PioneerThey went through this with that idea floated of giving away the JFK to NATO, even if the USN gives away one of their carriers for free there is no other navy on the planet they’d consider giving them to with the resources to operate them, given the crew requirements and cost of air ops on that sort of scale, and if it’s a nuke the problems are even greater. Nice idea, but it’d probably make a lot more sense for Australia to spend $3-4Billion on a new build ship like CVF or PA2 than accept a USN CVN, daft as that may sound.
Hay that clown we have as a Federal treasurer – Peter Costello, announced that the Australian Government (or ‘I’ as he likes to say!) has a surplus of $17 Billion dollars
America could give us a carrier for one $ dollar and we would stuff it up or use it as the largest helicopter carrier in the world. For we have a few helicopters, and purchasing carrier aircraft would be too expensive.
But then again the Australian Government would purchase French Rafals, just so we would have to carry out a lengthy and expensive overhaul of the ship to operate them!
Cynical I know!
But Australian I am!
Pioneer
PioneerThat may be true…….Yet, the F-35C does offer longer range and heavier payloads than its landbased F-35A cousin. With the former being a major drawback when replacing the F-111!
I agree with this Scooter (although I still think that the F-22 is the better and more capable option for the RAAF and ADF as a whole in meeting the proliferation of the Su-27/30/33 in the region i.e. India, Malaysia, Indonesia, PRC and Vietnam).
But I still think it needs to go further!
If anything we should be looking at an F-35A fuselage and landing gear, matched to the F-35C’s larger wing.
Like I have always argued about in the case of the RAAF F/A-18A Hornets, is get rid of all the heavy and un-needed carrier-required airframe strengthening, carrier landing gear, and wing-folding (does the F-35C have folding wings ???) etc….. that has no purpose of being on the RAAF model.
Then this will give the RAAF (and any other land-based Air Force for that matter!) a much better aircraft, with all the thrust-to-weight ratio it is going to need to take on those ‘Flankers’
Australia still has time to go F-22’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerSorry I have not kept up with this forum
It may have already been stated, but what is the intended armament of the ‘Hyuga’?
As it looks like it has Aegis radar on the bridge!
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerIs the photo of the EF-2000 Typhoon intercepting the Russian BEAR for real, or is it Photoshop?
The reason that I ask, is due to the fact that the so-called ‘Russian BEAR still has the old Soviet red star on its tail?
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerUnfortunately and as per normal, since its day of conception, the poor old basic Harrier concept has been underrated again and again!
I for one still thinks the GR.5 / AV-8B Harrier has plenty of potential and life in them, especially in the wars we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
For again and again, we learn in wars like Afghanistan and Iraq, that close air-support can not be done effectively by high-tech, supersonic aircraft.
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerFor a more affordable solution (I assume), how about the HAL Dhruv?
I am sure HAL would like some more export orders. 🙂
How much is a HAL Dhruv, anyway?
I think that India is going to be like another France and China (going by the YouTube footage about their wiliness to market and sell the powerful BroMos ASV missile to everyone and anyone who has the cash). I think its part of their ego about seeing themselves as an up and coming Super Power!
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerI still believe that the US, Britain and Canada should have been more serous about a ‘Joint Air Defence / Long-Range, high speed interceptor’.
The perfect choice, I think would have been too have concentrated all their efforts and talent on the development of the CF-105 Arrow and follow-on variants.
This would have saved money, and created very good numbers, and cross-service logistics and training i.e. USAF / RCAF CF-105’s could have been more easily deployed to Europe in both peace and war.
Know this would have caused the Soviet’s a major headache, and could possibly have forced them to spend even more money (that they did not have!) between the new ICBM R&D, as well as larger, more powerful, and much more expensive bombers and numbers.
Regards
PioneerLike a bolt out of the blue!
The talk of ‘Flankers and know 100 x Bell 412!
Where did Mexico come across all this cash?
