Who needs enemies when skits like this are being shown and giving a totally false impression of the capabilities and importance of both the CVF and JSF.

Don’t know about the French, but the RN are looking and indeed have already begun practising for a true battle Group deployment whenever the CVF sails.

I read somewhere the other day that a RN destroyer is joining and being fully integrated into a US battle Group for the first time in anticpation of this.

With a battle group surrounding a CVF there will be other ships with Marine contingents which basically means that the CVF won’t actually have to have that many on-board.

They’ve tested Starstreak on Apaches …

Starstreak is essentially a Ground to air weapon, in which the stationary operator only has to consider from his/her POV a 2D battlespace.

Mounting the laser designator on an aircraft moving in 3D while tracking a target in 3D is much more of a challenge which is why after 10 years in development the AAM varient hasn’t come to fruition.

The RAF list the Puma as capable of carrying 16 troops

(source: Sikorsky website)

Maybe in the days before all the extra kit was added and without considering Hot ‘n High conditions, but 16 is a dream for today’s RAF Puma’s.

You misquoted me slightly, the Puma figure is from the RAF website, the Sikorsky website was the source of the S92 info.

The EC635/LUH might be a reasonable replacement for the Gazelle, but given how it’s used these days, might new build Fennecs fill the role more cost effectively.

WP wrote

Huh? Have I missed something? The Merlin isn’t replacing the Sea King in the RAF. The contract will probably be announced during 2009 after competition and probably go part private.

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-hmcg_rescue/mcga-hmcg-sar/dops_-_sar_helo_harmonisation.htm

Perhaps WP was refering to the Seaking commando for the Marines?

With regard to SAR, MOD/MCA owned but privately operated Merlin/Cormorants such as those that fly in Canada would be handy bits of kit.
Added to that the MOD/AgustaWestland Merlin support centre (I can’t remember it’s correct name) that was announced a while back to support Merlins over the next however many years.

Would that make too much sense

They’re looking to get a hypersonic bomber into service by 2015 or something are they not?

[or am I getting very confused?]

The B2/B1/B52 follow on was initially to be hypersonic with a service date of 2030-2035.

Since then though, there is now a requirement for an evolution of existing technology to be in place 2018-2020 since its clear that hypersonics technology won’t be mature enough to design new bombers around within the original timescale.
The interim evolution probably based on B2 technology gives Hypersonic technology another 10 years to mature.

I think I got those dates right, I’ll try and find the source I read it from.

EDIT: this wasn’t the article I read, but covers the issue http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/12/214539/speed-bump-usaf-sets-modest-goals-for-new-bomber.html

Being still new to this site, I have to say that I’m totally blown away but the artwork on display in this section.

Much plaudits to the artists, regardless of your choosen media and method, you are all very much masters of your craft.

My local Tesco’s has a “Keyboard Hoover” powered by USB in it’s novalty christmas gifts section. Right next to the water powered Clocks, kinetic torches and Keyring weather stations.