Short answer? You can’t.

Exactly.

But I didn’t want to say it. 🙂

The NKC-135 laser lab is not in service, it’s in the USAF Museum. The YAL-1 is still a prototype and not yet in service. What two in-service airborne lasers are yo ureferring to, since you can’t mean either of those? 😀

Ok, so, I’m wrong on that, they are not currently on the fleet.

How long would it take to get them out of the museum and into the fleet?

How long would it take them to use the knowledge gained to produce a workeable laser? (I suppose they are already doing that with the ABL 747)

Anyway, the real point is the research of laser weapons seems to be alot more mature (than hypersonics and sustainable hypersonic propulsion) and is producing prototypes of vehicles that could easily be transferred into service, whereas the X-43 etc are definitely pure test beds.

a new generation of strategic bombers?

In a word, no.

The development and poliferation of ground based laser defences will render such machines obselete before they are in service.

Lets recap.

The Superbug is still poor today because a GAO report 5 years old detailed a couple of marginal performance issues.

Lets ignor those performance measures which met or exceeded expectations for starters. That would require us to actually read the report.

Lets ignor the fact that the GAO never gives any aircraft it audits a passing grade and sometimes recomends a program be suspended until the technology is further developed or further studies are completed. The F-22 and F-35 come to mind.

Lets ignor the fact that time has not stood still during the last 5 years. lets pretend that no further developments have been made to any of the systems that would enhance the effectiveness of F-18E/F – no sensor, airframe, weapons, powerplant or operational improvements at all.

Lets ignor that the Bug is on the verge of a significant radar enhancement.

Lets ignor the fact that the Superbug has been out there for years doing the job required of todays USN not yesterdays USN. It does what it was designed to do. Lets not pretend that the competition for the USN is proven in combat.
Simulations are one thing, actually doing the job in a war is another.

Lets ignor the fact that the Bug can run rings around the Tomcat in a dogfight and that the F-14 is limited to the same types of weapons as the F-18E/F for BVR. (if lowspeed prowess is irrelevant for the F-18 family it is for the Mig-29, the Eurofighter and Rafale as well).

Lets not pretend that every fighter currently in service is not undergoing some degree of modification and development including those that are only beginning to arrive in significant numbers to be relevant.

Sauron

Ok, all well and good, updating sensors etc – but that could have been done on the F-14 as well.

The SH is a crap airframe aerodynamically, nothing is going to change that – the fact it is not trounching the age old F-14 speaks volumes for its inadequacies. After all, does anyone give an F-15 a chance against its replacement, the F-22?

The Tomcat is limited to the AIM 120 as all development on the AIM54 has ceased due to the Navy’s political agenda of getting the subpar hornet in the fleet – it levels the playing field somewhat removing the F-14s most potent advantage does it not?

Lets pretend in 10-15 years time the USN has to go up against chinese MKKs etc.

What would you want to have on your side to defend the fleet?

An uprated F-14 with updated sensors, avionics and phoenix’s…

or

the subpar hornet?

I know which one I’d rather have.

Is the Super-Hornet so bad ? imagine the slaughter against Iranians Tomcats… 🙁

I can imagine the tomcats doing the slaughtering all right!

Yeah but what I’m looking for is WHY they’re labeled as Latino when they are not descended from the Latium region of Italy or the Roman Empire.

Actually, there are links there – Spanish and Italian are quite close languages, and from experience Italian buddies could chat up hot Spanish girls while I was clueless (they didn’t “know” Spanish, they were able to get by as its similar enough) 😮

Latin (the language) was spread with the Roman Empire through Gaul (France) and Spain, so I guess thats the origin of the similarities. I also guess that is where the term Latino comes from :confused:

Google is my friend: 🙂

http://home.att.net/~Alsosa/page2.htm

And off topic, but can anyone tell me why they’re referred to as “Latin” America?

Mainly colonised by the Spanish – Spainish are Latin – hence the use of Portugese and Spainish language/dialect. Thus – Latin America.

Yes I stand on saying Mr. Chavez is arming himself to the teeth, those 12 transport planes are just a piece of an intended purchase spree that would include two dozen SU-27 flankers with their associated ordenance and support, several frigates, etc….

So my question is: What exactly does he plan to do with that ? Launch a parade ?

Any evidence to support this spending spree?

He might parade with them, or use the transports for humaniterian purposes, or ferrying equipment to the oil pipes across columbia… loads of things.