Trident replacement is also going to get PWR3 which is based on a US design.

There is also talk about them doing more none deterrent patrol work as well for example cruise missile launch platform.

The main problem I see is another gap developing between construction of the last Astute and the first Trident successor…we all know how that kind of thing affected the Astute program!

Looks like things going to turn into a small conflict, what options does PAN have since they are obviously overwhelmed in naval power?

The simple answer is even without the last ten years of rapid modernisation within the China navy the PN would be no match for them.

The PN has taken delivery of an ex US Hamilton class Coastguard cutter with some of its weapon systems stripped out. Even the older 053 upgrade frigates would have little trouble with the PN fleet.

In an ideal world the PN would procure some new Light Corvette armed with some decent ASM, that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. There has been some talk of procuring some Maestrale and Soldati class frigates/corvettes off the Italians. That would certainly be a capability improvement but not enough to go toe to toe with China. If they want some offensive punch the best solution would be some diesel SSK, again some talk of that but nothing concrete. Armed with Mk48 ADCAP and Sub Harpoon and you have something that would give Chinese naval planners pause. Maybe they could try an tie an SSK procurement into any US FMS sale to Taiwan. A common class paid significantly for by US money, in return for greater access to Subic bay.

Once all remaining Type-23 get ARTISAN and CAMM they will have much the same capability as Type-26 so they might as well get it considering they are remaining in service for quite a while. Type-23 was the first RN type marked for CEC.

Not particularly J-20, the RD-93 derivative is a mature engine. It benefits from newer material technology and computational fluid dynamics input into its design. The Chinese probably brought them with a fairly hefty spares package before passing them onto Pakistan. Also it is probably an interim engine for the PAF with the WS-13 taking over as the definitive power plant in later batches.

Bit difficult for the PAF to retire the Iskra considering they don’t operate the type.

The PAF uses in the training role:

PAC Super Mushshak
Shenyang FT-6
Cessna T-37 Tweet
K-8 Karakorum

The Indian air force uses the Iskra!

Once the Luftwaffe got rid of most of the useless ex East German pilots and put ex Phantom pilots in their Mig-29 the results were interesting.

BVR or long WVR using Radar guided missiles the Eagle dominated pure and simple (for that matter so did the Phantom), the radar fitted to the Mig-29 at that point was just obsolete in comparison to the latest western systems (with the caveat that we hadn’t seen the best Russian radars fitted to the Mig-31 and Su-27) . WVR Mig-29 was lethal albeit that was in many ways more down to the AA-11 and helmet mounted sight combination. Then again the early model Mig-29 the Germans operated were almost Bingo fuel by the time they could get WVR.

What bemused the West German air force pilot community was doctrinally the East Germans favoured the old style GCI tactics of Eastern Europe and didn’t make the most of what the missile HMS gave them capability wise…then again I add a cautionary note to that conclusion: I think the Russians kept the DDR pilots on a very short leash!

In the end those early Mig-29 were designed as an affordable (even disposable) replacement for the Mig-23 and its main area for operation would of been the FEBA.

Think it will be quite a while before we will see any Fixed wing UAVs on a QE class, money is pretty tight right now, CEC has just fallen victim to the MOD’s econmising under the last planning round.

Really disappointed that CEC has been kicked into the very long grass! CEC makes up for in many ways the reduction of the Type 45 class to six by turning the Type 23 and 26 into missile bins for the more capable AAW destroyer. Also makes our fleet more interoperable with the US.

Actually Lockheed Martin put up a nice video (cartoon :D)this week with an De Zeven Provinciën class frigate using its SMART-L to queue missiles launched from an Arleigh Burke class destroyer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMaOxAqT2Qc