The Scandal of the "Unsafe" RAF Aircraft Forced to Keep Flying

I get deeply depressed using this site, which offers so much optimistic possibility and traditional good sense gained from our shared past to relate the increasing betrayal by the British Government of those risking their lives for it, but to "defend the British Crown Commonwealth and the English-Speaking Peoples" one must be vigilant at all times to raise the cry. That's why we honour Churchill who spoke the inconvenient truths while many preferred to sleep. In yesterday's Times investigative reporter Mick Smith revealed the astonishing scandal that forces deadly aircraft to continue to be used by airmen in the service to Queen and country.

This latest scandal was slowly revealed after an RAF Nimrod simply exploded over southern Afghanistan on September 2nd and the MoD insisted that the 14 who were killed would not be categorised as having died in action but rather through a mere technicality. Smith received numerous emails from air crew at the Nimrod's base at RAF Kinloss detailing how they are "forced to keep flying and to continue with the air-to-air refueling process that is believed to have caused the tragedy."

In January 2005 in Iraq ten British servicemen were killed when a special forces Hercules was shot down by insurgents who managed to hit the aircraft wing fuel tank which exploded. After 18 months only seven of the RAF's 48-strong fleet of Hercules have had the flaw hat allowed this to happen corrected.

In the meantime, angry crew are leaving their bases “'in droves', either by resigning or demanding transfers to other aircraft" resulting in Kinloss base being short of eight flight engineers, forcing engineers from other bases to move to Kinloss, "but a number have resigned rather than do so."

Is it any wonder that in an open letter to Blair, families of those who died in action felt forced to remind him that

the military covenant is a cornerstone of our democracy, a mutual obligation between the nation, the armed forces, and every serviceman and woman. It is a common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility that has sustained the armed forces - and the country - throughout an often difficult history. In practice, this means that governments make the decisions, and the armed forces implement them. In return, the armed forces have:

* the right to expect any war to be lawful;

* the right to have adequate resources to carry out the tasks the politicians demand of them;

* the right to be properly cared for in the event of injury;

* the right to know that, in the event of their death, their families will be looked after properly.

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