Hi,

Alphajet has brakes on the 2 main wheels ‘only’.

MiG-29 has different airbrake config than Su-27.

Rafale has no dedicated surfaces for airbrake. Instead, it uses a combination of elevon, and (not always) canards.
[edit] the provided pic is from the demonstrator which had dedicated surfaces.

I don’t read “separate contract” as “doing as if we didn’t already negotiated a previous contract”.

@Tempest414: My apologies, according to this, a paradrop was used in Timbuktu partially because of the lack of troops-carrying helicopters:

Faute d’un nombre d’hélicoptères suffisant, et suffisamment protégés, l’état-major n’a pas pu réaliser une OHP sur Tombouctou.

(OHP stands for Opération HéliPortée).
OTOH, the following link (below) affirms that helicopters from the Groupement aéromobile operated around Timbuktu too.

About Gao, this indicates that a “poser d’assaut” (meaning: a Transall landing, unloading, and taking-off again in one swift move) was used on the airport, and that Tigre helicopter(s ?) operated in the area too.

How long will it before there is a real need for troop carrying helicopters and or MERT helicopters and if the need is identified who will supply them as this is possibly another area the French are lacking at this time.

And possibly not, thus rendering your question moot. Care to elaborate?

shuck, why do you ask here and in a new topic? :confused:

Anyway, back to the topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmxxdFcFUw8
– BM21 meets GBU ;
– Pick-ups meet Tigers’ firepower.

this conflict again makes me wonder when further munitions will be integrated on Rafale…

I know that you had other weapons in mind when you wrote that, but it’s noteworthy that further munitions are integrated on Rafale on a regular basis. For example, the Mali is the first operation where Rafale use GBU-49s (integrated in 2012).

What happens when the AN-124 has been booked up beforehand by another customer and is not available?

Too bad, then. Longer time to deploy, because using only smaller available aircrafts. So far, the problem with the An-124 seems more on the cost ground than on the availability one.

And If the A-400 is so perfect for strategic transport

Where did you see me say that? My words were “good enough”. Quite different.

then why does the RAF increase its C-17 fleet whilst also being a future A-400 customer?

One should ask UK. I can think of a number of reasons, both good and less good IMO.

They both compliment each other very well but one is simply not as capable in the strategic of operations as the other.

Yes. And the C-17 is a superb aircraft, offering roughly twice the payload and 1.5x the range of the A400M, at a slightly superior speed.
The question is not here IMO. The question is does France needs a “more strategic” transport than A400M for its military operations, considering all aspects: range, payload (quantity), payload (in “does that fit?” terms), speed, cost, one fleet vs multiple fleets.

Having to fall back on allies to pick up capablity slack is a p**s poor plan too

Agreed. What if one cannot afford to do otherwise, for the time being? Short term vs long term is an eternal debate.

I’m sure you see the point.

I do, thanks 🙂

——-

As far as France and UK were concerned, yes.

Agreed! 🙂

A-10s would be sitting targets with MANPADS in the field

Negative, Sir. Additionnaly to previous answers on that topic, the A-10s are A-10Cs now. Meaning they could operate high enough (TGP + PGMs…) for not caring that much about manpads, if needed.

Other jets are certainly vulnerable to MANPADS too, but at least the A10 stands a good chance of surviving a strike, a Mirage or Rafale would be finished.

A-10 certainly has a better chance of surviving a manpad shot, given its inherent strengh & redundancy.
OTOH, the tiny Etendard IV prooved (here, scroll down) it was able to survive a manpad shot too (and get back to the ship for a trap landing), I don’t think you should be so sure the Mirage or Rafale would (necessarily) be finished. 😉

By the way, why are the Rafales carrying A2A missiles? What possible airbourne threat could they encounter?

As already pointed out, MICA IRs give a nice IRST capability in complement of the OSF (knowing that not all birds got the OSF mounted).
But those are live missiles, not training/seeker-only ones. Hence… first days of conflict… better safe than sorry I guess.:rolleyes:

http://i.imgur.com/VM9NL.jpg

Here it must probably taking off with the 2 GBUs and the gun cover out.

Agreed. Good catch. 🙂