Re: Spain – would F-35B be to replace Harriers?

More than likely and possibly the Spanish Airforce F/A-18 as well.

The Chief of the Spanish Naval staff said they can keep the Harrier II going another ten years and the only game in town is the F-35B if they want something to operate off the Juan Carlos I. He noted their budget was limited so might look to work with the Airforce who need to retire their F/A-18 around the same time.

I can see them punting in a unified order for the Navy and Airforce when the block price has come down.

Also it is in their interest to work with the USMC, Royal Navy and Italian navy and host their F-35B on the Juan Carlos I to familiarise themselves with the platform.

It’s little different from F-18 acquisition which was done in middle of huge depression, and they’ve had two major upgrades…
Budget’s are not comparable, Finland has real conscription and doesn’t waste that much money on colonial wars like Nato countries etc. do. Also FDF is good at penny-pinching and buys lots of used equipment at bargain prices. For example trainer acquisition – 28 Grobs for 6.6 million euros, the deal was so cheap that manufacturer threw a fit.

Finland has always been a very smart buyer, the purchase of surplus well maintained Hawk trainers for Switzerland is one example. Another example is the recent purchase of the K-9 Thunder Howitzer from South Korea. Brand new a K-9 has pretty much the same capabilities as a PZH2000 at a cheaper price, Finland is buying 48 refurbished to as new condition K9 at an even cheaper price.

unless West do fundamental restructuring of its societies and political system. West will need more and more of Saudi money. and that is even before Trump economic damage. it is very essential to be dominant Military power in Middleast.

I don’t know why he felt the rush. But rush they certainly did. This was not scheduled before iraq’s raid on syria. Who knows what’s going on behind the scenes but the beginnings of a power shift in the region and some realignment is in the offing and the incumbents (saudis and GCC) are trying to delay it? it may also have something to do with the recently filmed parachute drops into tel afar (near mosul) which is under siege alongside mosul… the desperation is palpable.

I agree sheytanelkebir this a most interesting development when considering local geopolitics.

A country with a Shia dominated government closely allied with Iran yet also allied and supplied by the US. That must utterly freak out Saudi Arabia, a country that will rapidly turn into a failed state when the oil runs out (and it is running out) that has a large oppressed Shia population itself.

What I do find ironic is how in Western capitals they condemn ISIS and their wholesale looting and destruction of Islamic and Persian architecture yet they don’t mention the Saudis wholesale destruction of irreplaceable historical architecture in Mecca and Medina!

You only have to look at a recent picture of Mecca and that monstrosity of a hotel and shopping complex beside the Kaaba and one should weep!

https://www.beautifulmosque.com/PostImages/View-of-Kaaba-with-Abraj-Al-Bait-Towers-1.jpg

Sorry I meant refuelling probe has to cheaper than fitting booms to our A330’s

P-8 is not configured for a Probe, one would have to be designed in and then qualified at cost to UK MOD. A Boom is an option for the A330 Voyager and has been offered as a retrofit for some of the UK examples by AirTanker. The Australian MOD are paying to clear the KC-30A (A330 Voyager) as a tanker for the P8A and have recently started trials.

Considering all that it would be cheaper for the UK to put a Boom on the tanker than a probe on the ASW jet!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/raaf-kc-30-to-begin-p-8a-refuelling-trials-in-early-422870/
http://www.janes.com/article/59242/uk-raf-shows-interest-in-voyager-boom

Now to lever from Jonesy’s post the lack of availability of support types like E-2’s or S-3’s….is less of a concern for some very interesting reasons.

Comparing to 1982 and Corporate where the UK carrier task force had no Organic AEW and no tanker support. The Sea Harrier had a primitive even for the day ranging radar intended to be used providing a targeting solution against something large like a Tu-142 Bear not a fighter size target. CAP in 1982 relied GCi from the fleet, the radars available to the fleet until Exeter arrived were in effect 1960’s technology and woefully inadequate for the task.

Now compare that to what will be available when the QE class are fully stood up, all ships in the fleet have capable modern radars that can share a data picture. We have an Organic AEW capability that can share its data picture. The F-35B has a bleeding edge AESA radar and EOTS that can share its data picture as well. An F-35B CAP operating from the QE class is not just being responsive to GCI from the fleet, whilst on patrol it can be enhancing the data picture for the fleet acting as an AEW platform tangentially in its own right. Now add in curious and interesting force enablers like the Lynx Wildcat that has Air to Air tracking modes for its AESA and can also share its data picture making it yet another platform that can add information to the Air Warfare commander by plugging gaps.

This is what is so overlooked in F-35 discussions when people get bogged down over instantaneous turn rates, the biggest boon it will offer is its huge data gathering and processing capabilities.

Another thing to consider is the Voyager tanker, operating from a friendly base Voyager can support carrier operations from a huge distance.

Pity we can’t find a reason for UOR to get the boom on Voyager to support the P-8 as well….

Don’t assume that a few new fighter jets for the Argentine FAA will lead to the UK boosting the number of Typhoon at Mount Pleasant. The UK MOD does a fairly complex threat assessment for the Falklands taking on a number of factors. Argentina lacks the ability to conduct a long distance amphibious assault operation, they just don’t have all the enabling technologies from Amphibious assault ships through to force enablers and area denial systems like working Submarines to pull it off. The spending and training required will be highly noticeable to the UK.

The current four Typhoon are adequate to maintain QRA even if Argentina got some shiny new fighter jets. The Falklands are getting an air defence boost anyway with new C4i systems and CAMM-L. CAMM-L has a moderate area defence capability vs the current point defence offered by Rapier.

They have accepted Mi-171E for civilian use under defence ministry.

Yes they have indeed JSR for a narrow role where the Mi-171E was overwhelmingly the most suitable type to perform that task.

The Argentine Airforce has not expressed any interest in Russian combat jets.