They have had almost six years to dig in and they are hardcore fighters who joined up. They are not the drafted, unmotivated lot in the Arab armies of the past Arab-Israeli Wars.

It also does help that the Lebanese government and military have been to fearful to take action against Hezbollah both now or in the past.
As was and still is the case with the Palestinians (PLO) in so many neighbouring Arab countries who have embedded themselves so deeply with in their hosting countries, that the hosting countries authorities are to fearful of internal trouble if they were to act against them.

I think the new democratic rule of Lebanon, has let itself be undermined by Hezbollah, that Lebanon is now a state within a state.
Unfortunately I think it very clear that the Lebanese government and military inaction to us its authority and power (as democratically elected) to rain in the Hezbollah organisation on its own soil and boarder areas has helped little.
I think this show of power and support for Hezbollah, by most of the Arab world, will only be the beginning of Lebanon’s problems, as the fundamental power and propaganda of this conflict grows in Hezbollah’s favour!
After all I have not seen any Arab or Muslim states speaking out against Hezbollah – even though their cross-board kidnappings of Israeli soldiers is what brought Israel into action, and their continues rocketing of Israel (while using the civilian population and infrastructure as shields) is what has brought the military might of the Israeli armed forces on Lebanon. After all if the Lebanese government and military were serious about stopping this conflict, they would be dominating their boarder area with their military to prevent these rocket attacks – a hence take away the reason for the Israeli incursion, to also stop these rocket attacks!

This UN ‘Cease Fire’ will be a waist of time, and unfortunately will probably mean the lives of good spirited Peacekeepers lives!

Regards
Pioneer

But how will they go maintaining and operating S-300 system?
How often will they get to test them?
Will they be willing to expose them to effective SEAD?

‘You can buy all the best toys you want if you have the cash’!
‘But operating it effectively is another thing’!

Most of the Arab countries have been doing this for decades know, but history has shown that they are unable to effectively operate them, without continued foreign (Soviet/East German at the time) assistance.

Regards
Pioneer

I still do not think the F-35 as a good counter to the growing number of Sukhoi Flanker’s that are becoming the main-stay of this area of the world (this is even more my view with the reluctance of the US to allow us (Australia) to have the top of the range technical/stealth version of the F-35)

If Australia can not have the F-22, then I hope that Boeing will come up with a ultra-updated F-15 Eagle, as a cheaper alternative to the F-22. Say a F-15+ with the F-22 engines, new radar and a new and better performance wing design and aerodynamics and stealth performance

But then again I wish Australia would continue to invest in the comprehensive update of its F-111 force, as I see no real replacement for the ‘Pig’ in weapons load, range and penetration capability.
After all I am positive the USAF is kicking itself for prematurely phasing out its
F-111 fleet, what with the range and payloads requirements in the likes of Afghanistan, where it is forced to employ Strategic platforms like the B-52 and
B-1B’s.
But as they say – ‘You do not know what you have got, until you have lost it’!

Regards
Pioneer

Sorry I had some problems with the picture I wanted to post, regarding what I had posted on the 29th

Hope it works this time!

Unknown British design

I found this interesting, yet limited hybrid cruiser/carrier (Through-deck cruiser) design in an old magazine I have had for years – ‘Aircraft’ – Australia’s Complete Aviation Magazine – dated November 1977.
It looks somewhat of a Soviet Kiev Class, but on a much smaller scale.

The article was about the potential development of the Hawker Harrier into the ship-based Sea Harrier, that the Royal Navy (and as the article suggests the Royal Australian Navy) could put to use.

It states in the article that the ships design would have a displacement of 8,000 – 12,000 tonnes, over all hull length of 600 ft, and a sky-jump runway width of 40 ft and length of 300 ft.
The design would normally embark three Harriers and one ASW helicopter.

It does not mention the armament of the design. But from what I can make out it looks to comprise of 1 x single 114mm (4.5 in) Mk 8 gun mount, and 2 x twin Sea Dart missile launchers.

Regards
Pioneer

The Royal Navy would also have been able to carry more F-8’s more comfortably than the F-4 Phantom II’s aboard its carriers.

I wonder how the F-8 would have gone operating from the likes of the British Colossus and Majestic Class light fleet aircraft carriers that would continue to serve with the likes of Australia, India, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands.
(I would love to see the F-8 in Royal Australian Navy Colours!)
After all the F-8 would have given these older carriers a far more capable (and realistic) fighter-Air defence capability than the likes of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. (Don’t get me wrong, for I think that the Skyhawk was an outstanding and very capable light strike/attack aircraft, which history speaks for itself, but its capability as a fighter was of a secondary nature.)
Saying this the A-4 Skyhawk could have still been used as these vessels main strike/attack aircraft.

Does anyone have anything on the LTV V-1000 design?
The V-1000 design was said to have been a refined development of the F-8 Crusader that LTV submitted to a United States Governments need for a simple, easy to maintain fighter, with minimum attack capability that could be used by its poorer US allies, under the MAP (Military Assistance Program)?????
Note- the Northrop F-5E Tiger II won this competition

Regards
Pioneer

What about pilots of the IAF (Israeli Air Force)

I would have to say in post WWII era it would have to be Israeli Air Force for both experiance in air-to-air combat

For there are few country’s / Air Forces that can claim that they have been in so much air-to-air combat against so greater odds

Regards
Pioneer

P.S. I would love to see how the IAF fighter & strike pilots went in USAF Red Flag or USN Top Gun training.

I don’t know if its a photoshop job or not, but I must agree that it looks too small compared to the carrier, especialy when compared to the Tomcats on the carriers deck. But then again it looks like a shadow of the B-52 on the water. But if it is for real, then my hats off to the skill of the pilots (but what about the rest of the crew buried deep in the lower forward fuselage, with no windows?)

Regards
Pioneer