Dark Earth: A New Jerusalem

Each service thinks they are the most important and that they others should be subject to them.

Steve,

Coastal Command was never established on account of the RNAS remaining in existence and having that as their main mission within the interwar period. Subsequently, as you say, it is well beyond a simply coastal remit.

Training Command has been amalgamated with the training establishments of the other Commonwealth states in an effort to save money and increase capacity above the sum of its individual parts. Full details are here: alternate-timelines.proboards.com/post/116021

Transport Command is still there, regarded as something of a redheaded stepchild by the major commands, yet being quietly essential to the movement of troops and equipment around the world.

Simon

Looking at the situation from the other/Soviet side has them in what can be termed a non-optimal situation as of the end of 1964.

- The US has an overwhelming nuclear superiority approaching 4:1. They do not seem to be slowing down their rate of ICBM or general warhead construction either.
- Attempts to extend influence in the Far East and Middle East in 1945-56 ended in failure. However, Indonesia is a gain.
- India, whilst not automatically Western allied, is very firmly in the Western camp.
- The Middle East is still a barrier rather than a highway, meaning that there is far less general access to the region and for the Mediterranean Eskadra, as well as it being far more difficult to extend influence into Africa.
- The West/NATO has a clear superiority at sea and in the air.
- It also has a substantial qualitative edge on the ground and a reduced quantitative disadvantage.

Therefore, what are the Soviets to do?
1.) Try to extend and build upon their economic modernisation, which, just as in 1964 in @, was at a very optimistic time. 10 years of solid performance rather than a shift to Brezhnevian Stagnation would be quite advantageous.
2.) Modernisation of the Red Army. Their new tanks are much more competitive, the BMP-1 is the best of its type in the world, new SP artillery is very good, there are a lot of missiles of all types and some excellent helicopters and rotodynes are about to appear. General numbers are rising, increasing specific threats and the range of threats, in particular from light/medium rifle divisions, a lot more Spetsnaz commandos and elite special forces units.
3.) Modernisation of the Soviet Air Force. Their 1960s aircraft are now catching up and can be built in large numbers. Soviet bombers are increasingly powerful and are getting new stand off weapons and their own parallel programme to the TSR-2/B-X.
4.) Modernisation of the Soviet Navy. Production of a new series of powerful cruisers and destroyers to replace older ships and escort their carriers. Build, build, build new SSNs to increase their numbers and capacity to push out to the Atlantic and the main war. Develop new land based strike bombers to contest the Norwegian Sea and beyond. Force the enemy to split their forces with a Baltic threat, which would be very...ambitious...
5.) Build up of the Strategic Rocket Forces in both ICBMs and IRBMs.
6.) Push their strategic campaigns in Africa and SE Asia. Destabilise South America. Court Turkey and the Middle East; difficult to bridge the gap with the regional monarchies.
7.) Plan for a major political thrust into the Balkans: NATO’s weak flank is Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, behind which lays Austria-Hungary, which is a major strategic lynchpin of Europe as well as being one of the major industrial regions of the Continent. Control of the Danubian region gives Eastern Europe, putting Italy on the frontline and setting Germany on the back foot.
8.) Add to forces threatening Scandinavia up to a Front, which clears the land flank of the egress route to the Atlantic, draws in American and British reserves and forces the battlefront away from the Kola Peninsula and Soviet Union.


The last two points in particular are far from guaranteed of success, but they represent an effort to change the disadvantageous strategic picture.
Thoughts welcome.

Next Part:

“Indeed, Prime Minister. Moving onto Fighter Command, we are exceptionally well positioned at this time. Our long ranged pair of the Avro Arrow and the Fairey Delta II give us extended presence out in the air-sea gap to our north, as well as giving us the capacity to project fighter airpower out to Sweden. That also gives them a secondary role that isn’t widely advertised, as such - escorting in our V-bombers to Russia over the northern route.”

“You didn’t find there any compelling evidence for reducing the long range fighter force to a single type?”

