Just a quick question, are there any of these aircraft still flying?

Simple answer:

No

All at the boneyard now.

The Nimrod Sidewinder fit was more to take pot shots at the Argentine 707 worrying the taskforce.

They ask for 24 jets and 24 pairs of CFTs, so the C models will likely have them as well.

2.4 billion isn’t a lot either, read the second page of the document and note where it says they get 15 years of support, as well as a host of technical services and training. This isn’t stating that they are paying 2.4 billion for 24 jets, its saying they’re paying 2.4 billion for the jets and the support and knowledge to operate them over a period of 15 years. BIG difference there.

Yeah your right there SOC, FMS to the layman does appear to be an expensive way to buy a fighter but when you add the training and support it makes alot more sense.

Prices of natural resources are increasing and both Brazila and Venzuela has discovered alot more and when they make that alliance i am sure in next 5 to 10 years there will be huge purchases of arms. as they lay claim to greater area on the sea. Falkland end result will be no different than Hong Kong. UK cannot standupt to collective will of South America. ur both short of resources and money.
couple of kilos/Amrus with latest clubs backed by superior radar of Flankers and Russian satellite power can achieve alot more deterance than why you seem to think.
Russians are trading weopons and technology where ever there is natural resources.

You know I was going to write a clear explanation of why you have utterly no understanding of the local tactical situation and how a few Kilos and Flankers won’t make any difference then I realised that you are in your Star fantasy world…hence a waste of my time.

Stick to bashing Chinese technology (a strange obsession you have) and leave the Falklands out of it…

I do like the Cavour, it would make a good design starting point for when the RN decide to replace Ocean. 😎

Is it just me, but she appears to be a ship with two faces. The port side is very smooth and photogenic, but the starboard side is just pug ugly with all those ramps, lifts and other pieces of the ship that are required for it to function. The radar signatures for each side must be significantly different.

I suppose the CVF’s will be similar and have a good side and a bad side.

It would be a nice start point but I don’t think there is anything left in the kitty to support that.
I think Ocean will have to soldier on with Ark Royal having her life extended to act as a second commando carrier.

Having had the pleasure of actually been down there and having been involved in the ADGE side of things with both the FGR2’s and F3’s, I would concur with that statement.

I was wondering if you were going to get involved Bigvern.

Faith, Hope, Charity and Desperation are more then enough to deal with any Mirage III at the moment.

The problem becomes even more acute for Argentina once Typhoon goes online next year.

As has been said many times before for Argentina to even consider the millitary option they will need to start a comprehensive new equipment program. The single engine fighters they field at the moment don’t have the legs to operate properly out to the Falklands. They need tankers or longer ranged fighters to take on 1435.

I would be far more worried if they went out and purcased a couple of 767 tanker conversions from Bedek in Israel, twenty or so Su27’s and maybe thirty or so JF-17 from China along with BVR missiles. (On a side note I regard the JF-17 as a very interesting type – effectively western technology at a bargain price.)

Whilst Eurofighter is more then a match for those types I would regard that as a suitable HI-LO fighter combination with tanker support to overwhelm 1435. The trick is (and the Russians almost succeded one time during the cold war if I remember correctly – you probably remember it Bigvern:D) to generate more sorties then the defending fighters can regenerate to intercept. Then again the RAF knows this and any signs that Argentina was introducing the procurement to satisfy this situation can easily be countered by returning Mount P air defences to full squadron level with support types.

The F1 is considered a third generation attach fighter, like its western equivalent the Sepecat Jaguar from which it was inspired

I see little or no relation to the Sepecat Jaguar with the FC-1. It was inspired by the Super-7 project with America and can trace its routes to the Mig-21.