. Go check out how much a good ‘normal’ SSK costs these days (hint: look at what the Aussies think they are going to spend on replacing Collins)

Dont need to go that far, the Portuguese Navy just spent slightly more than a billion Euros for two U214´s.

Come to think of it there was a project called the Compact vertical gun system…

This is entirely bonkers…
A simple google search on “Compact vertical gun system” would show the entire folly of this idea.
There was never a single cell “MK41” VLS compatible design, the thing was bloody massive, here you go, a 1998 sketch:

The original “VGAS” evolved into the “AGS”… Yes, thats right, the system that is used in the Zumwalt Destroyer class, the one that, with two guns, ocupies the same space has 64 MK41 VLS and weights more than a U214!

@John K

If you’re going to go with such a large number of TLAM then you’d be able to afford the Trident instead. A couple tens of TLAM could certainly be defended against with air defences without ridiculous expenditure.

100 conventional TLAM´s cost less than a pair of Eurofighter Typhoon´s, and the launching vectors are already on the RN ORBAT.
The only expensive bit of hardware would be the nuclear warhead, couple that with the fact that you wouldnt need three new dedicated nuclear submarines (“Bombers” in RN “parlance”) and the cost of the nuclear CASOM would be a very tiny fraction of something like “Trident GB”.
If that option (nuclear CASOM) is a good deterrent, thats another question.

UK payed the old SAAF tornado F3 back to SA.

?!

A question please , regarding the new Gripens 39-7 and 39-8. I’ve looked on the net , and it seems 39-7 is associated with the Gripen NG Demo prototype we all know. So what’s the story here , is 39-7 new or transformed from the NG Demo?

Also, was the Gripen NG Demo equipped with an AESA in the nose yet (Vixen-500E?) ? Or the ES-05 ( aparently the new name for Vixen-1000E) is going to be installed first in 39-7 this summer?

Thanks.

The 39-7 is a new airframe built from scratch, its not the DEMO.
The radar (Raven 1000P) that was instaled on the NG Demo was a technology demonstrator, the one that will be on the 39-7 will a prototype directly related to a future production standard.

MICA met AIM-9X requirements, ASRAAM didn’t.

‘nough said.

Where did you read that?
I´ve followed closely the “X” competition and the MICA was not part of it, and its the first time that i´ve seen mentioned such an evaluation.

The two teams vying for the AIM-9X offered two designs each. Hughes proposed an evolved Sidewinder (today´s “9X”) and a TVC equiped AIM132, Raytheon proposed an evolved Sidewinder (a canardless design equiped with the Diehl IRIS T seeker) and an evolved Python 4.

phew for a minute we were thinking of buying Rafale and that would have just been a real headache all round!”

😀

You naughty chap, that was a cheap shot…