An RAF Phantom shot down an RAF Jaguar by mistake:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=60022

A Grumman F11F-1 shot itself down with its guns:

http://www.aerofiles.com/tiger-tail.html

They can have the Typhoon squadron for defence for sure, but there is no advantage in putting 4 strike squadrons in Scotland other than jobs.

That’s not actually true.

Scotland is much more sparsely populated than England, with less congested airspace and much more open space available for training.

But you would, presumably, accept that there have been several years of grossly inept financial control within the MoD and service chiefs have been allowed to fund irresponsibly.

So now those days are over and the country has to live within its means. I totally disagree with how the cuts are being reportedly planned but am holding my powder dry until we actually have the full defence picture today and the spending review tomorrow and then finally the speculation and leaks are over and we can debate the facts.

Certainly, I don’t think anyone would defend the MoDs track record to date.

As for living within our means, I hardly think that spending 3.5 or 4% of GDP on defense would be a huge exuberance.

the only thing that bugs me slightly about the rosy future for the Typhoon being painted here is the PM has gone public with his astonishment that we are operating fighters designed to dogfight with the soviets.

……

I may be being incredibly naive here, but why does David Cameron apparently get the deciding say on what aircraft fly off the CVF? Is he suddenly the government defence expert who has more input that all the professionals (and MPs:D) employed to advise on that decision?

I guess nobody has told David that EVERY OTHER WESTERN AIRFORCE also operates fighters ‘designed to fight the Soviets’. But by his logic, our rifles were also designed to shoot Soviets, our boots were designed to be worn by soldiers fighting the Soviets….oh wait, all of our equipment can draw it’s lineage back to the Cold War. Strange, that.

As for why he gets a say, it’s because that one of the problems with democracy. You don’t get elected because you are competent, you get elected because you are popular, and one doesn’t necessarily follow the other. He advised by people who supposedly know what they are talking about, but he doesn’t have to listen.

Doesn’t the navy have plenty of legacy hornets ans super hornets laying around to cover for the marines packing up and leaving?

Actually I had read that legacy hornets were rather sought after, quite a few operators wanted to get some excess airframes from the US but there were no suitable ones available.

Some thoughts

Something that has crossed my mind, a new concept for structuring the use of air power in the UK forces.

The two main requirements the UK needs to satisfy at the moment are to maintain air sovereignty over the UK and it’s territories and the ability to conduct expeditionary warfare.

In the comparatively low-threat environment of UK airspace, where the occasional Russian incursions and rogue airliners are the only realistic threats, something along the lines of the F/A-50 or M-346 could suffice. With a few AAMs, supersonic performance and light attack ability, these could save millions while being cheap enough to purchase in sufficient numbers. This I see as being the preserve of the RAF

Outside the UK, the ability to conduct expeditionary warfare requires a multi role platform that can rule the skies as well as conduct strike missions. Enter the F-35C. This can operate from carriers or bases, flown by the FAA and used to support the RAF in times of heightened tension at home (should it occur), or in the Falklands etc.

If not this, a switch to a fleet of aircraft common to the RAF and FAA (F-35C or its successors) could save money in the future and improve inter-interoperability.

What with the Pakistan AF purchasing new batches of F-16s, I would hardly say they are burning all their bridges to the west.

That said, with the Su-30MKI and the T-50, the Indian AF would have some excellent kit. It would certainly cause their neighbors to re-assess their own equipment.

I too thought that it might be a bit terrifying. Apparently during the ascent they will be in constant contact with the surface, so I think that would go a long way to making it more bearable.