Spitfire9Whilst I agree there remains a great danger of the conflict spilling over into neighbouring countries which could potentially spark off one hell of regional war. I think precautions need to be taken to lower the chances of that happening.
Very much so.
I spent some years in a country with an authoritarian, one party regime. I knew people opposed to the regime. Some told me that they resented those in power enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else. They would like the regime to go so they might be able to reap the same benefits themselves.
Not saying the opposition in Syria is that cynical but those who oppose the oppressors are not necessarily motivated by a desire for oppression to be replaced by freedom and justice for all. The rebels in Syria do not strike me as being interested in the welfare of all. As such I suspect that foreign intervention to help secure a rebel victory may simply result in one undesirable regime being replaced by another.
Spitfire9The situation with the AESA is that industry funds the initial demonstrators and development. When the nations finally commit they can continue with further development of new hardware and software beyond the baseline package and recover the money invested in advance. Argueably the UK MoD has funded the demonstrator that is being fitted to IPA5 at this moment.
My ignorance – is the interface between the mechanical and AESA radars and integrated weapons common? I mean, if Storm Shadow is integrated on Typhoon using CAPTOR-M, will it work on Typhoon using an AESA radar?
Spitfire9It is, but these days much is done with initial funding only, before the customers fully commit to secure the funds for full development.
So a programme to complete Meteor integration has now been agreed by the partners signing a contract to that effect? ie no if’s, no but’s, it is going to happen
What’s the contractual situation on AESA? Still subject to a contract to get an AESA integrated? Also, would I be right in presuming that there is no contract to integrate Meteor with any of the AESA’s being developed?
Spitfire9PARIS AIR SHOW 2013 – Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH has today signed a weapon system integration contract with NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, to facilitate and secure integration of MBDA’s Meteor Beyond Visual Range Missile system.
??? I thought Meteor was already being integrated on Typhoon.
Spitfire9However, according to The Independent, PM Cameron has told Russia to join in or face isolation on Syria, despite sharing many common grounds.
“…the other seven members could issue their own statement on Syria, formally isolating President Putin on the world stage.”
So what? If UK foreign policy was at odds with the other seven members, it would be isolated but it would not change its policy to avoid isolation. You don’t form an opinion based on what everyone else’s opinion is, do you?
Spitfire9Even-handedness is fine but this forum already has a couple of dedicted anti-western pro-terrorist folks on it who use every single post they write as an opportunity to bash the west…
Being anti-western is permissable. “Terrorist” is a term widely misapplied. Guerilla warfare against occupying armies is not terrorism.
And in other news Irans new “moderate” president is to send 4000 troops to Syria to assist Assad which could greatly complicate things if a no-fly zone is set into place. Expect some to be placed at important installations and air defence sites therefore making the potential process of striking such instllations and defences a far riskier operation. (I would also fully expect Russian personel to be deployed with the Syrian SAM’s Russia is delivering for the very same reason)
In WWII some US citizens joined the RAF before December 1941 (while USA was neutral). I do not think that the Germans worried at all about killing them. I do not think that any western powers intervening in Syria against the Assad regime will worry at all about killing Iranian forces fighting to support the regime, nor Russians providing military assistance.
Spitfire9WASHINGTON—A U.S. military proposal for arming Syrian rebels also calls for a limited no-fly zone inside Syria that would be enforced from Jordanian territory to protect Syrian refugees and rebels who would train there, according to U.S. officials.
Asked by the White House to develop options for Syria, military planners have said that creating an area to train and equip rebel forces would require keeping Syrian aircraft well away from the Jordanian border.
To do that, the military envisages creating a no-fly zone stretching up to 25 miles into Syria which would be enforced using aircraft flown from Jordanian bases and flying inside the kingdom, according to U.S. officials.
I could understand the UN wanting a no fly zone on humanitarian grounds to protect civilians from attack by their own country’s air assets but I see no valid grounds for this proposal. A no fly zone in order to protect people in an adjacent country so they can train to attack Syria? What are the ethical arguments in favour of this?
I detest tyrants of the like of Assad and cannot wait to see his regime fall but this is a new departure for me, restricting one country’s use of its airspace so that another can prepare forces to attack it.
Spitfire9I had a crusty old sim instructor when I went through initial Hornet training that flew Voodoos on an exchange tour with the USAF. Said the thing was downright scary to fly. Then again, he was a Phantom guy so maybe the comparison wasn’t good. I have nothing more to add though……it is a nice looking jet at least.
A Lightning pilot I knew told me he once had a trip in a Voodoo. He told me the landing speed was so high that it made him anxious abut the aircraft overshooting the runway. I think he said they were doing 180 knots when they went over the airfield fence.
Spitfire9Yes, the “uninitiated” being the UK Government…. (you’ll need to come up with a better excuse than that my friend.)
Being a bit harsh, aren’t you? I imagine that the British parliament wants to know the entire expenditure on Typhoon. That bears no relation to CPFH which I understand to be the extra cost of flying an aircraft for one hour compared to the cost of leaving it in a hangar.
Spitfire9You might want to check Hansards recent figures before stating such things as fact. £70k per flight hour for Typhoon if memory serves me correctly.
Unfortunately the UK does not give a flight hour figure based on the cost of flying the aircraft for 1 extra hour. It is calculated differently, being based, I think, on the entire cost of the program (not the extra cost of flying the aircraft for an extra hour). As such the figure of £70k per flight hour cannot be compared with figures given for other aircraft. For example, the roughly comparable Rafale is said to cost <$15,000 per flying hour. On a comparative apples to apples basis Typhoon does not cost $100,000+ per flying hour.
Edit: does anyone know exactly how the UK calculates Typhoon CPFH? I have the impression that it is calculated by dividing entire expenditure on Typhoon divided by number of hours flown by Typhoons, the effect being that the more hours that are logged on the aircraft, the lower the flight hour cost figure.
Spitfire9Turkey has a long way to go before it can realize its ambitions, but the resulting investment and spin-offs from the program could give the country’s aviation industry significant credibility in the coming years as well as a product that could be widely exportable to nations unable to join the Joint Strike Fighter program.
Agree.
Spitfire9Japan may delay F-35 deliveries due to weak yen.
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130610/DEFREG03/306100018/Japan-Might-Delay-F-35-Purchases
If they cannot afford the aircraft, another solution would be to scrap local assembly (much, much more expensive than assembly on US assembly line).
Spitfire9The Croatian government has formally decided to refurbish part of its current Mikoyan MiG-21-based fleet, and to add more examples of the type to have one operational squadron, as a shortage of funds continues to thwart plans to acquire a new type.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/croatia-to-refurbish-migs-delaying-new-combat-type-386940/
Spitfire9I am not sure where they getting these forecasts. Brazil is medicore non scientific economy that is trade deficit despite all the natural resources.
in 2050 all those natural resources will be done. and there will be 500 million people. so what will those people do without natural resources?. Even if there is some natural resources left. It wont be cheap to transport considering fuel costs for ships in 2050. There is no land bridge to population centers of Asia/Middleast.see this example.
http://news.yahoo.com/kazakhs-launch-silk-road-china-europe-rail-route-115442375.html
You are not sure where UN, World Bank, IMF, CIA, Goldman Sachs etc get their forecasts. They are based inter alia on data. What are your forecasts based on eg population of Brazil will be 500 million in 2050?
I ask you again to please explain why you think Peugeot/Citroen group has to lay off labour so much. Please explain how that is an illustration of France sacrificing its autonomy. Please explain how Rafale is not so much French.
Simply telling me that I have not done my homework (I think you mean to inform myself) is not a very convincing answer.
Spitfire9Latest news I’ve found on T/A-50 purchase is:
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2013/05/29/947556/editorial-military-upgrade
Apparently T/A-50 purchase is being finalised
Defence Department scandalised by corruption in procurement processes.
Apparently only 16 UH-1H’s are mission ready. A total of 67 required.
Plans to buy “new” UH-1s have been delayed.
From the link above:
“The defense department is also reportedly finalizing the acquisition of 12 fighter jets worth P18 billion from South Korea. In the ongoing upgrading, the defense and military establishments must make sure all deals will be aboveboard, particularly the negotiated purchases. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has not yet fully recovered from corruption scandals mostly involving supply procurements and fund juggling, with several AFP generals implicated.
Such scandals not only erode public trust in the nation’s defenders but also derail the upgrading program, modest as it is, that the AFP badly needs. The upgrade is not a preparation for war; the nation is already too far behind most of its neighbors in defense capability and will surely be outgunned in case of armed conflict. But the upgrade is necessary if the country wants to be capable of protecting its territory from smugglers, poachers and other foreign intruders. The upgrade is needed if the nation wants to stop depending on others for its own defense. If the upgrade is tainted by scandal, the biggest losers will be the AFP itself, and the public it is sworn to protect.”
Corruption, corruption, corruption… I hear that it’s a problem in the Phillipines. As above, I hope it does not wreck the deal.
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