but it is still the same pedigree.

…i.e. both aircraft have the same pedigree – the General Dynamics F-16.

It doesn’t have to be big. The ATGM systems use very light targeting systems for instance. The Javelin system has several zooms, up to 10 times or something like that, enough to ID the target at up to max range.

An aircraft using a TGT pod would have to search for a long time to find a target and engage, which would render it vulnerable to SAMs. There is also the problem of locking the missile on the target at long range.

For the light plane I am talking about, the pilot would see the target visually, it would be much faster, the EO system would only be for IDing the target from as far as possible to make sure it is not friendly.

It will have to be big enough to today’s moderm ATGMs and avionics. Also I doubt if such an aircraft in such a role would be a single seater – you need a second pair of eyes when flying close to the ground like that, and when you are searching for targets.

Su 33 taking off with full air to air load

http://youtu.be/R3Dmhzu0mMg

What was the internal fuel load? What was the deck head wind speed?

Value is a rather subjective term.. I personally would prefer three $2.5bil STOBAR carriers, instead.

Well, the Russian navy seems to disagree with you on this count – they have “plans” to build their own Gerald Ford 100,000 tonner in the future:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_23000E

I suspect you are right.
Sweden has a wonderful postwar record in fighter design, extremely impressive in fact..
Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen, Gripen.. pound-for-pound probably the most impressive record of all.

But you do wonder what will follow the Gripen, powerpoint displays notwithstanding.

Didn’t someone in the French government announce a few years back, that the Rafale would be the last combat aircraft that France would “do it alone” – it’s just too expensive to fund the latest generation of jets – especially for a country that has a population not much greater than the city of Paris.

And yet:

And we’re still on the first page of the thread.

For your information Wilhelm, I don’t seriously think Russia would, or should, consider Sweden as its main supplier for its next generation jets. Consider these 2 posts as expressions of a lame sense of humour – in reply to Paralay’s lame sense of humour.

C’mon, apart the rotor layout, it’s a Kaman.

Oh, you mean the rear-ramp-twin-boom layout, I see. Pretty rare on a helicopter – but its beeen around along time on other aircraft types:

Yeah but they have the utmost importance as a witness.

We wouldn’t want the likes of Hillary or Obama being able to murder at will without any witness right?

Or would we?

I’m sure they’ll accept video film recordings instead.

Do you not actually want to discuss military aviation at all?

Troll…