I’ve been wondering about AIM-9X for that purpose. At the launch ranges we are discussing, there should be plenty of time for even an AWACS to get nose on enough to fire, and even the small warhead on Sidewinder is enough to get that job done.

Matt

If you plan of using AIM9X, it might be an idea to develop a cold launch VLS for it. The Tor would be the perfect example. The VLS cells are so compact they could be easily added to a large AWACS internally or even just ‘strapped-on’ like a hull attachment or conformal pod. You you fit quite a few Tor cells on the belly of an E3 sized plane facing to either side. A simple command telling the retros which way to point the seeker head and the AIM9X can be on its way in seconds.

I appreciate the baseless and childish insults, and find it rather odd you consider yourself to be special in some regard to another poster on a forum. I’ve provided a clear example of a situation where a “force” much weaker than the Chinese forces could engage a US Naval group. You have provided little evidence, except your own opinion, about how “invincible” or perhaps “invisible” a CVBG is, especially to what would be home territory to in this case, China. :rolleyes:

How exactly do you intend to “divorce” recon and shooter assets? What I mentioned were clearly both, since simply finding an enemy task-force is relatively useless if you can not even attempt to engage it if the need be. The Soviet/Russian Air Force and Naval Aviation has always run these assets together, for example. Otherwise, it would be a broken network.

Purhaps you may wish to read over some of Jonesy’s past posts. While I might disagree with him on some things, there can be no doubting his knowledge and experience, especially when it comes to naval matters.

It might also be beneficial to you to really think about some of the questions and issues Jonesy has raised in terms of what points he is trying to make and what issues and difficulties might be involved in countering a carrier battle group.

You may also wish to brush up on the assets that the PLA actually has at its disposal, since you have ommitted many, if not all of the most important and useful assets the PLA might employ against hostile carriers, and instead advocate using assets unsuited for the role, which would merely invite their destruction and weaken the PLA in other areas.

As well as the more important reason – symbology. If China ever got its hands on Taiwan, then its interest switches outwards, and most of the countries there are not as well defended as Taiwan. Basically, the US recognises the fact that should Taiwan fall, China could rapidly expand its influence (and military presence) to the whole of that region. In effect, it is the first domino in a very long line, that many fear could result in something similar to the 1930s. This is not actually too much of a stretch.

Fatally flawed cold war mentality that if left unchecked, could easily plung the world into another cold war or worse.

America and the west is constaintly complaining about China’s ‘none-interference’ policy, yet the critics are almost universally also supporters of US policy towards Taiwan (and also a ‘free’ Tibet). It seems like too much of a stretch for some to be able to link the two. So long as the Taiwan issue still exists, China can never change its foreign policy no matter how much China’s leaders may want to. That means zero Chinese support on any international mission that does not have the full support of the local government. Zimbabwe, Sudan, Burma, North Korea, the list goes on. All places where international action is urgently needed, and where countless people are suffering horribly and dying in huge numbers because of a lack of international consensus.

China’s influence is expanding no matter what America tries to do (short of total nuclear war). The only issue left uncertain is what kind of influence China will excert. The more the US tries to bottle up and limit China’s rise, the smaller the likihood that China would become the kind of ‘responsible contributor to the international community’ that the US and west says they want China to be.

Too many Americans are paraniod and see enemies everywhere. If America lets fear and ignorance govern its foreign policy, that irrational fear may become a self-fullfilling prophacy.

If you have STOVL fighter options, a sub-carrier could become a viable small carrier option. The sub would need to be a brand new design to make it ‘fat’ enough for F35Bs to confortably take off and land on, but you then have the massive advantage of not needing any surface escorts and being able to strike at the enemy with pretty much zero warning. If made big enough, such carriers could also be home to Ospreys that can insert and/or extra ground units.

The catch is that the USN is pretty happy with super carriers and would not want to do anything to threaten the future of their super carriers. Also, with the dominance of American naval power, having enough escorts have never been an issue. The only countrys who might seriously look into such a project would be the Chinese or Russians, but then they currently have no F35B or Osprey equivilant planes nor seemed to be planning to get any.

Was wondering at the level of co-operation on the PL-10 with South Africa. The PL-10 and A-Darter certainly look very, very similar.

You take the mid-body fins off the IRST and suddenly it looks very very like the A-Darter or PL10. All next gen WVRAAMs have pretty much identical exhaust designs.

There are only so many ways you can design a missile, fewer configurations that are viable, and damn fewer still that are optimal. Chinese and European and Africa air all act the same last time I checked, so its only natural that a similar areodynamic configurations is reached when everyone has similar targets for their missiles.

i am affraid you are wrong.. it was a accidentally mid air collision between the two, later the USN plane crash landed in chinese base and then got smashed into pieces before it was shipped to US.

He was being ironic. 😉

I actually think this is a pretty important picture, since it clearly shows the existence of the rear fuselage weapons stations that have been suspecteded for some time, but never before confirmed.

[img-r]http://image5.poco.cn/mypoco/myphoto/20080722/09/4455016020080722091825…]