“No, they both compliment each other effectively at this time. The Delta IIs have the raw firepower in terms of their missile load, which allows them to break up enemy aerial formations with long range volleys and let’s the Arrows loose to take on the disrupted bombers and fighters. There is also the political issue of the latter aircraft and its value to the Canadian aviation industry and as an export.”

“That is sufficient for the moment. In the long run, we need to reduce the numbers of different planes we field in closely similar roles; certainly the replacement would ideally be a single fighter. The same goes for the short and medium range fighters and interceptors. If we can get the number down to three types, it will maximise the force we can field.”

“Perhaps in the future, Prime Minister, but the consensus of the Air Staff and Fighter Command is that the threat anticipates over the next decade requires the current triple level defence structure. The Sunstars provide a versatile force in the middle ground over the North Sea and the Lightning is the best interceptor in the Free World at the moment and is our main atomic armed fighter.”

“That does leave the SR.187 rocketplanes.”

“They do present an opportunity for economisation; their performance is sufficient that Fighter Command has reduced its maximum requirement to 160 machines.”

“That does seem affordable, given that we are trying to get the Germans and Austrians to buy it. Nothing beyond that. Overall, what was the answer to our major question?”

“2000, Prime Minister. That is the force level that is considered necessary to defend our airspace. It seems like a lot, but if we examine Appendix Three, we can see what options that gives us.”

“Hmm. Rather novel when it is expressed on the map, yes.”

“And if we employ Project Faithful...”

Barton’s eyebrow raised in interest. Yes. Yes. That could work...

“Consider it approved. Now, what was the reaction to our Merlin proposal?”

“Fighter Command would love them and Strike Command want to keep them. They are one of our trump cards in the medium to long range and have the arguably the best combination of radar, performance and carrying capacity of any Western fighter at this time. Ideally, Prime Minister, we’d field them in both and in RAF Germany, but given the parameters you’ve set, we can only settle for two of those. The best choice is Fighter Command and Germany.”

“Hmm. That would work in combination with the introduction of the Phantom with Strike Command and, eventually, in Germany. The combination of both planes with RAFG will give us what we need. Good. There were no issues with the Buccaneer?”

“A certain body of opinion preferred more Tornados instead, but the majority of commanders and staff were quite accepting of the prospect.”

“Excellent. They are a cheaper counterpart to the more expensive fighters and augment the Lion very well.”

“Not to mention allowing us to use the Harrier in its most suitable role. The introduction of Phantom will give us a multi-role capacity that will further develop this, along with the logistical and political advantages.”

“Yes, the Universal Fighter, the Americans were dubbing it in Washington. Right, that leaves the major issue - what was the outcome on Strike Command question?”

One of Barton’s major aerial priorities upon assuming office had been for the Air Staff to put together a plan for the completion of the restructuring of Strike Command to a more versatile organisation. It needed to be more than simply an operational reserve for the Continent alone, but Britain could not afford the sheer size and scale of the American Tactical Air Command. The two main commitments of RAF tactical aircraft to Europe were RAF Germany and RAF Scandinavia, with the latter being substantially smaller. Britain had a confidential commitment to a minimum force of 960 aircraft in Germany in peacetime and double that on mobilisation, but discussions regarding that level were approaching an interesting point with Germany and the United States.

“There are three main options, Prime Minister. The first is the first class or German option. There would be home based units dedicated to reinforcement of our Continental forces and two two composite groups capable of reinforcing Germany, the Middle East or the Orient and based around a first rate, balanced force each of 25 squadrons of fighters, ground attack, strike aircraft and bombers. The second would have reinforcing elements and a similar force, but with a stronger emphasis on ground attack and fighter-bombers and consistent of 20 squadrons each. Then there would be the last option, which would deploy two smaller tactical air groups of 16 squadrons each for European reinforcement and a swing force for reinforcement and out of area missions.”

“Proceed with the cost study, whilst factoring in the expected savings from the Phantom order. I’ll put it to Cabinet once we have solid information - you know my preference is for the first class option, but this is a matter for us all.” Barton looked down at the report in his hand in thought.

“What is the minimum force we’d need elsewhere, apart from the Indian contingency force outlined here?”

