If you factor in sfc then not very many engines cut the mustard as far as improvements in range go. The few exceptions would be F118-GE-100, which in 8 engine arrangement gains 16,000 lbs of thrust for a net loss of 1,304 lbs/sec for fuel consumption and at a 3,200 pound weight savings.

If you go with CFM56-2B1 in a six engine arrangement you lost 780 pounds of net weight for a huge 4,000 pounds of thrust lost and a gain of 1,104 lbs/sec in sfc. If you go CFM56-2A2 in a six engine arrangement you gain 120 pounds, 8,000 pounds of thrust, and raise the sfc another 1,302 lbs/sec. The CFM56-7B26 in a six engine arrangement you gain 2,520 pounds, 22,400 pounds of thrust, and raise the sfc another 1,098 lbs/sec. The CFM56-7B26 of the C-40 is a powerful s.o.b. and could be used in a four engine arrangement if you wanted to shed 7,920 pounds of weight while also losing 30,400 pounds of thrust for a modest lowering of the sfc by 468 lbs/sec. Unfortunately you lose too much power when it comes to emergencies and would probably be an unsafe alternative.

If you really wanted a boost in power – which really isn’t the problem mind you – then you use the F117-PW-100 of the C-17A in a four engine arrangement which sheds 320 pounds for a massive gain in thrust of 30,800 pounds. Unfortunately you also gain 1,760 lbs/sec of sfc, which means for the big boost in performance you don’t fly as far.

Perhaps the alternative is something simpler, where you combine two different types of engines. You sling a pair of F117-PW-100 under the inner engine stations and place a pair of F118-GE-100 under each of the outer stations. You’d shave 9,600 lbs of weight for a meager loss of thrust at 7,200 lbs, but then save 886 lbs/sec on sfc.

I was curious to see exactly what was out there now and what was planned through 2014. Here’s a fairly lengthy list from wiki and aeroflight lists:

PROP TRAINER:
Aermacchi SF.260 (32 Belgium, 45 Italy, 37 Turkey*)
Aermacchi M-290 (10 Finland)
Aérospatiale TB-30 Epsilon (105 France, 16 Portugal)
Scottish Aviation Bulldog T1 (4 Malta)
EMB 312 Tucano (44 France)
ENAER T-35C Devil (35 Spain)
Grob G 115 (99 United Kingdom)
KAI KT-1 (40 Turkey*)
Pilatus PC-7 (16 Austria, 13 Netherlands, 37 Switzerland*)
Pilatus PC-9 (6 Bulgaria, 20 Croatia*, 1 Cyprus, 8 Ireland, 11 Slovenia, 11 Switzerland*)
Pilatus PC-21 (6 Switzerland*)
PZL-130/142 Spotted Eagle (38 Poland, 8 Slovenia)
Shorts Tucano T.1 (84 United Kingdom)
T-6 Texan (45 Greece)
Yak-52 (11 Hungary, 16 Romania)
Zlin 142/242L (5 Croatia*, 8 Czech)

LIGHT JET TRAINER:
Alenia Aermacchi M-346 (15 Italy)
CASA C-101 (73 Spain)
Hawk M51/51A/128/T1 (49 Finland, 126 United Kingdom)
IAR 99 Hawk (19 Romania)
L-39 (27 Bulgaria, 32 Czech, 1 Estonia, 8 Hungary, 6 Lithuania, 15 Slovakia)
L-159T (4 Czech Republic)
MB-339 (93 Italy)
T-2 Buckeye (41 Greece)
T-37 (47 Germany, 59 Turkey*)
Northrop T-38 (46 Germany, 67 Turkey*)
Northrop NF-5A/B (38 Turkey*)
Northrop SF-5B (20 Spain)
PZL TS-11 Spark (106 Poland)
Saab 105 (28 Austria, 106 Sweden)

