Do any of the UK Civilian tankers still have a reserve back-up RFA capability ? I remember back during the Falklands war that 2 or 3 BP tankers were taken up from trade and were used as RFA refuellers (I am not sure of their exact legal status). They had been built from day one with the ability to do ship to ship refuelling in case such a situation ever arose, and as a consequence were simply converted to the role in transit to the South Atlantic. Does this still occur ?
Imagine a single high-flying large aircraft eg a B-52 could bring a very large area indeed to a near standstill with these. Presumably the B-52 could carry in excess of 100 SDB ? Even a Nimrod could prove quite effective with a weapons bay full of these operating at its service ceiling
Can we get back to Israel ? If I remember correcty Israel has a lot of friends in congress and knows how to play the American system. Presumably those friends will now start putting on their pads and coming into bat in the next few months to see if they can change some minds. I still would not rule out F-35’s for Israel, but its way too early to say for sure
The status of the future RFA’s may change. I read somewhere that they are likely to be more ‘warlike’ (nice word) and as a consequence they may require a new status.
If they were at 27,000 feet as alleged and the explosion was visble from a passing airliner, they cannot have been far from one of the normal air routes for passenger craft.
Holland has a long and proud tradition with their navy (Historically, they have given the RN a good thrashing more than once) and as they have a large’ish merchant fleet for the size of country and are great traders they justify the navy that way. They also have significant colonies to protect thousands of miles from home.
The F-16 comment re Iran may not be as far off the mark as you think. There is a theory doing the rounds in London that to encourage the Iranians from continuing with their nuclear program uncle sam may consider exporting to them a load of F-14’s that have become available and some F-16’s all as part of a much larger ‘sweetener’ deal including some new Boeing airliners. It could just be talk though as I can’t see congress going for this. :rolleyes:
The exact value of a deal like this can be difficult to calculate. If its like the last one it will be linked to the Oil price etc and will have so many variables that unless you are involved with the project it would be difficult to estimate a range of revenues
There was an explanation in a book I read recently but sadly I can’t remember exactly what the answer is. I ‘think’ weight was the main issue though as Steve O suggests. I believe there was some other reason to do with incompatabilty with the Skyhawks catapault system that meant that both types could not be operated side by side, but I may be wrong.
So if France go for CVF, will they go for a CIWS then as one of the attractions of the project for them is cost saving due to multiple purchases for 3 vessels rather than just 1 ?
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