Shackleton thought for a moment. “Eight squadrons at present, although ten would allow deployment to Australia if Indonesia keeps acting up.”

“Very good. That could well work.”

Barton gritted his teeth. He had his preference, but it was perhaps too radical for the immediate future.

A New Jerusalem Part 13


The easiest task coming last was in many ways a relief after some of the comparatively more difficult decisions that had preceded it. The Royal Air Force had been the best funded of the four armed services since the Second World War and that largesse had resulted in a well-rounded and powerful force without substantial gaps in its capabilities. Of course, the other side of this seemingly happy situation was that the Air Ministry had a very comfortable operational relationship with the Big 5 aviation conglomerates, which played into perhaps too close a connection between requirements and developers. However much there was an environment of mutual back-scratching, mused Stanley Barton, it did have multiple positive impacts upon the broader British economy, ranging from efficiency savings to wide-reaching supply chains and the construction of new modern production plants in electorally important areas undergoing industrial change and renaissance.

“Thank you for your report, Lord Shackleton. I think that it’s recommendations align with the broad thrust of what we’re looking to achieve and what can be reasonably funded.”

“You’re quite welcome, Prime Minister. I can’t claim too much credit there; our current frontline aircraft are the fruit of the two big funding boosts of the 1950s. They give us the numbers and the types of planes we need into the next decade, barring war or disaster. Being able to concentrate our new acquisitions on a few key types and attritional reserves is a saving in time and money. That is the foremost item of what I like to term as the good news.”

“What would be the bad?”

“Not so much bad as the sign of things to come - the unit price of new aircraft. Appendix B discussed the direction that the individual cost of new planes will be heading in is rising rather more steeply than anticipated due to the increasing complexity of new generation avionics and computerised systems. It is not beyond us, so long as the projected inflation remains within the general levels currently anticipated, but we can look towards our new fighters costing upwards of 2.5 million pounds each by the early 1970s.”

“That seems bad enough for me, Secretary of State for Air, but we’ll try and handle the ship of the economy as best as we can to give the Air Force what it needs. In any case, the Supermarine and Hawker-Siddeley fighters are still in the early throes of development. Now, onto the RAF’s own ‘Big Five’. It was pleasing to see that the Victory superbomber remains within our margins?”

“It does at this time, with the caveat that the weapons system is proceeding separately, as are the special defences and of course the armament.”

The Supermarine and Hawker-Siddeley fighter projects were not only highly promising, but quite revolutionary in their consequences. If they could replace a number of different types of fighter each, then the relative power of the Royal Air Force would rise, just as the Tornado promised to be a great leap from the Hunter. Each aircraft would not only deliver increased performance and advanced thrust vectoring, but the integration of new weapons, new avionics and new defence systems. This is what would add to their expense and the duration of their development, perhaps even more than projected.

“We do have some additional discretionary monies available through the general strategic budget and the Dwarven Fund. The Victory is at the centre of our bomber plans for the next twenty years, so we need it.”

“There are also the savings inherent in the retirement of the Valiants; outside of the Far East, we’re ahead of schedule in that regard.”

“I’m reticent to rush that measure in the light of the situation with Indonesia and what we might need to do in Vietnam. We simply don’t have enough Vulcans or TSR-2s to cover all eventualities for at least another eighteen months.”

“Not without substantial increases to projected orders, Prime Minister, and they would take a year to see any results. The ASB is on track, but that won’t be of any use for such requirements in any case.”

“Thus, the Valiants remain for now. We seem to be in much better shape when it comes to strike aircraft.”

“Very much so. TSR-2 gives us a combination of reach and striking power that no enemy aircraft can match at this time and our continuation of the policy of emphasising British and Commonwealth production for one more year is the better option in my view. The Tornado will give us additional range and capability in the strike fighter mission even as it replaces part of the Hunter force. Thunderbolt production will take some time to get going, but Vickers have their refurbished factory in Blackpool coming into operation beginning next September. Whatever wait occurs, within reason, it will be worth it based on what Thunderbolt can do.”

“Indeed. It is the odd one out among the three, but in many ways is the most important."

The Vickers Thunderbolt was one of only a few aircraft of its exact kind in the Western world and its major competitor had certain advantages of scale and performance over it. The Boeing plane had already attracted interest from Australia and Israel on account of its range and bombload, but their particular requirements were not shared by every one of the more than a dozen countries that still flew the good old Canberra. That was a market that Britain could ill afford to lose.

“Indeed, Prime Minister. Moving onto Fighter Command, we are exceptionally well positioned at this time. Our long ranged pair of the Avro Arrow and the Fairey Delta II give us extended presence out in the air-sea gap to our north, as well as giving us the capacity to project fighter airpower out to Sweden. That also gives them a secondary role that isn’t widely advertised, as such - escorting in our V-bombers to Russia over the northern route.”

“You didn’t find there any compelling evidence for reducing the long range fighter force to a single type?”

“No, they both compliment each other effectively at this time. The Delta IIs have the raw firepower in terms of their missile load, which allows them to break up enemy aerial formations with long range volleys and let’s the Arrows loose to take on the disrupted bombers and fighters. There is also the political issue of the latter aircraft and its value to the Canadian aviation industry and as an export.”

“That is sufficient for the moment. In the long run, we need to reduce the numbers of different planes we field in closely similar roles; certainly the replacement would ideally be a single fighter. The same goes for the short and medium range fighters and interceptors. If we can get the number down to three types, it will maximise the force we can field.”

“Perhaps in the future, Prime Minister, but the consensus of the Air Staff and Fighter Command is that the threat anticipates over the next decade requires the current triple level defence structure. The Sunstars provide a versatile force in the middle ground over the North Sea and the Lightning is the best interceptor in the Free World at the moment and is our main atomic armed fighter.”

“That does leave the SR.187 rocketplanes.”

“They do present an opportunity for economisation; their performance is sufficient that Fighter Command has reduced its maximum requirement to 160 machines.”

“That does seem affordable, given that we are trying to get the Germans and Austrians to buy it. Nothing beyond that. Overall, what was the answer to our major question?”

“2000, Prime Minister. That is the force level that is considered necessary to defend our airspace. It seems like a lot, but if we examine Appendix Three, we can see what options that gives us.”

Appendix Three certainly did demonstrate a lot with its series of circles on maps of Britain and Western Europe. The air defence of the British Isles, by its very nature, involved protecting airspace over France, the Low Countries, Germany, the North Sea and Scandinavia. Fighter Command was not just a tactical defence of the Imperial motherland, but at the same time a strategic defence of its allies and a weapon of air supremacy over the Continent. The frontline was no longer Kent, but Jutland. In this way, the “Big Wing” of the last war looked to now have its potential moment in the sun, as ninety or so Supermarine Sunstars flying defensively over the North Sea could decisively turn the tide of an air battle over the Baltic with long range missile salvos.

“Hmm. Rather novel when it is expressed on the map, yes.”

“And if we employ Project Faithful...”

Barton’s eyebrow raised in interest. Yes. Yes. That could work...

Project Faithful was rather more interesting than the consequences of deployments. With the use of two of the RAF’s skyship aerocarriers at the right locations, they could not only deploy their own capable air groups at key locations, but also support additional Harrier wings and allow the shuttling and control of British and Commonwealth advanced trainers. These aircraft, assigned in mobilisation to RAF Tactical Weapons Units, allowed the Lightnings far more flexibility. It was all a question of coordination, which is where Faithful I came into play, combining the potent capacity of an airborne master command station with modern automated processing and a greatly expanded radar horizon. With new advances in computing engines, considerably more could be achieved, including the next stage, Faithful II, which would involve the airborne deployment of long range anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries on RAF skyships operating off the East Coast.

“Consider it approved. Now, what was the reaction to our Merlin proposal?”

“Fighter Command would love them and Strike Command want to keep them. They are one of our trump cards in the medium to long range and have the arguably the best combination of radar, performance and carrying capacity of any Western fighter at this time. Ideally, Prime Minister, we’d field them in both and in RAF Germany, but given the parameters you’ve set, we can only settle for two of those. The best choice is Fighter Command and Germany.”