MEDIUM-HEAVY JET TRAINER:
Alphajet (29 Belgium, 149 France, 22 Portugal)
AMX-T (18 Italy)
EF-2000B Typhoon (33 Germany, 15 Italy, 15 Spain, 36 United Kingdom)
F-4F Phantom II (5 Germany)
F-16B Fighting Falcon (14 Belgium, 13 Denmark, 4 Italy, 15 Netherlands, 10 Norway*, 6 Portugal)
F-16D Fighting Falcon (42 Greece, 12 Poland, 57 Turkey*)
EF-18B Hornet (12 Spain)
F-18D (7 Finland, 7 Switzerland*)
MiG-21U Mongol (3 Bulgaria, 4 Croatia*)
MiG-29UB Fulcrum (4 Bulgaria, 1 Hungary, 8 Poland, 2 Slovakia)
Mirage F1B (13 France, 4 Spain)
Mirage 2000B/BG (23 France, 3 Greece)
Su-25UB Frogfoot (4 Bulgaria)
TA-7C (13 Greece)
TAV-8B Harrier (2 Italy, 1 Spain)
Harrier T.10/12 (9 United Kingdom)
Tornado IDS (13 Germany, 10 Italy)

LIGHT WEIGHT CLASS:
AMX (60 Italy)
A-7E/H Corsair II (51 Greece)
F-5A/B Freedom Fighter (5 Norway*, 50 Turkey*)
F-5E/F Tiger II (8 Austria, 59 Switzerland*)
F-5 2000 (43 Turkey*)
Hawk Mk66 (18 Finland)
JAS 39A/B Gripen (82 Sweden)
JAS 39C/D Gripen (14 Czech Republic, 14 Hungary, 100 Sweden)
L-159 (67 Czech Republic)
MiG-21bis Fishbed (12 Bulgaria, 12 Croatia*)
MiG-21 Lancer (80 Romania)
Mirage 2000C (62 France)
Mirage 2000D (90 France)
Mirage 2000EG (26 Greece)
Mirage 2000-5 (34 France, 17 Greece)
Mirage F1C (93 France, 40 Spain)

MEDIUM WEIGHT CLASS:
Jaguar (60 France**, 39 United Kingdom**)
F-16A Fighting Falcon (56 Belgium, 49 Denmark, 29 Italy, 97 Netherlands, 21 Portugal, 47 Norway*)
F-16C Fighting Falcon (119 Greece, 36 Poland, 190 Turkey*)
Su-22 Fitter (50 Poland)
Su-25 Frogfoot (5 Bulgaria)

HEAVY WEIGHT CLASS:
EF-2000 Typhoon (15 Austria, 145 Germany, 106 Italy, 72 Spain, 194 United Kingdom)
F-4E/F Phantom II (71 Turkey*)
F-4E PI 2000 (35 Greece)
F-4E 2020 Terminator (52 Turkey*)
RF-4E Phantom II (22 Greece, 32 Turkey*)
F-4F ICE Phantom II (76 Germany)
EF-18A Hornet (77 Spain)
F-18C Hornet (55 Finland, 26 Switzerland*)
MiG-29 Fulcrum (7 Bulgaria, 4 Hungary, 28 Poland, 10 Slovakia)
Rafale B (11 France)
Rafale C (36 France)
Tornado F3 (62 United Kingdom)
Tornado IDS (166 Germany, 57 Italy)
Tornado GR4 (114 United Kingdom)
Tornado ECR (33 Germany, 18 Italy)

CARRIER-CAPABLE:
Harrier GR9 (65 United Kingdom)
EAV-8B Harrier II (16 Spain)
AV-8B Harrier II (15 Italy)
Rafale M (37 France)
Super Etendard (45 France)

DEDICATED NUKE STRIKE:
Mirage 2000N (50 France)

TANKER AIRCRAFT:
Airbus A310 MRTT (4 Germany)
Airbus A330 MRTT (14 United Kingdom)
KC-1 Tristar (6 United Kingdom)
KDC-10 (2 Netherlands)
KC-130 (1 Italy, 5 Spain)
KC-135R (14 France, 7 Turkey*)
KC-707/137 (2 Spain)
KC-767 (4 Italy)
Lockheed TriStar (6 United Kingdom)
Vickers VC-10 (16 United Kingdom)

