Jazz: NP mate misunderstanding are what cause probs in this world, I’m glad we had the chance and intelligence to sort our out 😉

I’ll see what I can find on the Australian offer.

Jazz: Gee mate I was only drawing a comparrison, didn’t mean to up set you or anything. Yes I know the CVX had four cats propossed. I was looking at the Stealth characteristics not the size.

I know those companies do happen to have several consepts on offer, B+V offered both Thailand and Australia a design but Thiland went for the IZAR (now Bazan) offer and Australia desided not to go ahead with any.

Everyone gets all the good stuff but us, Bring some down here.

Though I must admit that Australia can lay claim to the only Foxbat’s ever as war trophies, we have two captured in Iraq and shipped back here, though god knows where they are now!

Well if they do exist mate, we’d have no chance of ever seeing them. Personally I think they really did keep the Darkstar UAV going, but wanted to keep it under wraps

Once again, thank you Austin! 2012 would put her as a grand old lady, around 60 years old, not a bad career for such a ship, wonder if Brazil would be interested in buying her after that as a second carrier? Or would the Indian government turn her into another museum ship?

Thanks Him, pitty they can’t translate very well, no such word as Upgradation, hahahaha.

Austin: you just seem to be full of good news!!! The P-3 is getting on a bit as it is! The RAAF AP-3’s that have jsut started emerging after their refit are only looking at 15 years left in their service life. The MMA is going to be at the forefront of technology when it comes out.

The US has been hitting us hard with the sell down here but India would be better as they seem to be in a position to buy more of the type! America really needs to stop with the “I don’t like them so I won’t sell to them” attitude if they are going to keep the orders coming in. Australia is the thrid largest operator of the Orion with 25 in service though only 20 are on active duty (three are trainers and two are instructional airframes). When we do buy the next MPA, we are only looking at half the number as UAV’s will be in place to help with the job (The world knows that the RAAF is set to be the first export customer with Six budgeted for already in FY06. The current plan is to buy a dozen replacement MPA’s, far smaller than the big buy in the 70’s of the Orion.

India could easily buy two dozen of this plane and therefore would be a more important customer to focus on, well that is what I think anyway.

JAI: Thanks for those mate.