your tactical fighter aircraft in our aircraft carriers. Where is your support for ensuring that the Tempest program must deliver an aircraft specifically designed for embarkation in our carriers?]