http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldpvw5bBtGg&mode=related&search=

Have a look at the last 30 seconds or so of this RN movie. It seems to show CVF with conventional take off F35s.

Could be – there certainly isn’t any Ski Jump but the video doesn’t show the aircraft hooked up to a catapault or any arrestor wires. It could be portraying a halfway house to show its adaptability between STOVOL and CATOBAR. Its certainly no secret now that many in the RN would be happy with a move to CATOBAR operations especially as the STOVL variant isn’t meeting range or payload expectations.

On another note now that the RN is stating that the Ark Royal has been refitted to dual role between Commando carrier and its regular carrier I think there is a good chance that when Invincable and Illustrious are paid off the Ark will be retained as a back up for Ocean.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a face saving limited purchase of the GAU 12 pod for the RAF Harriers soon.

Whilst the AV-8B and GR5/7/9 are the same aircraft there is a great deal of difference in the avionics department. When the UK brought the Maverick as a stop gap measure for the harrier fleet it caused all sort’s of problems when it came to integration with the uk specific avionics despite the weapon being standard fit on the AV-8B. If I remember correctly (Bigvern would probably know better than I!) the initial Maverick fit for the UK was quite litterally a botch job with nowhere near the kind of integration that an AV-8B pilot would be familiar with. Full integration has required quite a significant rebuild.

As for guns I think the ADEN 30 pods from the GR3’s and Sea Harriers do fit in theory but they are close to worn out, I’m sure I did read somewhere that the 30mm pods were retained for the GR5 so I suppose it could be an option at a cost. ADEN 25 is a non starter now, too many years have passed since the program was dropped. A limited purchase of the GAU12 pod fitted to the AV8B has a degree of logic too it but is the RAF prepared to pay for the cost of integration as well as introducing a logistics train for this system.

Returning some Jaguars to service sounds nice especially as the late model versions the RAF used seem made for this kind of work. The thing is would the MOD and RAF be prepared to sadle the cost of reactivation along with the embarrasment of reintroducing a type they said they no longer needed.

Considering that it is only a matter of time before the UK will be in range of Iranian nuclear weapons (short of action to stop the Iranian nuke program that’d be just as dangerous as them getting nukes anyway) the decision to overlook a true ABM capability looks very short sighted, and unlike Japan that has a very easy upgrade path via AEGIS and SM-3, giving the T45 this capability will cost serious money and time to develop.

Thats true but ABM systems are never 100% effective especially when more missiles are fired at you saturating defenses, thats why the UK maintains an independant nuclear retalitory capability with Trident.

The RN needs an improved AAW capability the ABM issue is just window dressing. The nuclear capability has been Britains preferred deterrent against missile strikes after Suez.

America has been throwing big money at ABM systems for many years and has frankly had more failures then successes for all the effort. Anyway ABM systems become less effective the more targets they have to deal with the headache becomes even bigger when you throw in a mirv capability. Countries like Iran have weapons programs which develop over time, the easiest thing for them to do is produce more missiles and improve their capabilites. Of course a MIRV capability or penetration aids would be a long way off but certainly would be examined as part of a development program. As for Japan – well the public there need to know that something is being done in response to North Korean developments, SM3 is an effective way of showing this.

Seems like all the other Key Moderators are too!!!!! Kind of boring!!! Seems a Key thing these days!! 🙁

I’m happy SOC clamped down, this thread was getting silly with all the “I’m better than you Stuff”!

Maintenance of a local hi tech defence capability was an important fact along with the inheriting of decisions made during the Horizon program.

The RN did want Mk.41 but compromises had to be made with the joint program. It works both ways the UK got improvements in the Aster30 design to give it the long range performance the RN wanted as well as the local Radar. The SAMPSON radar is a big deal for Bae systems as the government was funding the development of next generation radar technology which can be inserted into other programs. Technology from SAMPSON is being developed in a program for the US which is now a big Bae Systems customer.

The deal for PAAMS had been signed before the Horizon program had been ditched so it was carried over to type 45.

I think as time goes on we will see a great deal of change in the basic fit of the standard Type 45. I also think it will probably form the basis of a Stretch variant to replace the Type 22 batch 3 and a shortened variant to suppliment and eventually replace the type 23. Of course all bad news for VT who will need to push the corvettes they seem to be good at doing these days.