Morale: RAF Orders Pilots To Die For Less

Archives

May 5, 2011: Britain is pleading poverty for not paying their Typhoon and Tornado pilots in Libya the $48 a day "dangerous duty" bonus that pilots receive in Afghanistan, or anywhere they are getting shot at. This has not helped pilot morale, because the dangers from ground fire are actually higher in Libya than in Afghanistan. While the Taliban have some old Russian heavy (14.5mm) anti-aircraft machine-guns, a few 23mm automatic cannon, and occasionally some shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles, none of these weapons can reach the altitude (over 6,000 meters/19,000 feet) that NATO fighter-bombers operate.

Libya is a different story. There, the hostile government forces have far more anti-aircraft weapons than the Taliban, including some larger anti-aircraft missiles that can hit high-flying fighters. While NATO, especially American, aircraft have gone in and found many (hopefully all) the Libyan missile radars, and many of the missile launchers, there's still the possibility that some of these high-altitude missiles could still be put into action. NATO aircraft carry countermeasures against these missiles, but these devices don't make you absolutely missile-proof. You are still at risk, more at risk than you would be in Afghanistan, and $48 a day poorer.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) says it is constantly monitoring the situation. This apparently means that if a NATO aircraft gets shot down by Libyan missiles, the RAF will start paying the thousand or so dollars a day that the bonuses would cost.

 


Article Archive

Morale: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 


X

ad
0
20

Help Keep Us Soaring

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage. A contribution is not a donation that you can deduct at tax time, but a form of crowdfunding. We store none of your information when you contribute..
Subscribe   Contribute   Close