Because we sold Largs Bay for significantly less then what it cost to build. UK yards are just not cheap when it comes to bashing steel!

A foreign navy can get the same design from other yards for significantly less even within Europe!

Stiff drink then I suggest buddy as I doubt we will ever stop the habbit:p

I agree it does grate after a while!

Largs Bay and Foudre are both good examples of ships with a potential customer base.

Alas Swerve I think you will never stop us Armchair admirals fantasising about ship x being sold to navy y!:p

But you are right there is just no market for ex harrier carriers now! The only chance was India but they decided to soldier on rightly or wrongly with Hermes!

For a navy on a budget I think there are better options for regional types with a deck that can handle several helicopters. I think the Damen Schelde Enforcer design is a better choice for many! Nicely scalable and can be built in many a yard with whatever fit-out required! There was certainly more interest when the UK put RFA Largs Bay up for sale, more then one navy had a punt at getting her!

http://www.damennaval.com/nl/main-stream-activities_amphibious-support-ships-%2526-naval-auxiliaries_enforcer-landing-platform-dock.htm

I believe it was an RAF tornado shot down over Imam Ali AB while it was doing a JP-233 run by a MiG23ML.

the italian and other RAF tornado (on the 17th jan I think also over an airbase in basra) seem to have been downed by MiG29s.

No Tornado was shot down during a JP233 run, that is a myth that has propagated over the years often by people who have an axe to grind over the RAF CoughSharkeyWardCough. I think it also suited the RAF to talk up the risks of JP233 deployment and its thereafter retirement as it hid the greater issues of the low level penetration policy held by the service. Whilst low level strike made sense in Northern Europe over the desert it was rather dangerous!

The only Tornado lost during Gulf War 1 whilst carrying JP233 was ZA392 but that was ten miles after it deployed the system and the post incident reports concluded it as a controlled flight into terrain as there was no evidence of ground fire. I have seen some reports suggest a SAM hit but nevertheless the aircraft went down after the bomb run was finished and certainly no Mig-23 was involved!

Over small Russian single or dual runway airfields in East Germany JP233 makes plenty of sense as the aircraft is in and out through covering terrain before the enemy can respond. Over a vast multi runway desert airfield with little to no cover and clear sight lines for GBAD’s low level strike is a poor idea. In the second half of the Gulf War the RAF moved to medium altitude strikes using LGB designated by Pave Spike carried by Buccaneer or self designation using two hastily rushed out prototype TIALD pods that were still technically in development trials. The two pods deployed were apparently called ‘Sandra’ and ‘Tracy’! 😀

In respect of Australia add their vast mineral wealth and a surprisingly paranoid outlook about their South Pacific neighbours – just have a look at the APA website if you are unsure about that paranoia.

In respect of the RAF indeed once the Hercules are gone the transport fleet will be rather weighted towards heavy lift. A400M is being sold as having a tactical capability so I think we need to give it a chance but as for something smaller I doubt there is any serious thought being put to it. Certainly nothing until after 2015 SDSR, the BAE 146 are a stop gap to support UK forces in Afghanistan with the C130K on its way out. I don’t see the type being held in service much after the draw down from Afghanistan.

So it is kind of suck it and see! We might see some movement on the matter in the future but there are many other more important things to budget for at the moment. I agree that if we adopt something like C295 as an MPA/ASW type there would be some synergies adopting some cargo only variants.

Well of the previous 19 posts in this thread, 5 of them are reporting news so 14 is a bit higher than the 1 you mention. The forum is cluttered with j-2030 hotdog burrito spaghetti Telly tubby threads as it is, so if we start even a news discussion thread separate from this to debate/ talk about whatever news and leave this thread the way it is. I know it’s not in the rules but it’s nice to log on and just know you’ll be reading news reports and not some nonsense, which im sure you agree alot of the threads often devolve into.

I am speaking for myself not them, I don’t like them hijacking threads.

Add them to your ignore list it is easy to do!

Totally disagree Nils!

I don’t see the point of cluttering the forum with multiple one point threads!

If I want to make a single point about an article then I will post it here! If it is worthy of more then I am happy to take it to a new thread! There is no forum rule outside of forum etiquette to start long discussions in any thread even if it has news in the name.

I agree it is rude to high-jack any thread but it bugs me when I am asked to do something which is not against forum rules.

In the end we can’t bee to sentimental! She missed an overhaul and would need a serious and expensive SLEP to make it a worthwhile purchase by another navy.

If Thailand have any sense they will buy up her spares and when she is scrapped any transferable systems and components like propellers, anchors, engine room fittings as well to support the HTMS Chakri Naruebet.