Explore the role of NGOs used by the West to manipulate public opinions before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Subtle charity monies warped public opinions against the Soviet leadership, influenced elections, manipulated trade and money, etc. NGO activity led to a bloodless replacement of the Soviets.

So is this Gorbachev’s revenge? I know Socialism in the states is a thin veil for counter-capitalism NGO efforts from the KGB no different than the west used NGO work to capitulate the Soviets. It’s unfathomable that the economy will ever be strong enough to put everyone on welfare subsistence.

China holds a vast majority of the U.S.’s debt.

Oh, come now, that is not true. Let’s stick to aviation here.

Ejectors of conformal missile location are being redesigned for meteor integration , and you wold want to add such a modification?

It would probably simplify Meteor integration. F-15E’s have used CFT’s with bomb racks since the beginning. EF2K has plenty of locations to hold bombs, they need room for fuel and missiles. I’d venture to guess you aim for 1000L per CFT. You still have room for Storm Shadow, underwing drop tanks, outer wing ASRAAM and perhaps a centerline station. Adding AMRAAM/Meteor to the CFT’s means no real loss in capability.

Ditto the last two posts. 🙂

The original Typhoon looks like it would be possible to hang fast pack style cft’s from the conformal missile locations. Harness extenders would allow some retention of missile carrying. Plumbing and fuel shifting still has to be conquered, but it’s a natural location for holding the weight and keeping integration simple.

I still think a modified B-70 would have made a great launch platform for a practical space-plane (based on the X-15).

Some conspiracy theorists think the partially completed one was converted to such a role.

The B-70 is pleasing to the eye for sure. I’m not so sure the body wouldn’t have been better served with shaping up front more like the SR-71 considering the position of the canard placed a lot of stress on the fuselage, putting it at risk of catastrophic failure. The engine pod was always cool in my opinion, but another engineering nightmare during catastrophic engine failure. If the plane had been bought it still wouldn’t have remained in service by the 80’s. The Sukhoi T-4 project was much more realistic in scale and such a design size was more practical.

I do believe the ‘underpowered’ is a power play over the negotiations. The Rafale is already as large a wing as an F-4 with engines that are similar in power band yet superior in about every conceivable way. UAE never opted for F-4’s and the Rafale is a peer on the level of F-15E. There is no technical reason it requires a more powerful engine at this time.

By offering F414 it tears down the cost barrier save for the inlet redesign. F414 places it ahead of EF2k in terms of available power. I don’t seriously think the UAE will consider the 9T M88 or F414 on their dime. Nor do I think they buy Eurofighters unless they cooperate with their neighbors. Rafale is a good fit, it’s just the way they barter people are even talking 9T engines.

The interesting thing is, given an option for F414, would India consider to drop the M88 and go that route for commonality with Tejas?