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The Government
has been branded "militarily illiterate" over plans to scrap the
Royal Navy Sea Harrier before a replacement is in place.
Conservative MPs are warning that the Royal Navy will be left "unprotected"
under plans to withdraw the Sea Harrier six years before a replacement
fighter comes into service.
They said the decision, which would save the Government £109m,
would potentially put the lives of sailors at risk and undermine
Britain's entire defence strategy.
Shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin said Sea Harriers had been
a symbol of Britain's military prowess and expertise in the Falklands
conflict.
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The
Sea Harrier was a potent weapon in the Falklands conflict
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Mr Jenkin reminded
MPs that 20 years ago HMS Sheffield was hit by a sea-skimming missile
during the Falklands War.
This was the
potential price of "inadequate" air defence, he said.
He insisted the decision to scrap the Harriers "not only puts potentially
the lives of our servicemen at risk, it not only imperils the operational
capability of the British Navy, it is actually a militarily illiterate
decision."
Sea Harriers, operating from HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes, played
a pivotal role in the Falklands War destroying 22 Argentine planes.
Today there are 24 operational Sea Harriers based at RNAS Yeovilton
in Somerset, where personnel are trained in using the aircraft.
The aircraft
will be phased out of service by 2006, instead of 2012 when the
new Joint Strike Aircraft being developed with the United States
is due to be introduced.
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A
Sea Harrier taking off from HMS Invincible
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David Laws,
the MP for Yeovil, said in the meantime, that is taking a serious
gamble with national security.
"I think it is a huge risk. The government has acknowledged already
it's a risk, but I think it's a massive gamble," said Mr Laws.
"It means our defence policy and our foreign policy is seriously
handicapped and it means at some stage we're going to have to send
the Royal Navy into action without proper air cover, putting many
people's lives and security at risk."
Junior Defence Minister Lewis Moonie said scrapping the Sea Harriers
would lead to an altered risk but insisted it was an acceptable
one.
"We are not saying that there is no change in the balance of risk
here. What we are saying is that the balance of risk is acceptable."
In the real world decisions had to be made with a "finite budget",
he added.
Mr Moonie also insisted that the age of the aircraft was relevant
to the debate - the frame and structure were old and nothing could
be done about this.
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