Nice pic!

I like the Mig-23s on deck. 😀

How old is this design?

Didn’t the US buy several MiG-29s from an ex-Soviet republic a few years ago?

Does anyone have any info on their current status? I hope they weren’t just scrapped.

A pundit was on british TV last night saying this happened because British forces are too few & far between, with insufficient equipment etc. etc.

History has shown the Americans have got an unfortunate habit of these blue-on-blue incidents i.e. US forces killing British forces both in Desert Storm & in Iraq 2003->, Afghanistan.

I think its time Britain deployed more CAS assets of its own so that it wouldn’t be so dependent on foreign forces. Ultimately, I think the present British Government is spending much too little on defence, given that we are engaged in 2 wars.
Yet they spend £123 billion per annum on QUANGOs (source: Daily Telegraph). Disgraceful.

Now that more info about this “news” is available, I guess you can basically disregard my earlier post! :p

I can’t see any problem with the RAAF sinking an impounded durg-smuggling N. Korean ship.

Must have been a giggle. 🙂

If the RAAF continues this policy, won’t it encourage future North Korean drug ships to carry basic MANPADs?

I don’t know a lot about North Korea (who does?), but I imagine this kind of operation must have some form of state backing. The illegal drugs trade must be a big money earner for the North Korean Government, or its proxies, so I am sure they could russle up a few SA-7 MANPADs, or similar to protect their precious cargoes.

I hope no one was killed. (sorry I couldn’t see the video, using linux with no flash player)

I agree.
It has often struck me as a bit odd seeing multi-billion dollar supercarriers so lightly armed.
I know they have escorts, but given the cost of the carrier, a heavier defensive fit would appear to be relatively & proportionately cost-effective. (penny wise, pound foolish)

large (western) carriers should have a combination of 3-4 multi-barrel CIWS & perhaps 4-8 PDM SAM systems like RAM, lightweight Sea Wolf, or equivalent.
Plus several 12.7mm HMGs & 4-6 20mm light cannon to engage surface targets (remember USS Cole).

If there was ever another conventional naval battle, a sizeable future enemy would definitely target CVNs/CVFs with multiple ASM/SSM/SLCMs.

LHDs?

When are these Australian LHDs going to be in service?

Not sure what to make of this story….yet.

Watching this incident on BBC News tonight, it did appear that fire crews appeared to take a surprisingly long time to arrive.

But, I don’t know about the geography of this airport. maybe the plane was as far from the fire station as it could have been?

I used to fly China Airlines as a youngster (Airbus A300-600, I think), when I was too young to appreciate small matters like airline safety records…..