Ok guys I know this is a little late, please forgive me I’ve been away for a bit, reguarding that first design right at the top, there are actually three cats (marked in Red on my pic, jet deflectors are marked in Pink and the two lifts are marked in Blue.

At 27K tonnage the ship is able to support 12 Hornet sized fighters, 3 Hawkeyes , 3 Seahwak sized ASW helos and 2 Seaking sized General duties helos (or three smaller Allouette III SAR helos)

If you ask me, the Spanish never gave up on this design, I have a funny feeling that they modified it and it is now what is on offer to the RAN. Our LHD’s will be only helo capable but one really questions defence and the government on this since they are addiment about getting the VSTOL version of the Lightning.

BTW, the official RFT has now been issued for the supply of two LHDs to the RAN and Navantia have teamed up with Tenix (meaning the ships will be built in Western Australia. ADI have teamed up with Armaris (Newcastle built ships),the winning design will be chosen early in 2007 with an entry in to service no later than 2012 for the first ship. This means that the ship will start being constructed around 2009 and completed by early 2011.

Hands up all those who think Norway will drop out? Me

The Lightning is becoming the biggest joke around, it’s way too expencive, can’t carry (internally) standard A2G weapons meaning that they will have to design build and market new weapons (great money spinning idea- buy our weapons or you’ll have nothing but flying targets) and above everything else, only the US will get the full spec aircraft! To top it all off, if you need any sort of work done to them, you have to send them back to the US to get fixed, who’s pulling who’s leg?

Gripen is the way to go for Norway, at least GI (Gripen International) don’t have any problems with technology transfer. It’s a pitty they haven’t made a twin engined version, they’d sell them to us down here in a flash.

RLP: mate I’ll have a quick hunt around and see what I can find and get back to you on it, otherwise I’ll have to go digging through my vast files of publications (Aussie section) and that might take a bit… Stay tuned

According to some articles that I have read, the line will close soon and anyone wishing to order now will have to pay for the restaffing. Boeing have already placed their final orders for long term parts so this is definate.

You also forgot about the Cannucks, the RCAF will like their four as well and with Sweden now buying into the European time share of An-124’s, I doubt that the Norwegians will go for their two C-17’s, makes more sence for them to also buy into the time share agreement.

There is a lot of sentiment down here that the four we bought are not enough and that we should buy two more, time will tell I guess, unless the government here are also going to buy some A-400M’s and retire the C-130H’s. Sounds silly though since the RAAF has had so much trouble with software problems on the C-130J’s.

So Swerve, are you saying that Norway will, by doing this, eventually pull out of the F-35 party? Dis has a point about it being a reminder about Kongsberg

Interesting how they say it will replace the F-16 around 2016. If this is going to be the case, then that means the F-35’s (should Norway continue down that path), will primarily be just fighters. Whilest this makes sence on a number of levels (it not being able to carry much ordanence internally in the air to ground roll, it having a better/ smaller radar cross section and all the other various factors), it is good to see that the RNoAF are not putting all their eggs in one basket with the F-35 like Australia has done. We are now becoming aware that to replace a strike plane with the capabilities of the F-111 with the F-35 is just plain stupidity- sadly it will take a change of government to fix this mistake.