Actually, two CVF´s, Crowsnest and Dave B will out everything what any other naval power will field for the foreseable future (the obvious exception being the obvious one) in the sea based “combat jet thingy” dpt (well, the Chinese might have something to say about it…).

Cheers

If by controlling airspace you mean tracking airliners I’m not particularily impressed. It’s not better than a good fighter radar.

A “Good fighter radar” the size of something recent in the nose of a Flanker or Eagle with a 360º cover. Or the equivalent of a first generation Erieye. And eight of them.
For the budget alocated call me impressed.

Then they should have gone with a cheaper carrier design to have the money to fund a good AEW system.

Cheaper carrier design with EM CATs on it? How were they suposed to do that? The entire CVF project was done on the “cheap”.
Either the RN went with a much smaller design or they would just build one ship.
Lets just ignore the fact that between crowsnest/T45/AN-APG-81 the RN have one hell of a radar coverage and either slash the number of sorties/fuel and weapons carriage in the CVF or instead of two the RN would field just one ship, doesnt look like a particular good idea.
Actually lets just drop the idea, in order to fund the acquisition of such a proposed E-2D fleet by taking the money from the ships design and construction, while sticking EM Cats on it at the same time, would have taken 1/4 of the entire CVF budget (never mind the Cat´s), its either two ships with Crowsnest or one ship with E-2D´s.

http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/japan-e-2d-advanced-hawkeye-airborne-early-warning-and-control-aircraft

Considering the many billions extra-cost on the F35 program induced by the requirement of developing a STOVL variant, I’m pretty sure you could afford a couple of catapults for the QE and other US LHD ships, and even add a couple Hawkeyes with the change.

Nic

The RN and the RAF couldnt. The US Navy and the US Marine corps might.

“The Hardest Day” book is somewhere in my house, nice book, great reading.

RIP

Even if we totally ignore the geopolitics of this, why in the world would they need to buy an S400?

Acquire one battery to study the thing in order to evade and/or destroy “less than friendly ones out there”?
In terms of Israel needing it for its self defense, the need is zero.

I never said Turkey will be an ally of NATO(i.e. US), at that given time. :highly_amused: After all, “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests” (c) Henry Kissinger :eagerness:

But, as i’ve said before – it was a joke, in its basis. I doubt Turkey will buy our SAMs in the foreseeable future.

Agree

There is “Russian Federation” and there was “Soviet Union”.. just like there is “Bundesrepublik Deutschland” und there was “Drittes Reich”.
I beg to differ here..

I didnt mentioned the “Russian Federation”. I am not exactly expecting that Turkey and the Russian Federation become BFF´s, that wont happen, too much history under the bridge for that to happen overnight, but if you see my posts one year ago i was also one of those that said to a few of our Russian coleagues over here that no, Russia would not invade Turkey, and no, the Bosphorus was quite safe.
Glad to see that Turkey and Russia are getting along, but no, unless something quite catastrophic happens, for thr foreseable future Turkey is not going to leave NATO.

NATO caused Turkey’s pivot to the East the moment they sought to overthrow Erdogan and began supporting the YPG in Syria.

All these indicate that Turkey may be entertaining a military solution to the YPG moving towards statehood.

Nato “sought to overthrow” Erdogan?!
Thats news!