“Why Britain’s Ministry of Defence
and the Government must change course.”

1. The following three comments indicate the urgent need for radical reform in Whitehall.

By Commander Paul Fisher.

Dear Sharkey and Anthony,

2. I have just read your book in one sitting; informative, logical and persuasive.  A veritable “tour de force” which adds to our knowledge and appreciation of events past and challenges ahead.
3. I was particularly interested in the US perspective, of which I was mainly ignorant and the slightly internecine Falkland TG aviation tangles.
4. I have had no qualms about my distaste and mistrust of the Crabs; the book confirmed all that I knew.
5. I was impressed with the strategic conclusions which not only confirms my view about Whitehall and what needs to be done.
6. I take nothing away from the overt support for the trans-Atlantic alliance, I would just add that, although admittedly a tangential matter for this book, the dependence upon the efforts of European continental powers to make up the whole alliance of northern hemisphere democracies is pivotal.
7. I believe passionately that a European dimension to sea-based air already exists and should be further exploited – CDG is a single but highly capable fixed wing platform which demonstrates its interoperability with the USN regularly. It already has Cats and Traps and is nuclear powered in stark contrast to the under equipped QE Class!
8. Anyway, I don’t want to take anything away from an excellent book which should be staff-course reading across the UK armed services.
   BZ

   Yours aye,

   Paul Fisher
   Commander Royal Navy – retired

   By Commander Laon Hume OBE.

9. Lester May’s letter to the Editor of the Portsmouth News (attached) is very much in keeping with the strong message contained in Dr Anthony Wells and Commander Sharkey Ward’s latest visionary book entitled “How Strategic Airpower Has Changed the World Order”.
10. Post Falklands, far from building on the significant achievements of our intrepid Aviators (strongly endorsed by Admiral Sir Henry Leach who stated, “Without the Sea Harrier there could have been no Falklands War”) for some inexplicable reason Admiral Fieldhouse directed the Task Force Commander that “The Falklands Air War Victory to be kept very low profile” (page 95).  The RAF, with its shore-based mentality, subsequently subsumed this massive Politico-Military asset and the Naval Staff have been struggling to convince our Politicians of the benefits of ‘Projecting Power from the Sea’ ever since. Hopefully they will applaud Lester for his efforts.
11. The book’s section dedicated to “The Falklands Air War” highlights that the Silent Service wished to remain silent – at least about the air-to-air war – and not capitalise on its Falklands achievement – notwithstanding the proven benefits of integrated Carrier Air to the Defence of the Realm.
12. Hopefully in these increasingly turbulent times our Politicians can now recognise and reverse their mistake of decimating the Fleet Air Arm to ensure History does not repeat itself.

    Yours respectfully,

    Laon Hulme OBE,
    Commander Royal Navy – retired.

    Support for Naval Aviation – by Lt Commander Lester May.

13. Significantly upgraded US Marine Corps Harriers have been flying from the assault ship USS Wasp. These iconic British-built aircraft will be retired by 2026.
14. In 2010 David Cameron, on the flawed advice of his senior military adviser, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, decided to withdraw all British Harrier aircraft from service, which led inevitably to bringing forward the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.
15. The now Lord Stirrup should be embarrassed at his part in neutering naval fixed-wing aviation for a decade.
16. Aircraft carriers with complete air groups are essential weapons systems for defending British interests worldwide. The RAF controlled the Fleet Air Arm from 1924 until 1939 and its mismanagement of naval aviation pre-war left the Royal Navy ill-prepared.
17. The operational flexibility of carrier borne aviation was obvious when, in the Falklands War, weeks after Naval Sea Harrier operations began, some RAF Harriers joined a carrier.
18. RAF support for Naval aviation remains lukewarm. A suffocating bureaucracy is today’s Royal Air Force, it’s comfortable ‘harmony guidelines’ a costly self-indulgence compared to those for soldiers, marines and sailors.
19. The RAF, with its 11 display teams, currently decides aircraft procurement priorities.
20. It’s best for the Defence of the Realm if the Royal Navy deals with naval aviation, not the RAF with its limited knowledge of maritime operations.

    Lester May Lieutenant Commander,
    Royal Navy – retired.