Phil FosterHe certainly is a joke but I’m not sure he is an active MP. After a while nobody would vote for him.
Phil FosterApproaching this from the same viewpoint as haveblue RAF procurement may look a bit like this over the next 10 to 20 years. I am mentioning the Tornado because the FOAS will not reach squadron service before 2015 at the earliest but I would just like to make a guess at what the interim and the FOAS itself might well involve.
Interim: Well its going to be the Tornado but its not silly to imagine that it might not be based on the GR4 rather than the F3. The F3 has about 85% commonality with the GR4 yet it has greater range due to more internal fuel and better aerodynamics. A new radar/avionics suite/powerplant and flight control system would transform the type but don’t hold your breath its probably not going to happen but it might. Tornado FGR5 anyone?
FOAS: Well the jury is still out but it could be based on a number of systems including UCAVs, transporter bombers! (chucking a job lot of Strorm Shadow cruise missiles out the back of a Hercules, Globemaster or A400M has been considered) and strike attack platforms such as a long range strike optimised Eurofighter. The latter would be the backbone of the FOAS system thought the JSF will be an integral part.
So now down to basics:
Combat:
140+ Eurofighter Typhoons plus a sizeable strategic reserve of perhaps 30 or 40 aircraft. (180+ in total)
140+ Panavia Tornado strike aircraft, probably developed GR4s with a smaller strategic reserve of GR4s and older GR1s.
120+ F35 JSF? These will also constitute an organic airwing for whichever aircraft carrier type the government lets the Royal Navy procure (when the Jaguar and Harrier are replaced.)
Combat support:
7 Sentry AWACS aircraft
18 Nimrod MPAs (the new Mk4 hopefully)
3 Nimrod ELINT
5 Global Express ASTOR (Airborne STand Off Radar) similar to JSTARS.
Tanker/transport
Depending on which report you beleive:
4 or 11 C17A Globmasters
~30+ Airbus A400M (there is a question mark over this project.)
~50+ C130K/K-30/J/J-30 Hercules (sorry I don’t know the designation for the stretched C130Js.)
~30+ tanker transports currently Tristars and VC10s.
Helicopters:
I’m not sure about numbers perhaps sombody could fill me in but I will have a guess:
~50 CH47 Chinook heavy lifters
~20+ Westland Merlin Medium lifters.
~30+ Puma medium lifters
~10 to 15 Chinook and Merlin CSAR helicopters.
~20 Sea King SAR hilicopters.
Training:
~100 Grob Tutor and Slingsby Firefly primary and screening trainers.
~100(ish) Shorts Tucano T1 Basic flying trainers.
~60 to 80 Hawk T1A advanced flying and basic weapons trainers.
~30 to 40 Hawk (Mk129?) T2 lead in fighter trainers.
~10+Jetstream multi engine flying trainers.
~10+BAe 125 aircrew trainers.
I don’t know how many helicopter trainers there are or will be but they include Squirrels and Griffons at RAF Shawbury.
I have not included the Gliders of the ATSs nor have I included Army, Navy or Royal Marine aviation except the SHAR replacements for the carriers included in the F35 entry.
🙂
Phil Foster………….and did they at any time mention its air to ground capabilities? I didn’t think so.
It never ceases to amaze me how the non specialist press will always listen to the politician and ignore the service personel. It enough to make you weep. I like the BBC but they can only report authoritativley on matters such as politics and perhaps sport, everything else is anathema to them. It still doesn’t stop them making what they claim are truthful comments about something of which they know very little. We can only hope then that the government are less interested in what badly informed, washed out, unqualified ex ministers from a discredited government think than what their service cheifs are telling them.
If they listen to people like John Nott and Sue Willets the RAF will be going to war armed only with pure strike aircraft that have no air to air capability worth any note. Their idea is that and I will (mis)quote here myself the words of the infamous Sue Willets.
