That is funny Rii as the RAAF apparently love it.

Well of course they do, and for the same reasons USN does. And you know what they would’ve loved even more? Anything else on the market.

The Mig-29 can’t do things original F-18s were doing 20 years ago. This isn’t about nationalism, it is about reality.

Oh, well if we’re back to talking about aircraft and not the supporting infrastructure then Rafale is obviously the gold standard, not Super Hornet. And in the long run even J-15 will take the podium ahead of Super Hornet.

countless combat against third world dont count with practically no airforce.

True enough. Russia faced worse against Georgia in 2008 than NATO has since 1991.

But this is all a little pointless, no? Folks are a little insecure over China’s achievement here and are lashing out in all directions — including at Russia. No need to take the bait.

Well, it did, sort of.
If a new impressive munition comes around, the USN will integrate it,
if a new IRST sensor comes around, USN will integrate it,
up to at least 2030, on at least selected F-18’s

Minor ‘sustainment’ upgrades, sure, but no stealth cocoons, CFTs or EPE engines (to say nothing of TVC). Probably no cockpit overhaul or EODAS-esque system either like Boeing was pitching.

The reality is that with the failure to secure either the Indian or Japanese contracts, real development of the SH platform is likely at an end. USN will be funding F-35 and Brazil is likely looking elsewhere also. It always was an interim aircraft to meet the requirements of the day.

OK but no export customer would order as many as 100 so where would the funds for development come from without the US Navy wanting further development?

At the time the roadmap was pitched the options were India, Japan, Brazil. First two are gone…

If the analysts are correct and China eventually builds a multi-carrier force then that will be true power projection.

True it won’t be the USN and nothing ever will.

Yeah, keep thinking that. :rolleyes:

The only things that will prevent China from achieving decisive military superiority over the United States by mid-century are (1) the collapse and fragmentation of China or (2) the lack of any perceived need to achieve such superiority.

No comment on the first possibility, but regarding the second I suspect the combination of American bellicosity — which I expect to intensify over the coming decades, with a high risk of US-China conflict in the mid/late-2020s — Chinese insecurity and global resource pressures will combine to ensure that China is not satisfied merely to neutralise US and allied influence in its regional environment (a goal which I expect to be achieved by ~2035) but will continue to expand beyond that.

She is meant to be for ‘training and research’. Presumably training and research into how to operate an aircraft carrier effectively. Which explains why they might have the cat people on the deck, they want their future carriers to be catapult equipped, no?

Bingo.

Russia would be the last place I’d look for tips on carrier operations

Last amongst the very short list of nations with contemporary experience in operating catapult carriers … right? :confused:

The Russians can do whatever they like on their own territory. They are not the USSR, the Cold War finished 20 years ago, and they do not pose an existential threat to the UK. As for CASD, we really need to get beyond this concept, it belongs in the past, along with the four minute warning. When the facts change, you really ought to change your opinions.

//YESMINISTER

“Russians? Who said anything about the Russians? It’s to protect us from the French!”