FUTURE OF AIR FORCE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25080, 11 January 1947, Page 7

FUTURE OF AIR FORCE

Peace-Time Plans In Britain PROPOSALS FOR EXPANSION . (From-A. W. MITCHELL, Special Correspondent, NZP.A.) (Rec. 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. “No Goliath, but a David, perfectly proportioned,’’ was how Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Tedder described the peace-time Royal Air Force recently. The aim, he said was a neat and compact force capable of immediate expansion. Even so, the Royal Air Force will ba three and a half times the size it was before the war. It will have a personnel of 305,000, compared with 96,000 just before the war. The estimated expenditure for the current year is £255.500,000, compared with £126,401,000 in 1938.

The cost of aircraft, technical supplies and services, and research and development are borne separately by the Ministry of Supply. It was recently stated in the House of Commons that expenditure on these for the current year would be £28,000,000. The last year has been a difficult one for the Royal Air Force, which has been engaged both in demobilisation and in recruiting 100,000 men to bring up its total rtrength to its peace-time requirements. The response from men who served during the war has been poor, with the result that there is a dearth of fitters and insufficient men to keep aircraft flying in anything like required numbers. There has been, however, an increasing response from men without previous military experience. Establishments at Home and abroad have been fairly well maintained. The ovCTseas commands are the Mediterranean, the Middle East, India, West Africa, and the Far East There are also detachments with the occupation forces in Germany and with the forces in Japan. The Home-based forces have been chiefly engaged in training, while those with the occupation forces have been disarming the Luftwaffe. They also joined in training exercises with the Home forces, including interception on mock bomber raids on Germany. The most active section of the Royal Air Force has been the Transport Command, which maintains daily services to Europe, the Middle East, India, and the Far East. New Designs Tested While experiments with designs for new aircraft are continuous, the Royal Air Force has accepted jet aircraft as normal equipment for fighter squadrons, both Meteor and Vampire now being in production. Bomber Command is using as its standard aircraft the Lincoln, which is a bigger version of the Lancaster and was designed for the long-range bombing of Japan. The activities of the four Empire schools and the Royal Air Force establishments have been intensified. The schools, all of which include Dominion personnel, are Empire Radio, Empire Air Navigation, Empire Armament, and the Empire Central Flying School.

Each conducts experiments and special flights. There is also an Empire Test Pilots’ School under the Ministry of Supply. Tactics and the use of bombers and fighters are studied by central bomber and central fighter while* the School of Air Support which is attended by the combined services, has two wings. They specialise in tactical support and supply dropping. While the pattern of the peace-time Royal Air Force has been settled, no figures of the aircraft or numbers of squadrons operating with the Bomber, Fighter, and Coastal Commands have been made available. Service for Women A permanent Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, which has always been a popular service, is being formed, and although there has been *no recruiting for aircrew at present, both permanent and extended commissions are being granted for officers, and extended engagements for non-commissioned officers. This applies to Dominion personnel. and it is also anticipated that each Dominion will be able to nominate cadets to Cranwell College, where they may qualify for commissions. In order that the Royal Air Force may be transformed rapidly from bea “David” to being a “Goliath,” the Air Ministry is concentratingon building up its reserve, command. Ibis is divided into three main branches. First are the auxiliaries or air territorials, second the Air Training Corns or junior territorials, and third the university air squadrons. There are 20 auxiliary squadrons, with a membership at present restricted to men with war experience Hie response has been "magnificent." and the squadrons are described as being the most exclusive flying clubs in the world. They are divided into three types—day fighters, night fighters, and light bombers. The members must fly for. 125 hours annually, do regular training, and attend an annual camp. The Air Training Corps for boys from 15 to 18 will have a maximum strength of 75.000. with an annual “output” to the Royal Air Force of about 25.000. which will roughly meet service requirements. racy train weekly, attend camps on air stations, and are given flights in aircraft and gliders, and sometimes visits abroad. When the time comes for them to be conscripted, they will have had Royal Air Force training, and many are already making the service their career. The university squadrons total 11. All former Royal Air Force pilots are given commissions, and those without service experience may prepare for permanent commissions if they wish to make the service their career. * Easin « Of Restrictions The Air Ministry also formed a technical service branch with armament, engineering, and signals branches. It will contribute towards research and development by providing trained and experienced officers to work in the Ministry of Supply, and its establishments. One of the features of the peacetime Royal Air Force is the treatment or men based on the principle that service conditions should resemble civil life as nearly as possible. Pay is to be equated to civilian rates for similar work. Stations are to resemble well-planned rural housing estates, with shopping centres, cinemas, and dance halls. Unnecessary parades are being cut out and civilian clothes may be worn on or off station when the day's duties are ended. One innovation is a station committee of airmen officers under the chairmanship of commanding officers with the object of improving general conditions. One of the main objectives of the Royal Air Force is to build a compact and highly efficient force in which men and women may follow a useful, congenial career with a good standard of living and no unnecessary service restrictions.