I too would love to see the old warrior survive the ages, but fact is, that these are worth a lot of money being scrapped and cost heaps more in preservation. The old Minas Gerias didn’t survive the scrappers and she was a WWII vessel that served three navies.

The British don’t want them back clogging up the very restricted water ways around their little island. India would rather the money for scrapping it (remember, during it’s time in India, it’s not been in a war like Vikrant was, thus there is no reason there to keep it in memory).

To counter my rather somber note though, I have had this discussion previously. Viraat would make a rather nice tourist addition to somewhere like Goa. Have one carrier on one coats and the other on the other coast. From what I hear there is a huge line up already for tours aboard it should this happen.

Art: you have no idea what is going on down in this part of the world, just go back to your arm chair read your books and drink your beer like a good fellow, some one will be along to change your nappy later.

I know about the Su-30MKM deal, No my info source in not some kookaburra wispering in my ear, the people I talk to have viable credibility and are well placed to make such comments. We have not been a regional Police Force at all, we have mearly aided and assisted when and where nessecary, especially when governments abuse their citizens rights (Timor Leste, Bouganville) and assisted when and where disaster strikes (just about our whole region).

To call us a regional police force would be like to call Belgium well equiped to actually win the world cup rugby.

And everyone said I was crazy, hmmmmm

Dan: mate the MH-47 fits on the LHD’s no problem (especially the spanish version). I saw a model of the Thales proposal (Mistral) at the show and they quoted the MH-47 as being operational from the aft lift, which was specified in the original requirment for these ships. I’ve previously seen the other ship on offer, the model form anyway, and it had a model of a CH-47 on the back of it as well.

As for flying out of Butterworth, mate we handed that base back to the Malaysians when we retired the Mirage III’s, sure we still fly up there every now and then but it’s not our base any more. Info on Butterworth.

LM sure mate send me a pm with your email and i’ll keep in touch when things happen.

Dis: The RAAF are looking at the A-400M as a possible replacement for the Hotel Herks thus giving them four levels of transport: Strategic (C-17), Global Tacticle (A-400M), Regional Tacticle (C-130J-30) and Battle Field Support (C-27J). As for movement arounf the immediate battle field, there is speculation that we are about to trade back our Delta CH-47’s as a part payment for 12-14 new CH-47Foxtrots. Given the current operational tempo this makes a whole lot of sence.

Art: My old sparing partner, how’s the old armchair these days? Books not too dusty I hope? I know that the C-23’s have left Europe, the requirment still stands though, just like the Army down here retired the PC-6’s and still are waiting for a replacement. The C-23 reference was mentioned to me by several people at the Airshow including those from the USAF who flew them, Lockheed Martin personel involved with the C-27J and also suprisingly the British defence support PR guy who was also the Base Commander of RAF Upper Heyford.

I’m very interested in the Naval Tejas and have been watching it’s progress for many years now.

The design changes are not favourable to it especially removing the canards, but who am I to say anything.

Yes Dabolim will be the place all carrier training is to be done, India has for years been trying to set up an in house training facility, now that they have a clear idea about how to do it they are getting along with it. IIRC a report I readf not long ago stated that a special runway was to be built for carrier training only away from the main runways (due to the mains being used by the bigger types such as the Il-22’s and TU-142’s). The new runway is also to have a ski jump with a 12* ramp and four arrestor wires plus an emergency barrier that pops up.

the runway has been designed to look like the deck of a carrier which is also designed to support training on carrier deck movements by both pilots and deck crewn (they even have the lifts marked out).

Most of this info I got from the airshow where I spoke to some reps from National Aerospace Laboratories in Bangalore, they were very proud of the Tejas and all of the aircraft industry in India.

Sam: mate there is a little event coming up in the not to distant future. I can’t make it but the Raafie PR guy I know is going to be organising a media flight in a Bou later this year, if you’re up that way perhaps you might like a ride?