BTW Spud – The reason that the A-10 is getting cut is that the USAF had more A-10s than it (or even the Army) needed. Even post-cut, the A-10 fleet – dedicated to CAS – is bigger than most of the world’s fighter forces.

The USAF has wished to remove the A-10 from it’s inventory for a long time.
This is not due to effectiveness or otherwise but due to USAF leadership inclination towards fast air.
To present the intended withdrawal of the A-10 from the inventory as proof that the CAS role as performed by the A-10 as completely outdated is a spurious conclusion.

There are currently 12 A-10 combat squadrons, 3 A-10 training squadrons, and 2 weapons development/test A-10 squadrons.

The proposed 2013 DOD budget calls for “decommissioning or re-aligning” 5 A-10 squadrons.

5 out of 17… and some may be combined or reorganized, not eliminated.

Finally a short term lease of Rafale M or Super Hornet to bridge the gap until F35C, this has the added advantage of bringing down the upfront costs by inducting a mature type that UK pilots have already flown and allows time for the risk to be taken out of the F35C program.

Since either would require new aircraft to be built just for the “lease”, expect to pay full price for those aircraft, with no guarantee that the MN or USN would buy them back… which would mean that the RN will be stuck with them instead of F-35C for several decades.

Its a modification to the production contract for DDG-115, adding DDG-116.
Its not a modification to any contract for DDG-116.

Final cost depends on inflation, any delays experienced, any labor cost increases from union contract re-negotiations, and all that other stuff that cannot be forseen at the time the contract is actually issued.

Here are the contracts for the “extra” DDGs… note that LLTM stands for “Long Lead Time Material”… things that have to be ordered well in advance of beginning actual construction.

The lack of any LLTM entry for DDG-116 is interesting.

N00024-10-C-2308 – HII Ingalls
2-Dec-09 ____ DDG 113 ___ LLTM ___ FY10 ___ 170,700,000
23-Apr-10 ___ DDG 114 ___ LLTM ___ FY10 ___ 114,003,000
2-Jun-11 ____ DDG 113 ___ LLTM ___ FY11 ___ 25,300,000

N00024-10-C-2311 – GD Bath Iron Works
26-Feb-10 ___ DDG 115 ___ LLTM ___ FY10 ___ 114,003,000

N00024-11-C-2309 – HII Ingalls
15-Jun-11 ___ DDG 113 ___ FY11 ___ 783,572,487
26-Sep-11 ___ DDG 114 ___ FY11 ___ 697,629,899

N00024-11-C-2305 – GD Bath Iron Works
26-Sep-11 ___ DDG 115 ___ FY11 ___ 679,600,348
28-Feb-12 ___ DDG 116 ___ FY11 ___ 662,927,172

You’re wasting your breath, Swerve.

Wanshan and others like him have long ago programmed themselves with a certain view of what they think is reality, then locked it closed to prevent ever changing it.

You can provide all the proof you want, they refuse to accept that their view is not correct.

I’ve posted the same links to the Japanese constitution, etc repeatedly, on multiple fora, myself… so I understand.

The paper attached to the right if the item says “waveform generator type (C-O?) MkIII” plus more illegible words.

The labels on the knobs confirm this… this is a piece of test equipment designed to generate signals where the operator varies pulse width, amplitude, voltage, delay between pulses etc.

If it is American, test equipment is normally that shade of grey.

It would be used in testing & repairing malfunctioning electronics… such as wireless sets..

Who’s talking about small change like airplanes? You made a slight about other European countries being late to deliver etc. Spain is synonymous across Europe, much like Greece, as an example of poor working practices. Maybe the RAF would be able to afford lots of nice new airplanes if the government wasn’t having to cut the armed forces budget, not to reduce its overall spending, but to provide budget increases and loans to Europe…

So, basically we are a country with poor working practices that can keep his word and buy all the planes we signed. And now even is our fault the huge debt of the UK. We are the devil…

How does Norway feel about its 5 new Spanish-built Aegis frigates?

And how’s that contract with Australia for 2 Juan Carlos I clones coming?

I don’t seem to have heard much about cost over-runs, poor quality, or late delivery for them.

In fact, it seems that the Spanish worked their &sses off, and delivered quality products on time and at a fair price.

At least the UK will have a proper stealth fighter if they do this, unlike that god-awful F-35 contraption.

Let’s hope my friend let’s hope…

Not at the price cited in the article!

The project will have an investment of a few tens of millions of euros, according to the report. The new stealth jet would eventually replace both the Rafale and Eurofighter, Les Echos said.

For the cost of one Rafale or Typhoon they are going to develop a replacement?

Really?