Puffadder“Yes, it has. Because Gripen is flexible enough to offer rapid integration with weapons from anywhere – Sweden, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Eastern Europe, etc. This is an area where Gripen leads the field. I’m not being anti-Rafale here – it’s an area where Gripen enjoys an edge over Typhoon, too, and over F-16, F/A-18 and JSF. No other new fighter has the weapons flexibility that Gripen enjoys.”
Hi Jackonicko
I concede that SAAB might be able to deliver a bit quicker than Dassault.
Of all the current aircraft manufacturers SAAB has the least experience in supporting export customers and the least experience in accomodating foreign weapons. I simply cannot understand why SAAB is suddenly able to integrate weapons that the others cannot. French aircraft have carried/ do carry American weapons regularly and have often deployed to fur-flung places.
I don’t know if you have noticed: apart from the Gripen, aircraft munaufacture in Sweden is flat-lining right now. Also I’m not aware of any aerospace activity where the Swedes participate and the French do not. Space, satellites, helicopters, airliners, weapons.
Offset with kitchenware? OK.
The Gripen would be an excellent choice for the Brazilians- but not for the reasons that you mention.
Puffadder….So the Rafale is in trouble… And who save it,…
The Rafale isn’t in trouble. It has been in service for some years now. Rafales take off from a carrier everyday. It has participated in Dissimilar Air Combat Training on many occasions and has given a very good account of itself.
It will not find a single export customer, but that is not a problem. A problem is when you have to get US permission when you want to export your plane. Or when, despite several years of flight testing, the software still isn’t right. That’s a problem.
PuffadderAahh, in your face- I luv it.
Good luck. I can see it now: “RN to buy Rafale; JSF rear fuselage design altered”.
SOC
i’m grinning like a Cheshire cat right now. Not because of any possibility that the RN will get the Rafale (they won’t) but because you guys are going to cave in to tech-transfer demands. :diablo: :diablo: :diablo:
I luv it !!!!
Aahh Dassault 😀 😀
PuffadderWhat’s in a name
Howzit sa_bushwar
change your name. Something like Boknaai or Biltong- or something :diablo:
BTW nice pix.
PuffadderLow altitude links.
Hi guys
the links are great. I also found this Mirage 2000 with conformal fuel tanks :diablo:
Puffadder…has greater weapons flexibility, is available now, … Dassault simply can’t do that.
As a developing industrial nation, Brazil wants and needs the kind of offset/industrial package that only Gripen International are offering at the moment.
So the Rafale, with an eight ton weapons capability and six hardpoints more than the Gripen, has less weapons capability. I see.
The Gripen is NOT available now (unless they can offer used planes)
What industrial package can Gripen offer? Work offered to Brazil will mean work taken from someone else.
… And perhaps they want a jet whose centreline station is useable…..
What exactly do you mean by that?
Puffadder… Venezuela is not so stable now with the Che Chavez in charge…
Venezuela has a population of around 25 million. Brazil has a population of approx. 170 million. Venezuela is not going to whip anybody.
A Rafale in a jungle camo scheme would be nice.
PuffadderSigh……when does this end?
The facts….
The USN has the Super Hornet
The Super Hornet is replacing the Tomcat.
Nothing can be done to change the above statement.
The USN has reported good results from the Super Hornet’s combat debut.
Nobody here has ever flown an SH, and nobody here likely ever will…
Conclusion? Get over it!!!!!! Move on with your lives!
I’m sick of these stupid topics! They achieve nothing!
Move on!
I concur 😀 😀 😀
PuffadderI always wondered how did they justify development of a completely new assault helicopter because of 12 machines..
Hi Flex
at the time that development started(early ’80s) South Africa was facing an increasing threat from an emboldened Angolan army with increasing Cuban assistance. The SAAF lost several helicopters in southern Angola and something had to be done. Given the good progress being made at the time on the local Puma program it was felt that an attack helicopter was not beyond the capabilities of Atlas. They also built a little dinky prototype attack helo (XH-1 Alpha) based on the Alouette III. It looked hilarious but it was a useful test platform.
As development was coming to an end in the early ’90s there was only one other attack helicopter with comparable performance, the Apache and the South Africans thought that the Rooivalk would be a good alternative- which it is. Thus series production was launched and it was hoped that some export orders would be forthcoming. A pity that it has been a commercial flop.
It has far greater range than the Apache, allowing for better autonomy- something that is important for smaller countries. The fuselage is very tough. Also, it’s Puma heritage makes it far more supportable than the Apache.
PuffadderHi PhantomII
Flight International posted the following about two months ago:
US Army poised to re-start transport aircraft contest
A long-delayed plan to buy 33 light transports for the US Army appeared poised to move forward by end-year with the release of a request for proposals (RFP) that will revive a competition between the Italian-US C-27J and the Spanish C-295/CN-235.
Both contracting teams – Alenia/ L-3 Communications joint venture Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS) offering the C-27J, and the C-295/CN-235’s Raytheon/EADS Casa team – were told by the army to expect RFP release for the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) programme on 22 December.
The RFP had been delayed several times since October 2005 as Department of Defense and US Air Force officials grappled with the army’s demands for both a near-term replacement for its Shorts C-23 Sherpa fleet and a long-term need for a more responsive intra-theatre airlift capability.
USAF leaders appear to back a plan that allows the FCA programme to replace the Army National Guard’s C-23 fleet, while simultaneously launching a follow-on Light Cargo Aircraft (LCA) programme that is likely to call for a different aircraft type. “I’d say I’m partnering with the army on this,” says Gen Michael Moseley, USAF chief of staff.
“While the Sherpa replacement is valid for them, what do you do in the future on a non-linear battlefield, how do you survive the threat array and how do you get at the resupply of those forces? I know what I would have done with something like this in Afghanistan and Iraq, but I don’t know that that’s the conclusion for 20 years from now.”
Moseley’s remarks appear to plant the seed for a new-start LCA programme in the future.
“We have looked at vertical lift, fixed wing and a variety of things and we have also spent a lot of time with them [the army] looking at something that is beyond just a Sherpa replacement,” he says.
Secretary of the air force Michael Wynne says the USAF considers FCA and the potential LCA as a replacement not only for the Sherpa, but also for the Vietnam-era Fairchild C-123 Provider transport, which the air force phased out with no replacement.
Meanwhile, GMAS has confirmed that Boeing will not be part of its bid team for FCA.
The C-27J is a nice little plane. I saw it fly some years ago. The pilot hauled it around as if it was a fighter. Heart-stopping stuff.
The original G222 was not a stunning success. There were reliability issues and the landing gear design is said to be seriously flawed. I assume that the C-27J program has addressed these shortcomings. I agree as regards commonality- avionics and engines lifted straight from the C-130J make the Spartan a clever buy.
Suggestion
Scrap the -130J (at $67million a copy it is vastly overpriced), go for the Spartan and buy a bunch of A400M’s
Aahh, Airbus Military Company 🙂 🙂
PuffadderSome of our governments and industry spokesmen here in Europe like to trash the Yanks because of their NIH (not invented here) syndrome. Unfortunately, very often we’re no better when it comes to Russian or Ukranian aerospace developments.
The Mi 38 looks like a nice bird, but it is too close in performance to the NH90 and EH-101 to warrant procurement.
The Mi 26 Halo is another ‘copter that would suit us perfectly but will not be seriously considered.
The Russian helicopters have always proved themselves to be tough and well engineered. The engines aren´t exactly cutting edge though.
A plane that we certainly should have purchased is the AN70.
PuffadderI do hope that any further problems with the V-22 will be promptly fixed. I do believe this aircraft has a great amount of potential as long as it is given the chance to prove itself.
The Marines are always bitching and moaning.
They’ll love this thing after they’ve taken it into battle for the first time.
I like it too. Can’t wait for Eurocopter too develop something similar. Some years ago I saw a mockup from Eurocopter which was quite similar in overall layout but for the rotors. The Eurocopter mockup had fixed engines and swivelling rotors- unlike the V22 where the whole engine-gearbox-rotor group swivels.
Puffadder…but ultimately the Typhoon is the better plane for the money.
No, it’s not. 😀
Aahh, Dassault
PuffadderDeja vu all over again?
Guys.
Given the vast array of fighters being offered, does anyone else here get the impression that the Indians have:
a) more money at their disposal than brains
b) no clue whatsoever as to what their operational role will be.
c) no idea how to draft an RFI or a requirement.
I’m hardpressed to reconcile the capabilities of a 20 ton Su with those of a 6,6 ton Gripen.
I don’t mean to offend Indian members on this forum. I’m sure that some of them will also be scratching their heads, when contemplating the bewildering array of single and twin engined fighters vying for the same contract.
PuffadderGiven that the engine and gearbox are largely legacy systems I doubt that there will be many problems. The electronics are also fairly mature. It is a fine helicopter. I hope that it will find a foreign buyer. Robust and has a good radius of action- very South African.
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