Indeed it is adequate for QRA if they get decent ground based radar to direct them. They have requested the Lockheed Martin TPS-77 but I don’t know where they are with that.

The precision strike capability they bring with LGB and Maverick seems to be more important along with the DB110 reconnaissance pods.

F16-IQ is a complete joke really. they’re OK ground attack planes and maybe for tactical recon. but for air defence completely and utterly useless.

No sorry sheytanelkebir whilst I think your input is very useful to this forum I can’t let that ride as it frankly is utterly absurd!

The F-16 is not useless in any sense of the word it comes to air defence even with the air to air fit that is being currently provided. I know you have a hang up over the US not providing AMRAAM or AIM9X but it wrong to say the type is useless.

I think another pertinent question is: Where are the GCC states in all of this?

Oh yes I remember! Bombing Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen who want such evil dastardly things as: government accountability, the end to corruption, regular utilities, fair fuel prices, job opportunities for ordinary Yemenis and the end of Western influence!

OK the Houthi rebels are widely supported amongst the Yemeni population and desire to set up a representative democratic Republic and have stated they don’t want to set up a cleric led Iranian style government and are already running peoples councils in Sana’a. Of course we can’t have that kind of thing breaking out can we so of course the GCC need to prioritise bombing Yemen over taking on ISIS…

blackadam you have been told before that wantchinatimes is not a good primary source when researching Chinese military procurement, actually it is treated in a rather derisory manor amongst enthusiast on the subject.

We have seen report after report over the last few years that an Su-35 order was needed or just around the corner but nothing to show from official sources that any such deal is happening or even close.

wantchinatimes is just rehashing old speculation based upon the recent release of pictures for the J-11D, this is becoming a habit for that kind of publication. Every time a new Chinese fighter variant is displayed there is a flurry of opinion articles from Taiwanese or Russian sites about a possible Su-35 purchase.

The full radio conversation:

https://soundcloud.com/marcus-weisgerber-1/p-8-encounter-with-chinese-navy

Rather interesting, the US crew stick to their script as do the Chinese. I noted there was a switch of operators on the Chinese side, the last guy was almost comical.

To be honest it made me chuckle when he shouted “You Go”! But you are right more lost in translation than anything else, your observation that they fall short of saying Chinese territory is worth noting. My gut feeling is China is slowly trying to move towards a de facto state of ownership.

Personally I think the US need to look at helping other players in the area like the Philippines improve their forces to better patrol the region.

As for the Coastguard cutter, 76mm is pretty much as big as I would expect for that kind of vessel.

India to Launch First Homegrown Aircraft Carrier

Again?!

The whole wing not fitting issue was a smoke screen for deeper project management issues! If one of the project managers on the MRA4 program jumped into a time machine and went back to the original Hawker Siddeley line in the 1960’s and told one of the engineers that the wings didn’t fit on the new Nimrod he would get a rather curt reply along the lines of:

“So what? They don’t fit on our old Nimrods as well!”

Nimrod was built upon an airframe considered dated in the 1960’s, each airframe was unique and it was totally normal for the people on the production floor to make adjustments to fit.

BAE Systems failed to have the project management in place to properly handle these issues compounded by their solution to outsource to other companies who also didn’t. As I understand it they didn’t seek out people who were involved in the original production of the Nimrod who could of forewarned them, forewarned they could’ve factored in the work required.

If this story is true it makes reasonable sense, it would make a big splash for the next defence review. The RAF have crews trained on the type and there is plenty of logic buying into what the Americans are buying. My guess Sentinel would have to go but there is an alternative radar that can be slung on the P8.