Good morning everyone. I checked out the Al Jazeera video and saw the Hip. Preusmanly one of the few helos that the Chadians have flying. There is also word on the street that the Sudanese Air Force have been providing air support for rebel operations in the east of the country.

In terms of ‘what all the fuss is about’, I understand that these aircraft were bought by Chad not for CAS purposes but for training. I gather that the deal to sell the aircraft was controversial in Switzerland anyway and news that they have been used in combat has got the government’s heckles up.

Thanks to everyone who replied. The whole F4 question I find very interesting. Perhaps Dassault might speed up development as we move closer to the fielding of the F-35, but where will the cash come from? I guess F4 might also be a way to compete with Tranche 3 of Typhoon? That said, where is the market? OK, I’m biased. As an Englishman in France, I like the Rafale (I also like the Typhoon and want both aircraft to do really well on the sales front), but there is the perenial quesiton of the dollar-euro-pound exchange rates. Also, I think that the Americans can offer security guarantees and defence cooperaiton which may be more attractive to some would-be multi-role combat aircraft customers than us Europeans. Apart from India, Japan and Brazil, where are the future markets for both Rafale and Typhoon before the F-35 appears on the scene? The Mirage family sold well during the Cold War (and after), can Rafale fill its shoes?