“Hmm. That would work in combination with the introduction of the Phantom with Strike Command and, eventually, in Germany. The combination of both planes with RAFG will give us what we need. Good. There were no issues with the Buccaneer?”

“A certain body of opinion preferred more Tornados instead, but the majority of commanders and staff were quite accepting of the prospect.”

“Excellent. They are a cheaper counterpart to the more expensive fighters and augment the Lion very well.”

“Not to mention allowing us to use the Harrier in its most suitable role. The introduction of Phantom should give us a multi-role capacity that will further develop this, along with the logistical and political advantages.”

“Yes, the Universal Fighter, the Americans were dubbing it in Washington."

"The order will raise some issues after the last few years and the issue of our own industries. Some are asking why."

“Why the Phantom? Because to win a war, we sometimes need to choose our battles, aye, and to lose them. Our aim is to have the strongest possible aviation industry, as it is a cornerstone of our defence. By buying Phantom now, we end up selling hundreds of relatively modern Spectres to the Middle East and South America at ultra low surplus prices, taking them out of the market for the F-4 or another American fighter jet in four or five years. We also gain the goodwill of the Americans when we are trying to sell them Harriers and the TSR-2, and they are already playing shy because we won’t buy the F-111. We’re trying to juggle the situation and persuade the Canadians to buy it instead, but they have their own price.”

“So, by letting in one American plane, we keep out others?”

“That’s the plan. Fact is that the Phantom is better than what we can put up in competition, namely the Merlin. Our fighter has the range, but theirs wins in every other respect. Hawker-Siddeley is large enough that it can wear the losses on the Merlin front without taking a financial body blow, particularly if it can sell the Harrier across the pond and get the cash from any licensing. Some of the other groups don’t have quite the same resilience, at this time.”

“Yes, preventing de Havilland from hitting turbulence before it can get the big orders for Tornado is something I agree with wholeheartedly, Prime Minister.”

“They’ll get by, particularly once their merger with Cammell-Laird is finalised. I’ve got Denis putting together some enticements to get Bristol and English-Electric to take the plunge for the same general purpose. Now, what about missiles?”

“Our projected missile development plan are based on four major elements - advanced versions of the Blue Streak and Black Arrow, deployed in current hardened silos and mobile launchers respectively; a new cruise missile for ground abs aircraft platforms to counter the Soviet advantage in this area: dual role missiles to extend the reach and capacity of our strike aircraft and even fighter-bombers; and a single advanced air defence SAGW to replace Bloodhound and Blue Envoy.”

“Good show. I’d like a report on how we can combine elements of the second and third categories, giving us long range but a non-strategic role. We won’t be fighting Moscow or Peking face to face in every brushfire conflict, so the ability to have a rapid strike capacity with a range of several hundred miles will give us a big advantage.”

“There are some developments on that front, but nothing that will render immediate results. Our most promising potential is of course the Atomic Strike Bomber, which is already in the midst of its test flight program. The last cruise was for five days, so range there would be limited solely limited by crew endurance.”

“And the small factors of their limited numbers, huge cost, risk value and their entirely strategic payload. I’ve read the briefings and they are promising, but even if we doubled the plan to two squadrons, it still wouldn’t cover the cold war contingencies we are facing. That is if it actually works - I see the wags at the Daily Chronicle are using ASB as an euphemism for the impossible.”

“With respect, Prime Minister, the Chronicle is a Tory rag prone to such juvenilia. The Air Staff have assured me that we’ll have it in service by 1968.”

“Quite. The trainer requirements for the resumption of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan look fine. Hawker-Siddeley’s initial proposal for the intermediate jet trainer looks just what we were after.”

“I think so too. It would seem, on paper at least, to provide the dual role quite well.”

Right, that leaves the major issue - what was the outcome on Strike Command question?”

