Fiasco of Britain’s missing Tornados
No10 wants to send more jets to Syria... but we have only ‘2 to 4’ spare Defence expert MP reveals cuts and mothballing makes us ‘marginal’
BRITAIN does not have enough aircraft to carry out effective bombing missions against Islamic State in Syria, a senior Conservative MP has told The Mail on Sunday.
Experts say that 24 Tornado ground-attack aircraft would be needed for Britain to mount an effective campaign, while maintaining current missions in Iraq.
But RAF sources say that only ‘two to four’ jets are poised to join the eight-strong force already operating over IS territory from Britain’s airbase at Akrotiri in Cyprus.
According to a well-placed source, David Cameron was informed of the lack of available aircraft by Defence officials and was said to have been ‘disappointed’. Downing Street did not respond to requests for comment last night.
Julian Lewis, the Tory chairman of the influential Commons Defence Select Committee, said last night that Britain’s fleet of mission-ready Tornados was so small that it could only make a ‘marginal’ contribution to the war against Islamic State, should Parliament vote to approve air strikes on targets in Syria.
And former Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Sir John Walker, said: ‘Can we sustain an effective bombing campaign against IS in Syria with the numbers of Tornado currently available?
‘I would say no, we can’t, and a lot of RAF people I speak to feel the same way. We’ve only got eight Tornados flying over Iraq and Syria. If you’re going to do this properly you need around 24.’
Mr Lewis said: ‘The difference the UK can make by joining the bombing effort to the challenge of eliminating IS will be highly marginal. As the RAF has only a tiny number of strike squadrons, it is no surprise to hear that any additional reinforcements to this theatre will be very few.’
Mr Lewis’s highly controversial comments, which he insisted represented his own opinion and not necessarily that of his committee, came as Mr Cameron tries to convince MPs and voters that the UK should join the aerial bombardment of Syria. Opponents of the move fear that it would make the UK more of a target for a Paris-style attack.
The Prime Minister told the Commons last week that the Tornado was crucial to the fight against IS because of its sophisticated and highly accurate Brimstone missiles and state-of-the-art Raptor surveillance system. But military experts have revealed that the UK’s fleet of Tornados has been depleted since 2010 when the decision was taken to retire the aircraft.
As a result, only a small number are battle-ready at any one time.
The concern about Britain’s lack of Tornados also coincides with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s message to party members requesting their views on whether the UK should bomb Syria, and as French President Francois Hollande appeals to British MPs to vote in favour of air strikes.
Sir John explained that the UK actually has about 72 Tornado ground-attack jets.
But because the aircraft is due to be retired from service in 2019 only a limited number are available for operations.
He said: ‘Inevitably towards the end of the Tornado’s lifespan everything which keeps it in the skies is wound down – that’s simply a fact of retiring the aircraft.
‘We simply couldn’t sustain a deployment of 24 with the numbers of Tornado we have now. For every one you send out on a mission, you need two more in readiness, just to maintain the operational tempo.’
Last night, respected defence consultant Howard Wheeldon suggested there was an ‘inconsistency’ between the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond framing the argument in favour of bombing Syria around Brimstone and Raptor, and so few additional Tornados being prepared to join the aerial campaign.
Mr Wheeldon said: ‘I can see an inconsistency, if I’m honest. They are talking about things which they have little knowledge about.
‘Some of the political language in this debate is not fit for purpose.’
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘Coalition partners have specifically requested UK assistance because we provide around a third of the Coalition’s high-end precision strike capability – a figure that will increase if we secure parliamentary approval to strike IS in Syria as well as Iraq.
‘That means we can strike the most difficult targets at speed, with high precision and minimal collateral damage.’
‘Can we sustain a campaign? No we can’t’