Very intersting idea! Especially, with the advent of the F-35B this could be a reasonable solution for smaller navy to acquire an Aircraft Carrier. Of course much would depend on the price?

I must admit I have been pondering this over the last few weeks, could an Indian ship yard get the price right for various potential customers.

The design is certainly the right size, the CVF design is just too big for many navies. The ADS design fitted out for STOBAR or CATOBAR operations would be attractive to a number of navies. Along with Brazil I could see Argentina being attracted to the design (if they could get the money together – maybe a joint purchase for two carriers of the same specification with Brazil). Anyone think of any other navies who would be attracted to the ship?

I don’t like Chavez either yet you are right about discussing politics on this forum. (even when its hard not to) On the otherhand what news do you listen to? Yet, how is it any less bias than FOX? Regardless, know need to reply as I am not looking for a political debate and/or a flame war………..just an observation.:p

Thats alright Scooter!:D In the end I’m here to talk about aviation technology, I’m surprised the mods haven’t locked this thread down yet.

As for what news channel I watch well thats difficult…being British I have a degree of loyalty to the BBC, I have a lot of respect for ITN and after that I tend to hop between the different 24 hour news channels on satellite TV. Fox news is comic relief as it comes accross as hugely biased.

Maybe I should have written “for swing role only”. Dassault describes Rafale as omnirole meaning it can carry out different tasks simultanously (that’s how I interpret omnirole). That can only be achieved with a second crew member. Typhoon is designed as a single seat and is swing role limited. Omnirole requires swingrole as a base.
Hope that clears up doubts or questions about my previous post 😉

As far as I understand the description:

omnirole = Dassault brochure speak

Wow there seems to be a lot of interest in my movie, hehehehe, well I’ll post more about that in the GD section so as not to get a down dressing from the powers above 😉

Fed: I know too well about the Lynx being cleared for ops on the Tp-22’s, But for some reason or other the Lynx was rendered in compatible with the modifications done to the two ships, thus they turned to the SH-2G’s. Checking the stats over I find that if anything, the Lynx is the better suited machine mainly because of it’s smaller size.

Tid: I did hear something about the SH-2G’s being only a year away from service, but seriously mate, we’ve been hearing that for how long now??? I didn’t hear about the Powers being leased, but that is great news. Yes these machines do come fully marinised and with manual folding blades, they are now in service with both:

South Africa

And Sweden-Swedish designation Hkp-15

The South African ones are LUH models but are marinised and belong to the Air Force and the Swedish ones are jointly owned by the Air Force (SAR duties) and the Navy (deployed aboard the Visby class Corvettes) hence the words on the side of the machines in the pic below

Haha:D I dont doubt that you know that the Lynx is cleared for Type 22 ops Ja, a bit strange that the upgrade rendered them incompatible. Did they remove the deck harpoon grid?

“if there was there ever was in the history of Aircraft Carriers any case of expansion through cutting and plugging?”

The USS Ranger (CV-61) was scheduled for her SLEP 7/1993-8/96, to keep her in service until ~2010.

The USN was considering modifing her by inserting a ~200 foot plug just forward of the island, to increase endurance and aircraft capacity. An starboard-side elevator was to be included in the “plug”, and the port elevator removed, as it interfered with flight ops if used. The waist catapults were to be moved forward onto the “plug” and former port elevator area.

By late 1989, the SLEP had been cancelled, due to the projected cost, the remaining technical questions (like hull strength), but mainly due to the end of the “Cold War”… which began a period of significant reduction of numbers of ships, aircraft, and personnel in the Navy.

Ranger was decommissioned on 10 July 1993.

The same idea was looked at for the Invincable class but there was only one place that the plug could be inserted and with the amount of wear that the class had already been through there was too much risk involved with the idea. Also the gain was too small to make it worthwhile, the plug didn’t increase internal or deck space by much and not many more aircraft could be carried.

A carrier the age and size of Ranger would of been a risky proposition for stretching.

Is it in civilian service ? I know it carries the reg YR-ABB, but I get the feeling it is an “official” aeroplane, and may well be flown by the Romanian armed forces – perhaps the civilian reg just makes it easier to fly into some airspaces that migth not welcome an overtly military aeroplane? When I flew back out of Otopeni yesterday the same plane (or a sister 707) was parked on the military ramp on the far side of the airport.

Also, would a civilian operator (even one based outside any EU or US emission/noise controls) still be using the older, thirsty, dirty, turbojet engines?

No doubt some ‘707 experts on here can confirm details. Once Romania has joined EU next month maybe we’ll get to see this ‘plane in the UK occasionally 🙂 – or will she be banned/grounded due to aforementioned EU controls on emissions and noise 🙁 ?

Paul F

Good point! Outside of AMARC and the USAF the largest user’s of the 707 these days are governments who use them in the VIP role or as transports and tankers. On a similar line of thinking doesn’t John Tavolta have a luxury 707 for his personal use?

On the other hand a great many DC-8 are still flying with commercial operators as transports. I haven’t got the figures but whilst less DC-8 were made there are now more still in service than the 707.

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 26 (UPI) — Taiwan must upgrade its submarine warfare capabilities to prevent China from surrounding the island with its navy, a top Taiwanese defense official says.

Chen Yung-kang, director of the Defense Ministry’s Integrated Assessment Office, gave the evaluation as he discussed the navy’s planned purchase of eight submarines from the United States, The Taipei Times reported.

The submarines would augment 11 warships Taiwan plans to purchase, including two nuclear attack submarines.

Vice Admiral Tung Hsiang-lung, the navy command headquarters’ chief of staff, said Washington requested a down payment of $360 million as a guarantee for the deal, the Times said.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061126-010421-7821r

Anyone able to confirm the Nuclear Submarine bit, I would of thought that would be too much of a provocation of mainland China. Taiwan is having enough trouble getting itself together on the Diesel sub purchase!

Not forgetting that Rosyth is gunning for Devonport which has the Trident support contract.

Gordon Brown himself has stated that he wants to get the Trident work for Rosyth,

UTTER MADNESS!!!

Whats the point of spending all the money on Devonport for so it can do Nuke work and then moving the contract to Rosyth!