One of Barton’s major aerial priorities upon assuming office had been for the Air Staff to put together a plan for the completion of the restructuring of Strike Command to a more versatile organisation. It needed to be more than simply an operational reserve for the Continent alone, but Britain could not afford the sheer size and scale of the American Tactical Air Command. The two main commitments of RAF tactical aircraft to Europe were RAF Germany and RAF Scandinavia, with the latter being substantially smaller. Britain had a confidential commitment to a minimum force of 960 aircraft in Germany in peacetime and double that on mobilisation, but discussions regarding that level were approaching an interesting point with Germany and the United States.

“There are three main options, Prime Minister. The first is the first class or German option. There would be home based units dedicated to reinforcement of our Continental forces and two two composite groups capable of reinforcing Germany, the Middle East or the Orient and based around a first rate, balanced force each of 25 squadrons of fighters, ground attack, strike aircraft and bombers. The second would have reinforcing elements and a similar force, but with a stronger emphasis on ground attack and fighter-bombers and consistent of 20 squadrons each. Then there would be the last option, which would deploy two smaller tactical air groups of 16 squadrons each for European reinforcement and a swing force for reinforcement and out of area missions.”

“Proceed with the cost study, whilst factoring in the expected savings from the Phantom order. I’ll put it to Cabinet once we have solid information - you know my preference is for the first class option, but this is a matter for us all.” Barton looked down at the report in his hand in thought.

“What is the minimum force we’d need elsewhere, apart from the Indian contingency force outlined here?”

Shackleton thought for a moment. “Eight squadrons at present, although ten would allow deployment to Australia if Indonesia keeps acting up.”

“Very good. That could well work.”

Barton gritted his teeth. He had his preference, but it was perhaps too radical for the immediate future. It would take some time, but there was a very logical case to be made for a reduction in the total number of commands. For the moment, there were bigger fish to fry.

“I see that the Transport Command plan met with agreement. That is also good; better to have fewer planes with greater capacity, provided we keep the Britannias in reserve just in case.”

“Their replacement with the Skyblazers will be complete by the second half of next year. After that, the Armstrong-Whitworth Atlas is our only major transport procurement project for the next five years; we have been cooperating with the Americans on their CX, but haven’t made a formal decision on it.”

“Is it worthwhile? After all, we have the Atlas, the VC10s and the Belfast for long range hauls and whatever bulk cargoes need to be moved faster than skyship speed.”

“Not in anywhere close to the numbers the Americans are contemplating, but perhaps in a limited production run in association with the Dominions. Canada is looking at perhaps two squadrons as part of the modernisation of their trans-oceanic lift.”

“I’m still not convinced. We shall see what the Canadians say, but not commit to anything concrete. We need to keep enough set aside for the supersonics when the time comes, even with the Imperial Airways and HEIC augmentation plans.”

“The only other issue raised by Transport Command was the possible acquisition of appropriate shorter range jet airliners for support and supply of our forces in Germany.”

“Have a proposal put together, but I’m reticent to do so to any significant degree when we have the Voyagers in service in their current strength. As long as the procurement can stay under the discretionary yearly ceiling, there may be an opportunity. May.”

“Very good, Prime Minister. The last matter is the review of the RAF Regiment, where the broad preliminary recommendations by the field commanders present no surprises. Establishment of a special forces and mobile commando capacity, hardening the field forces to reflect the changing threat and modernising the Regiment’s holdings of AAA. Nothing too expensive or egregious.”

“I can see no issue with it.”

“In the first instance, we would select, form and train up an initial regiment sized force, preliminarily designated Paracommandos; the name is not set, but has a reflection on the Low Countries operating area. We’d secondly upgrade our general field transport and heavier armoured cars to the IMV and MAV respectively, procure more of the CVR (T) family of vehicles for the light armoured squadrons and introduced Saxons to appropriate roles alongside our tank squadrons. In terms of AA guns, the general request is for the Marksman and Sharpshooter, but also for an equivalent to the Vigilante. And Green Mace.”

“Well, they don’t propose to do things by halves, I’ll say that much.”

Barton nodded in satisfaction. It had been a decent morning’s work.