COMMAND &/or EARLY WARNING AIRCRAFT:
Antonov An-30 Recce (1 Bulgaria, 1 Czech, 3 Romania)
Beechcraft 200/350 King Air Recce (2 Turkey*, 13 United Kingdom)
BN-2 Islander Recce (13 United Kingdom)
Boeing 707 EW (1 Spain)
Boeing 737 AEW&C MESA (4 Turkey*)
Breguet Atlantique 1 EW (2 Germany)
CASA C-212 Aviocar EW (1 Spain)
CASA C-212 Aviocar Recce (10 Spain)
C-130H Hercules EW (2 Greece)
CN-235 EW (1 Turkey*)
CN-235 Recce (2 Ireland)
E-2 Hawkeye AEW (3 France)
E-3/AEW.1 Sentry (4 France, 7 United Kingdom)
EMB-145 Ericsson Erieye (4 Greece)
Falcon 20 EW (2 Norway*)
G.222 EW (1 Italy)
Nimrod R1 ELINT (3 United Kingdom)
Raytheon Sentinel AEW (4 United Kingdom)
Saab 340 S100B AEW (6 Sweden)
Sentinel R1 Recce (5 United Kingdom)
Transall C.160 Gabriel ELINT (2 France)

LIGHT TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
Antonov An-28 Cash/PZL M28 Skytruck (30 Poland)
Beechcraft 90/350 King Air (1 Spain, 1 Switzerland*)
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air (3 Greece, 1 Ireland)
Beechcraft 1900 (1 Switzerland*)
BN-2 Islander (1 Cyprus, 2 Malta)
CASA C-212 Aviocar (13 Portugal, 50 Spain)
Cessna Citation V/Excel (2 Spain, 1 Switzerland*)
Cessna Citation II/VII (4 Spain)
DHC-6 Twin Otter (5 France, 1 Switzerland*)
Dornier Do 28 Skyservant (6 Greece)
Dornier Do 228 (2 Germany, 3 Italy)
EADS Socata TBM 700/850 (27 France)
Embraer EMB 121 Xingu (43 France)
Falcon 10/100 (6 France)
Falcon 20/200 (5 France, 1 Norway*, 4 Spain)
Falcon 50/900 (6 France, 7 Italy, 3 Portugal, 1 Switzerland*)
Jetstream 31 (12 United Kingdom)
Learjet 35 (3 Finland)
Let L-410 Turbolet (5 Bulgaria, 8 Czech, 1 Latvia, 2 Lithuania, 7 Slovakia, 1 Slovenia)
Piaggio P.180 Avanti (18 Italy)
Pilatus PC-6 Porter (5 France, 2 Slovenia, 16 Switzerland*)
Pilatus PC-12 (1 Bulgaria)
Rockwell Sabreliner 40 (2 Sweden)

MEDIUM TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT (>10T MTOW):
Aérospatiale N 262 (17 France)
BAe 125/Hawker 800 (16 United Kingdom)
Antonov An-24/26/32 (5 Bulgaria, 2 Croatia*, 5 Czech, 6 Hungary, 3 Lithuania, 11 Poland, 15 Romania, 2 Slovakia)
BAe 146 (2 United Kingdom)
Bombardier Challenger (1 Croatia, 1 Czech)
C-27J Spartan (5 Bulgaria, 12 Greece, 12 Italy, 3 Lithuania, 7 Romania)
CN-235 (20 France, 20 Spain, 42 Turkey*)
C-295 (2 Finland, 11 Poland, 7 Portugal, 15 Spain, 2 Switzerland*)
EMB-135/145 (4 Belgium, 2 Greece)
Fokker 50 (4 Netherlands)
Fokker F27 (2 Finland)
G.222 (2 Italy)
Gulfstream IV/V (1 Greece, 1 Netherlands, 4 Spain)
Learjet 60 (1 Malta)
NAMC YS-11 (1 Greece)
Saab 340 TP100 (3 Sweden)
Transall C.160 (52 France, 84 Germany, 17 Turkey*)
Yakovlev Yak-40 (2 Czech, 6 Poland)

