Scooter, could you please define “operate together”?

Also what sort of opponent are we talking? Bombing Iran or Syria would probably be similar in terms of tactics as Iraq in 2003 with LO aircraft (including B-2s) and cruise missiles pounding critical C4 and ADS centres.

Also are the 5th gen + 4.5th genners on the offense or defense?

Obviously strategy and tactics change considerably between a planned offensive operation like Iraq 2003 and an ad hoc defensive operation like Yom Kippur in 1973 or Japanese assault in 1941-42.

Iranians and Saudi are totally different ethnic groups, why would Saudi have anything to do with Iran.

I suspect it’s sarcasm. 9-11 hijackers were Saudi Arabs yet US invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.

It depends on the opponent.

Against the type of opponents fought in the last 20 odd years there is no real change from 4th generation jets used currently.

Sure they’re more networked and more efficient in some ways, but there is no real difference in bombing largely defenceless insurgents and 3rd world conscripts.

There are no likely peer level opponents outside of WWIII type scenarios (i.e. China and Russia).

And then it becomes interesting if the opponent’s EW, TBM and other capabilities gloves are off.

Swiss Hornets are relavitvely new (delivery started about 1996) and they are going through an upgrade that will be completed by 2016.

That means they’ll probably be in service to 2030. Will SAAB be producing Gripen derivatives or fighters by then?

But anyhow……I would say the Marines, while technicaly part of the Navy, have grown more and more independant of them in the last 20 years or so, and are now all but an independant branch of service.

I agree.

The result is a second army and a second airforce.

Thoiugh they’ve arguably been this since Korea.

Never understood the need for duplicate forces.

Boeing’s analysis shows that the USN could save $5 billion with the improved engines installed over the life of the Super Hornet fleet, Gibbons says.

I’d never trust a vender supplied analysis.

Coca Cola isn’t going to tell you that drinking lots of Coke makes your teeth rot. 😉

My guess is Spain will be the last operator of the AV-8B then adopt the F-35B, logically they will dispatch some pilots on exchange with the RAF/FAA, Italian Navy and USMC. Considering their economic situation flogging the AV-8B as long as possible until F-35B production costs creep down is logical.

My guess is Spain will go all helo for Juan Carlos airwing after the Harriers are retired.

The Spaniards are in extremely deep poop. There are some major economic hurdles in the economy that need to be resolved.

Spanish economy did well because of a speculative property boom that in the end busted and created massive unemployment (26% or more than 1 in 4 working Spaniards).

Without that boom to prop up employment, the Spaniards need to find other avenues of growth and in particular stable economic growth.

And being tied to EU and Euro, means it’s difficult to create economic advantages in terms of devalued currency or operate outside standards set up by various EU agencies in terms of legislation or monetary policy.

So I don’t think they’ll be able to maintain such a large military in the future.

The same goes for Portugal, Italy and Greece who all maintain quite large militaries when compared to their richer northern neighbours.

Indeed Italy is already cutting it’s forces by 20% between now and 2015.

And Portugal is also making cutbacks – e.g. selling at least a quarter of their fighter fleet.

Hence I guess no F-35B for the Armada.

Does Malaysia claim those same islands – the question was RMAF v TNI-AU.

If China is sending J-20s down to the Spratleys, then SE Asia is already royally #$%^ed.

Odd squadrons of Typhoons or KFX’s are not going to stop a full scale assault on SE Asia.

And PLA getting so bold as start dismantling SE Asia’s token military forces means the Americans aren’t willing to help and that China has developed proper expeditionary warfare capability (or has rumbled armoured divisions through Vietnam or Thailand).

Seems like a cut and paste of Japan’s forays in 1942.

At least the Royal Navy no longer has ships to be sunk in the area! :D:diablo: