@Thobbes:
Actually external projection was the historical trend. If I do remind well, in the 80’s ard two third of the USAF was based ABROAD.

By the way a LIFT with Supercruise, Mach1.5+ dash speed and high agility is a home defense assets by itself given that it can carry AIM9x.

In Georgia Russia deployed Tu-22Ms before SEAD was in place. In fact a Tu-22 was lost on day 2, whilst DEAD (two radars) only took place on day 3.

This is what I was referring too. Sry if it didn’t go trough the barrier language.

Who’s left to partner with? General Dynamics is partnered, Lockheed is partnered, Northrop is partnered, Boeing is leaning towards SAAB. Who is left that could offer a credible bid?

General Atomics ? (around a MadRat’s type of proposal ). The inducted synergies wld be intersting for both companies

AESA is hardly a problem, Both the RACR and the SABR can be scaled up or down depending on the platform and requirement. The latter will be produced in the hundreds and would probably come in to be extremely cost effective given both economies of scale as well the industry set up that already exists within the supplier base at NG.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/racr/
http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/SABR/Pages/default.aspx

Even if the USAF Picks the Gripen, they may well go for the SABR as a potential high-capability radar given that they are already acquiring it in large numbers (Commonality and capability as far as upgrades are concerned)..

The obvious advantage of the Grip is its inherent ability to train pilot in supersonic combat flight and high alpha manoevre without requiring TVC engine. Together with a well known engine, a proven cell for a long life expectancy and a large catalog of sub-par avionics makes it a good low risk solution for an advanced trainer. However, the very large surfaced delta won’t help to maximize both life expectancy and flying cost per hour. My guess is that Boeing will hve to work in that reduction (trapezoidal wing with reduced canard surface perhaps).

However, I fear that this new alliance with Boeing has for Saab a precedent: Saab car division with General motors… How do you say cautious in Swedish ?

Remark:
Speaking abt the Hawk in that competition is just ridiculous unless NG makes some marvel around it (a Super-Hawk?).

Take it like that: You hve a 4000km opponents to deal with and strike for days at that range (tactical).

Then let me know how many sorties you’d be able to generate after two or three days with an MKI.

Of course, you’ll tell me that Russia hve more than a bunch of 22s and 160s but… hey… You don’t start moving those until you’ve make sure you’ve filled the airspace with your own fighter and SEAD (Georgia anyone ?).

34 is an amazing asset. It just lacks stealth.

Russia’s proposal for Syria to surrender its chemical weapons to international control was a “potentially positive development,” President Obama told on CNN

A potential show down in the escalating situation.

Probably also a first step toward a political solving of the Syrian conflict.

Optional manned would help here – either more fuel or less weight!

I doubt that being optionally manned leads to less weight or more fuel. I would tend to think otherwise.

You are completely right. French oversea territories, just like Eu countries’s former colonies around the world are sensitive assets that might be targeted for the force balance effect that they might represents with little efforts. Economics question are part of the frame too.

Sth Atlantic is the next potential disputed territory. Just try to imagine the US closing the Panama canal without the Eu approval (with some strong advocate for leaning more and more toward an Asian shift of superpower). Where would the mess appends ?

Br or Ar hve a big card to play for cheap. And with no no need of hundreds of expensive fighters. Naval forces (including Carrier & submarines), long range MaP aircrafts, a potent number of tactical assets able to strike in a modern negated airspace… And that’s it.

The recent provocation ard the Falklands/Malvinas on the other hand leads to nothing…