LARGE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT (>50T MTOW):
Airbus A310 (2 Belgium, 3 France, 7 Germany, 2 Slovakia, 2 Spain)
Airbus 319/319CJ (1 Czech, 2 France, 2 Germany, 3 Italy, 1 Turkey*)
Airbus A340 (2 France, 2 Germany)
Airbus A400M (7 Belgium, 50 France, 60 Germany, 1 Luxembourg, 27 Spain, 10 Turkey*, 25 United Kingdom)
Boeing 707 (1 Romania, 4 Slovakia, 1 Spain)
Douglas DC-10 (1 Netherlands)
C-1 Tristar (3 United Kingdom)
C-17 Globemaster III (3 Hungary, 3 Sweden, 6 United Kingdom)
C-130 Hercules (3 Austria, 10 Belgium, 4 Denmark, 14 France, 13 Greece, 21 Italy, 4 Netherlands, 9 Norway*, 5 Poland, 6 Portugal, 5 Romania, 8 Spain, 8 Sweden, 43 United Kingdom, 13 Turkey*)
Tupolev Tu-154 (2 Poland)

TRANSPORT &/or UTILITY HELICOPTERS
Aérospatiale SA 313/318 Alouette II (5 Belgium)
Aérospatiale SA 316/319 Alouette III (24 Austria, 3 Belgium, 2 Greece, 5 Malta, 11 Portugal, 14 Romania, 48 Switzerland*)
Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon (9 France)
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma (162 France, 77 Romania, 4 Spain, 35 United Kingdom)
Aérospatiale SA 341/342 Gazelle (4 Cyprus, 275 France, 108 United Kingdom)
Augusta A109 (28 Belgium, 29 Italy, 20 Sweden, 9 United Kingdom)
Augusta AW101 (14 Denmark, 12 Portugal, 27 United Kingdom)
Augusta AW139 (6 Ireland, 4 United Kingdom)
Bell 204/205/UH-1 Iroquois (192 Germany, 99 Greece, 66 Italy, 50 Spain, 245 Turkey*)
Bell 206 JetRanger (11 Austria, 6 Bulgaria, 9 Croatia*, 15 Greece, 67 Italy, 3 Slovenia, 35 Turkey*)
Bell 212/412 Twin Huey (23 Austria, 7 Greece, 71 Italy, 3 Netherlands, 18 Norway*, 1 Poland, 5 Slovenia, 14 Spain, 22 United Kingdom)
Boeing CH-47 Chinook (15 Greece, 44 Italy, 22 Netherlands, 18 Spain, 48 United Kingdom)
Eurocopter AS 332/532 Super Puma (12 Bulgaria, 34 France, 10 Greece, 17 Netherlands, 4 Slovenia, 39 Spain, 7 Sweden, 26 Switzerland*, 45 Turkey*)
Eurocopter AS 350/355 Squirrel (5 France, 35 United Kingdom)
Eurocopter AS 365/565 Dauphin (6 Bulgaria, 16 France, 3 Romania, 1 Switzerland*, 4 United Kingdom)
Eurocopter AS 555 Fennec (61 France)
Eurocopter EC 120 Hummingbird (12 Portugal, 15 Spain)
Eurocopter EC 135 (14 Germany, 2 Ireland, 11 Spain)
Eurocopter EC 145 (1 Malta)
Eurocopter EC 635 (16 Switzerland*)
Eurocopter EC 725 Cougar (14 France)
Hughes MD500 Defender (5 Finland, 47 Italy, 1 Malta, 8 Spain)
MBB Bo 105 (196 Germany, 25 Spain, 17 Sweden)
Mil Mi-8/9/17/171 Hip (11 Bulgaria, 19 Croatia*, 4 Cyprus, 34 Czech, 2 Finland, 26 Hungary, 3 Latvia, 7 Lithuania, 51 Poland, 7 Romania, 17 Slovakia, 2 United Kingdom)
NHI NH90 TTH (10 Belgium, 20 Finland, 12 France, 80 Germany, 20 Greece, 60 Italy, 20 Netherlands, 6 Norway*, 10 Portugal, 45 Spain, 14 Sweden)
PZL W-3 Falcon (9 Czech, 61 Poland)
PZL SW-4 Tawny Owl (74 Poland)
Robinson R44 (2 Estonia)
Sikorsky S-61/HH-3/SH-3 Sea King (5 Belgium, 7 Denmark, 58 Italy, 7 Spain)
Sikorsky S-65/CH-53 Sea Stallion (96 Germany)
Sikorsky S-76 Spirit (8 Spain)
Sikorsky S-70 (9 Austria, 11 Greece, 79 Turkey*)

MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT:
ATR 72 MPA (10 Turkey*)
Breguet Atlantique 1/2 MPA (25 France, 3 Germany, 16 Italy)
Bombardier Dash 8 MPA (2 Netherlands)
CASA C-212 Aviocar MPA (6 Portugal)
CN-235 MPA (7 Turkey*)
C-295 MPA (5 Portugal)
Fokker F27 MPA (3 Spain)
Fokker 50 MPA (4 France)
Nimrod MPA (33 United Kingdom)
P-3 Orion MPA (8 Germany, 6 Greece, 6 Norway*, 7 Portugal, 7 Spain)

MARITIME HELICOPTERS
Aérospatiale SA 316/319 Alouette III (28 France, 4 Netherlands)
Augusta AW101 (38 United Kingdom)
Eurocopter SA 365/565 Dauphin (8 France)
Kaman SH-2 Seasprite (4 Poland)
Mil Mi-14 Haze (4 Bulgaria, 13 Poland)
NHI NH90 NFH (27 France, 6 Norway*, 5 Sweden)
Sikorsky S-60 Sea Hawk (12 Spain)
Westland Lynx/Sea Lynx (32 France, 22 Germany, 21 Netherlands, 6 Norway*, 5 Portugal, 164 United Kingdom)
Westland Future Lynx (70 United Kingdom)
Westland Sea King (20 Germany, 12 Norway*, 85 United Kingdom)

COMBAT HELICOPTERS
AH-1 Cobra (26 Turkey*)
AH-64 Apache (28 Greece, 29 Netherlands, 67 United Kingdom)
Agusta A129 Mangusta (59 Italy, 50 Turkey*)
Eurocopter EC 665 Tiger (81 France, 81 Germany, 24 Spain)
OH-58 Kiowa (11 Austria, 5 Spain, 3 Turkey*)
Mil Mi-2 Hoplite (5 Czech, 2 Lithuania, 109 Poland, 4 Slovakia)
Mil Mi-24/25/35 Hind (7 Bulgaria, 12 Cyprus, 18 Czech, 17 Hungary, 27 Poland, 17 Slovakia)

ELECTRONIC WARFARE HELICOPTERS
Augusta AW101 AEW (4 Italy)
Bell 212/412 AEW Twin Huey (1 Greece, 3 Turkey*)
Bell 212/412 ELINT Twin Huey (6 Italy)
Eurocopter AS 532 ELINT Horizon (4 France)
Sikorsky ASH-3 Sea King AEW (4 Spain)

Tactical SAMs
Crotale NG/GR
Eurosam Aster 15
Erosam Aster 30
MIM-14 Nike Hercules
MIM-23B i-Hawk 21
MIM-104 Patriot
MIM-146 ADATS
Roland
SA-6/2K12 Kub
SA-10/S-300PMU
Skyguard/Aspide 2000

*Not official EU countries but close economic or military ties to other EU countries
** reported as already in retirement or currently in storage

Cliff-

Not all Rafales are carrier capable. You probably don’t want to have to discard the non-carrier capable Rafales, right? That effectively gives you another heavy weight fighter; there are still enough Tornadoes, Mig-29’s, and F-4’s in the member inventories to lump them in, too. For lightweight fighters you didn’t put Hawk, A-7, F-5/T-38, MiG-21, L-29/39/159, Alphajet, MB-339/346, and AMX in the mix? You also lumped a lot of Mirage versions into one generic category; there are quite a few older F1’s out there.

Sounds like they should have built them a fast train that cuts directly through the base somehow to commute across the islands as an appeasement. That way they don’t need to drive 30 minutes to get across one island, rather they take 10 to cross them all on the train.

I think you confused the bases in Hawaii with the bases in Okinawa…

Wouldn’t they benefit more from using a proven design available for export like Derby as leverage towards getting AMRAAM approval. The U.S. could at least salvage some sales with older AMRAAM models.

edit: Then again after some googling it sounds like T-Darter is in production and is an air breather, two points that make it a better strategic decision.

It makes more sense to use two seaters on a carrier imho.

They can resurrect the B-29 and give it all sorts of fancy radar- and laser-directed CIWS guns. BUT… what stops parts of the enemy’s missile that flies Mach 6 and gets shattered into smaller pieces from taking down the fancy plane anyhow?

I think a healthy combination of stealth, maneuver, countermeasures, and close in weaponry will always be the key to survival.