and maintenance hours.

yes, LOL

Regarding the good observation that Alliot-Marie elected to make public a non-incident: She is one of the hopefuls for the next presidential election in 2007. Do you think she is beyond pandering to the Arab electors? hmmm…

This event was far more dangerous than the German frigate or the Leclercs.

1- Those F-15 were flying were they were not supposed to be

2- They initiated an attack run on a UN position which had no mean to know if it was a simulated attack or not.

3- german fregates (and other AAW UN ships) have the possibility to turn on their tracking radar to warn the Israeli planes when they have gone too far.

4- that was not the case of this french unit which only has short range IR missiles and who, according to its UN mandat, almost had to shoot those planes.

The behaviour of the israeli planes were, in this very case, completly irresponsible and could have led to a dramatic situation.

Switzerland may well stay for the JSF if they can get deliveries in time. If they can’t then it will be either super hornets or one of the euro canards.

Switzerland likes to assemble and modify her aircrafts by herself and I don’t think the JSF will allow that.

They also prefer strong aircrafts able to land on short runways. I do think the gripen and the rafale are the best choices for the Swiss. (The F/A-18E being too big)

The gripen, is cheaper and uses the amraam already in service in the SwissAF but the rafale is safer with 2 engines and some of its parts are already made in Switzerland.

Greece will buy something to counter the Turkish buy, as is the way with national rivalry, though whether Greece will decide on the JSF or just more F-16s or the Typhoon, we will have to see.

Greece has already said that she will not buy more F-16. The next order, around 1010-2012 will be a 4th generation aircraft and most probably the rafale or the eurofighter. If Greece decides to buy the JSF, they will do it in order to replace their early F-16 after 2015.

The Su-37 definitely impressed me most when I saw it live at an airshow in 1998.

Same !

lets not also forget the Canadian Canard – that was the most revolutionary of them all

yeah ! the famous canada goose

very nice 🙂