“The UK will never again go to war without the aid of the USA. The Falklands War in 1982 was a blip and no more. The RAF can contribute to future operations by providing strike aircraft alone, along with, perhaps, AWACS, ELINT, ASTOR support types and their ‘ilk’. The RAF simply does not need a cold war dogfighter or air superiority aircraft of any type because the UK will ‘never’ agiain go it alone in a war situation”
Its not word for word but if you showed this to her I’ll bet she will say thats exactly what she means. You can see at a glance that this statement is pure nonsense and worst of all it is very dangerous if she is expecting those in power to actually listen to her or her allies but just to summarise:
The Typhoon is not a relic or a Cold War dogfighter and even if it was (and it was) optimised for air to air combat I would have to ask her opinion of the F16 or the F/A18, or better still the F15. Remember? Not a pound for air to ground? Well I’m sorry but the F15E is a premier strike platform born of an optimised air superiority fighter. Does that make it a Cold War relic? At least half of the F16 units in the USAF are tasked primarily with air to ground operations yet the basic type was designed as………..wait for it…………a cold war dogfighter. Is it obsolete? No not yet and many countries including the USA are still buying new examples. I doubt there is any need to go into depth about the F18 but the Mig29 is worth a mention. If any aircraft deserves the monica ‘Cold War Dogfighter’ it is the Mig29 yet take a gander at the Mig29SMT. Its a superlative fighter bomber but she won’t even mention it because it doesn’t suite her style. She is an idiot and she is not doing female defence analysts any good whatsoever as far as being taken seriously is concerned.
Nuff sed!
Phil FosterWhy you’d choose HARM when ALARM is around, I don’t know
I’d go for ALARM too mate but with the HARM available I doubt the yanks would go for it as well even though ALARM has been proved a better weapon in 2 Gulf Wars and in Kosovo.
Vympel. Can you tell me if the Mig29S is the same as the Mig29SMT? Also is it in service with any CIS nations? One other thing. If you do not take into account the range/payload difference between the two types which aircraft do you rate higher out of the Mig29S and the Su27?
I only ask because I have kind of fallen in love with the Mig29 in LOMAC as it is so much fun to fly and so capable. I can only hope that they build an addon for the sim that includes the Eurofighter and I hope it is as much fun to fly as the Mig.
Regards
Phil 🙂
Phil FosterThe Northrop F20 Tigershark for me.
Phil FosterWhy is it that Russian aircraft carry so few cannon rounds? If anything, I thought the Russians emphasize WVR combat and super-maneuverability- wouldn’t more cannon rounds be therefore justified?
I agree with Vympel here you only need a lot of rounds for a smaller cannon with a higher rate of fire. The US and UK patches are out now and they make a big difference. I can even use higher resolutions and there doesn’t seem to be a large impact on the frame rate. It also appears that the online system has been improved (along with a whole lot more besides) because I actually got shot down last night and I hadn’t the slightest idea where the missile came from.
Garry what is your current setup?
Phil FosterERW said:
Phil…you have to look at the bright side. At least this week you stopped on the runway.
😀 😀 😀 😀
Matt said:
Phill your on the runway mate well done. Who needs a parachute.. looks like a great game
Matt if you ever buy a game buy this one and you can be my wingman anytime.:D
Seriously I have learned how to land the Fulcrum nicely now I don’t often make mistakes like this anymore. I will post more screenies as and when.
Phil FosterThat’s a Flanker? hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaaa…
Well it says here that it is a Luftwaffe Mig29A Fulcrum A so. Erm. No it is not a Flanker. I think you missed the point of the title of this thread, it was an example you see. Are you joshing with me or are you just a thick tw**? 😀
Phil FosterGlitter are you trying to confuse poor little me again? :confused: 😀
Phil FosterWell, I stayed for 5 years in England during my studies and whenever I catched a TV program about the Typhoon, I never saw an expert (say ex-pilot) in the debate. Fat, well dressed gentlemen who were arguing about the financial aspect all the time. In one debate about the EF2000 the last 30 min was about NHS!!!!
That just about sums up these “experts”.
Phil FosterI’ve heard about as much as I can take without spitting at the radio. There isn’t a single detractor who hasn’t got a political or financial agenda and they talk as if the aircraft never had, never will have or was never intended to have an air to ground capability which is the hinge of their entire argument. Its wrong, its out of order and by gods these people really need to learn how to keep their mouths shut if they don’t know what they are talking about, which they don’t.:mad: 😡 😡 😡
Phil FosterPhil, if you’re going my way can I have a lift please?
I’m going left out of here which way are you going? 😀
Phil FosterPhil, if you’re going my way can I have a lift please?
I’m going left out of here which way are you going? 😀
Phil FosterDon’t bother its just regurgitated crap from the Telegraph. :rolleyes:
Phil FosterMy head hurts.:confused:
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