Oh yeah…

I would advise the Air International article of August 2008 that describes the Green Flag deployment of IX Sqn RAF (in wich they´ve droped roughly sixty PII an PIII flying with external tanks and an LDP).
If you have any doubts what are the operational configurations that were cleared by July 2008, Wing Commander Gavin Parker describes them.

*Awaits claims from the usual suspects that the picture is in fact a photoshop work and that Wing Commander Gavin Parker doesn’t really exist* :rolleyes:

Nope, unless they’ve qualified the configuration yesterday.

You will see plenty of pictures of Typhoon + 4 PW + tanks in flight but when it comes to release tests, suddenly all external tanks vanish and only 2 PW are carried.

So you are ignoring the figures in favour of some pictures of test flights?

Are you saying there shouldn’t have been any defence cuts at all? I don’t agree with that. The United Kingdom presently faces minimal threats to its fundamental defence interests and can safely hack away at both the Army and to a lesser extent the Air Force as necessary to serve the broader national interest. After all, that’s what the services are there for, The problem is that the service that could least afford cuts without compromising those basic defence interests (the Navy) was hit harder than ever and the service which by all rights should’ve borne the brunt of the cuts (the Army) got off lightly on account of the same short-sighted politicking that was partly responsible for getting the nation into its current predicament in the first place!

Defence spending is a non-issue in terms of the overall government deficit, the chart shows quite clearly where the money needs to be cut to be effective. Defence is simply an easy target, showing clearly a weak and cowardly government (like the last one, and the Lib Dems would be worse than either).

I think everyone accepts that cuts were inevitable given the shambolic state of the MoD’s finances and I can understand the reasons as to why the Army shouldn’t be cut while there’s a major war on. What gets me is the way the RAF’s “Tornado Mafia” blew a hole in the SDSR at the 11th hour mainly as a way of putting one over the Navy. But of course even if JFH had been retained then we’d have the RAF’s cheerleaders bleating about how cutting Tornado was the wrong decision.

I’ve yet to actually hear any of these former top brass put forward a coherent plan as to how the MoD’s overspend could be closed while at the same time losing no capability, the answer is of course there isn’t! But the only answer many service chiefs past and present have is “No don’t cut us! Cut the other lot instead!!”

Be better to cut the number of Admirals and other higher ups, their numbers are a part of the problem.

Fantasising isn’t always that bad, but perhaps it’s time to wake up and have a reality check. The year is 2011, not 1972, not 1997.

Edit: These are the HSF Olympic Champion and the HSF Hellenic Spirit, which among others are taking part in the evacuation process, saving thousands so far. Hardly an “older than their grandparents” as you stated.

The crews are trying hard in extreme conditions to SAVE HUMAN LIVES, some respect wouldn’t be too bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTS_Oceanos

The Royal Navy’s Type 22 destroyer, HMS York has now also just been re-deployed to International Waters in the Libya area to help out as necessary.

She was out at Sea in the Atlantic Ocean on her way to the Falklands Islands as she only set sail out of Portsmouth on Monday 21st of February.

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE71O1EQ20110225?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Type 22 frigate.

The Army should’ve borne the brunt of the necessary cuts as the service most superfluous to basic British defence requirements. And of course we all know why that didn’t happen. Indeed, tagging along behind the Americans into third-world ****holes is going to be about the only thing the British military is good for in future.

Great day for Boeing

Bad day for America.

As for Boeing being American, they are, when the subsidies are being handed out.

I’m glad the Airbus partisans are taking this so maturely and not doing any name calling or hurling insults..:rolleyes:

I would be fun to see an “educated laymans” explanation of why they went with Boeing.
Example: Yes, the 330 is a newer aircraft but did that equate into a better product with lower operating costs?
How did the costs break out?

Hopefully, Aviation Week (and others) will have one when all the facts are told.

Now what I’d like to see NASA/Boeing (and possibly Airbus or European research agencies if they care to contribute funds and effort) work on a blended wing tanker.
A tanker would be a great POC for the configuration. JET A won’t compalin about lack of windows…
It could be a huge breakthrough for the next generation of jetliners…which would help everyone.

Why would the Europeans want to fund a blended wing tanker for the US? They won’t be able to export it to the US, and none of the European countries have the spare budget for such an aircraft.

Whats the point buddy! In the end this would of gone on for ever, in the current economic situation it keeps people happy in the US. I think we are all bored watching this go round in circles…Congress and Joe public America want Boeing…Boeing they shall have!

Many here myself included regard the A330MRTT as VASTLY superior but whats the point slinging mud. As I said nobody in Airbus will lose their jobs over not getting this contract the order books are full. You win some you lose some:cool:

All I ask is Americans to be as pragmatic when European nations make protectionist decisions! Irony is North America is still a huge market for EADS, but I do feel sorry for the people in Alabama.

Well, now there is an additional reason to feel sorry for the people in Alabama 😉

why? all of the above…
There is an ingrained “stupidity” in defence procurements all over the world.
Its not limited to the UK.
Australia is wasting billions on projects which go no where at all.

And you want to know why?
The three biggest reasons are:

1) Lack of ACCOUNTABILTY! NO ONE EVER GOES TO JAIL or losses their job when some poor decisions are made….

2)Its not MY MONEY.. Hence they dont care, see point one..

3)Too many people who make these decisions are public servants and have no clue how to run things at all.. (or are officers with no idea about commercial realities!)

The problem with there being too many people involved is largely related to the bad design of the process. The trouble is, if we try to rectify the situation we end up creating more bureaucracy by introducing still more restructuring and management consultants, and we still have the problem of a resistant civil service wanting to retain jobs. It can be solved, across all government departments, but it would take a brave government to do it (though they all promise it!).

no, actually, I’m not aware of any valid reason why a rafale wouldn’t be a good choice.

as for UK buying a second batch for around 2030, that would mean first batch for 2020, which would delay french orders (and keep open the production line for a couple of years more),

what’s more, should the UK buy the rafale, I wouldn’t be surprised that such order imrpoves rafale’s image for other potential customers (which would mean more aircraft and longer production libne opening).

finally, dassault won’t close the production line and refuse orders if they have nothing else to sell instead (not forgetting that if UK has bought rafales, they won’t just wake up one morning in 2030 and say: “hey, why wouldn’t we buy a second batch? call me dassault right now!” their order will take wuite a time to materialize, leaving dassault with plenty of time to organize itself)… so, basically, the whole argument “the line will be closed so we won’t be able to buy” is pure BS,

But the fact is that the Rafale line will not be open in 2030, you are just speculating on ways it could potentially be extended. We can do that for Typhoon too 😉

Its not in the UKs interest to get Rafale sales, but rather to get Typhoon sales, and buying Rafale will not help in that regard as you are well aware. Still, I see no reason for the UK to save Rafale from being an export failure, especially as it part of the Typhoon, an export success.

In any case, its not going to happen, and the UK is going F35C, so its a pretty pointless debate really 😎

I find quite funny that “certitude” that the rafale will go out of production in a couple of years or so…

when dassault was on the rafale they could close for good the M2000 line when no more orders were there because they had a product to follow on..

by the time the french end their rafale orders, you'”ll be well in the 2020’s, and by then, if UK wanted to order more, that would be quite simple for dassault to sell it.

The UK F35s will be delivered around 2020, so a second batch would be around 2030 or later, and Rafale is not going to be in production then. Even so, there are a great many reasons why Rafale is not a good choice, as I’m sure you are aware.