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
24 x F-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) – Long-range Strike /
Interdiction
4 x RF-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) Long-range – Recon
8 x EF-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) Long-range – ECM/SEAD48 x F-22 Raptor’s – Air Superiority Fighter
48 x F-35 Lightning II – Fighter-Bomber
2 x AC-130J-100 – Long-range Airborne Gunship/Fire Support
4 x AC-27J – Tactical Airborne Gunship/Fire Support
32 x AP-9 – CAS/Observation/COIN
6 x E-737 AEW
4 x C-17A Globmaster III – Long-range Heavy-Lift Transport
24 x C-130J-100 Hercules – Medium STOL Transport
24 x C-27J Spartan – Light STOL Transport
8 x KC-30 Airbus – Airborne Refueling Tanker
Royal Australian Navy (RAN)
24 x P-3C Orion + – Long-range ASW/ASV/Recon/Mine Laying
24 x F-35B V/STOL – Carrier/LHA-based
4 x EMV-22 Osprey – Carrier/LHA-based AEW
4 x MH-53G – MCM
Australian Army – Aviation
50 x NH-90 – Assault Transport Helo
20 x CH-53G+ Super Stallion – Heavy-Lift Helo
20 x Tiger – Combat Battlefield recon/Targeting/Observation Helo
30 x AH-64D Long Bow Apache – Attack Helo
Well that my dream
Oh no, I forgot my –
24 x A-10C Thunderbolt II – Anti-Armour / Close Air Support
PioneerRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
24 x F-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) – Long-range Strike /
Interdiction
4 x RF-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) Long-range – Recon
8 x EF-111G+ (re-engine, rebuilt, lower RCS) Long-range – ECM/SEAD
48 x F-22 Raptor’s – Air Superiority Fighter
48 x F-35 Lightning II – Fighter-Bomber
2 x AC-130J-100 – Long-range Airborne Gunship/Fire Support
4 x AC-27J – Tactical Airborne Gunship/Fire Support
32 x AP-9 – CAS/Observation/COIN
6 x E-737 AEW
4 x C-17A Globmaster III – Long-range Heavy-Lift Transport
24 x C-130J-100 Hercules – Medium STOL Transport
24 x C-27J Spartan – Light STOL Transport
8 x KC-30 Airbus – Airborne Refueling Tanker
Royal Australian Navy (RAN)
24 x P-3C Orion + – Long-range ASW/ASV/Recon/Mine Laying
24 x F-35B V/STOL – Carrier/LHA-based
4 x EMV-22 Osprey – Carrier/LHA-based AEW
4 x MH-53G – MCM
Australian Army – Aviation
50 x NH-90 – Assault Transport Helo
20 x CH-53G+ Super Stallion – Heavy-Lift Helo
20 x Tiger – Combat Battlefield recon/Targeting/Observation Helo
30 x AH-64D Long Bow Apache – Attack Helo
Well that my dream
M.A.D
PioneerActually that was pretty much worked out. The USAF even considered having armed SR-71As sitting alert to take out Soviet AWACS platforms in the event of nuclear war, the idea being that they shoot them down before the bombers got within their range, making intercepts harder.
I think this thought may have had some sense to it.
For a F-12B could have assisted US bombers a greater chance of getting through – one would think!
If they were multi-rolled – they could have also cleared a corridor through the ground base radar systems as well?
But this would have added to cost and a split in payload
Well that my 2 cents worth!
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerWhen the NASA WB-57F visited Mildenhall a year or two ago, I spoke to their programme people, who said that they had “more than five” further airframes that could be refurbed and brought back into service.
The structural problem to which you refer was solved on the F, but not on the D.
Thanks you for that insight!
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerCapability like that doesn’t come cheap!
Refurbished WB-57Fs would give ‘better than U-2S’ capability at lower cost.
Sorry my friend, but where would you find WB-57F’s these days?
And didnt the -57F have a problem with wing failure??
Regards
Pioneer
PioneerI openly expressed my disatisfaction over this gorshkov deal, I say cancel the whole project since IAC will arrive by 2012~13 or so, Cancel the mig 29K’s buy something else over the money, and NDB should get its act together with UK/France for the CVF design and get it built as per its own requirements being the IAC 2.
I do not think the Indian Navy will sit idle for to long.
They will most likely use this time wisely
They should and will go ahead with the MiG-29K purchase.
They will utilize this time delay to familiarise themselves with this type of carrier aircraft once again (since going down the lines of V/STOL in place of conventional carrier ops.
They may even build a land-based carrier training centre, to give them training and experience with deck operations, arrester landing and equipment.
Regards
Pioneer
Pioneer[QUOTE=sealordlawrence;1141304]Well last month it was Mig-31s Iran was going to be procuring, so I suppose this is just part of the fantasy land rumor cycle.QUOTE]
I think it would be very silly of any nation/Air Force today, let alone Iran to purchase such an expensive ‘single-rolled’ Interceptor, such as the MiG-31
The Su-27/30 series would be a much better and ‘multi-rolled’ choice!
Saying this how would Iran go servicing and keeping the likes of the Su-27/30 in service – let alone 250 of them?
Regards
Pioneer
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