new F-16, nothing else.

What is the use of a carrier, if you can not land troops? There are plenty mission out there where Amphibs are useful, be it humanitarian, peace keeping or limited fighting. A aircraft carrier on the other hand is only useful to bomb other countries that have a shore line and where you do not have airbases to use nearby. But then what is the point of bombing if you can not land troops.

And making the second carrier the worlds largest helicopter carrier seems like a very strange idea as well.

I do understand the idea behind joint operations with the Americans, but I think that the Amphibs can do many missions without US support. The carries on the other hand…

Because the warhead would be carried each day. Easier to have a loitering recce UAV and a striking cruise missile.

But then again stealth and LO are always relative. Most major warships have a huge amount of radar power. It is quationable that a LGB could be fired from outside engagement range of a warship.

MiG-21. The basic airframe to start with should be a good basis. INlet verymuch shaded. small cross section.

are the Finns unhappy with their F-18 Hornets ? Their attrition rate is quite low, only 3 out of 65. And when those Hornets are gone, they won’t have any option but to go for the F-35. Surely PAK-FA is out of the question for the Finns.

Early Block Typhoons. Remember that the F-18s are primarily used in air desfense role. Something a Block 5 Tiffy would do nicely.

Seahawk, can you explain your reasoning why you think so vis a vis the Typhoon?
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We had countless threads in which the superiority of Spectra and the radar have been laid out. In addition there are also the clear reports from the UAE which show how Rafale slaughtered the Tiffies.

I read all that here in the forums.

So it looks like Rafale will win in India and Brazil. Excellent choice for both countries.

lets put this to rest once and for all

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Compared the to F-18s and the AV8 the F-35B is comparable or superior.
You cant really discuss totally doing away the STOVl types unless your discussing upending the tea table. That would mean getting rid of small carrier types entirely. and that’s a totally different discussion.

The new British carriers are anything but small though.