Why not? Considering Su-33 and Mig-29K can.

I’ve never heard anything to indicate that the F35C could perform that way, it could certainly change things for the UK if an F35C could operate even half decently off a carrier without a catapult. It’d also mean that there is less rush for the USN to perfect EMALS.

If there is a problem with launching an F-35C off a ski jump it is most likely related to structural loads being different, depending on how steep the ramp angle is. IIRC the US Navy found a while ago that it could theoretically operate most of its fixed wing aircraft (except the S-3, for some reason) from a modest ski jump without major modification.

Keep in mind here that for commonality reasons the CV F-35 is at least distantly related to an aircraft which is already designed to handle ski jump take-off, the F-35B. It’s not a given that it could be done without some changes, but chances are better than with just about any other aircraft (Sea Gripen, Rafale) 🙂 That said, the B-version would probably need a shorter deck run for the same payload (thanks to lift augmentation from the propulsion system), so flight deck area might limit payload for the STOBAR F-35C.

Actually isn’t Sea Gripen meant to be STOBAR? And lets not play up the similarities between B and C too much, one of them has a honking great lift fan in its belly.

It was a purposely extreme example to make the point. I think that the UK was and still is worried that US does not need NATO as much as NATO need the US, and if the UK does not contribute to US operations it weakens the web of obligations with the US which make the UK and the rest of Europe safer – i.e when politicians say that our presence in Afghanistan makes the UK safer I do not think they are talking about stopping terrorism but rather reminding US that they have reliable allies.

True enough, but the day the US decides it no longer needs NATO is the day the EU is forced to transform into a full superpower rather than just an economic one. If the US needed another nail in it’s world power coffin, outside of China, that’d be it. It’d also demonstrate how much US allies are worth to the US, I can’t quite predict the results of that.

I doubt it’ll happen any time soon though, the US needs all the allies it can get, especially economically powerful ones, if they are going to slow China’s rise.

@the last post: a short runway doesn’t have to be a proper paved job does it? And nocuts, maybe try using the multi-quote button to answer posts, that way we don’t get 3 of yours in a row.

I think it should always be remember that all of the West’s economic and military co-operation is based on mutual self-interest, and ultimately if the UK’s interests do not match the US interests the US (quite rightly) will do what’s best for its own self-interests.

Obviously due to the economic and military mismatch between UK and US there are times where the UK decides its interests are best served by going along with US policy even if it is at odds with the UK’s interests.

One day in the future it might be possible that UK and US interests diverge so much that we no longer co-operate military – for example imagine in fifty years time Russia is more military and economically dominant than the combined might of Europe and allies itself with the US to compete against China’s dominance in Asia and the Pacific and Russia and the US compete with China to access scarce resources, and the US abandons its European allies due to the fact they have become more worried about Russia and the US needs Russia more than Europe

I hope that was just an example and not a serious prediction…

But on the subject, there are examples of UK and US interests being separate. In fact it was only post 2000 that the interests have converged to such a point that the UK will simply follow the US wherever it leads. However that doesn’t mean it will happen in the future, as we know, the “special relationship” depends a lot on the personal relationship between President and PM.

U2 – see what I did there?

Would have worked better if the lead aircraft’s airframe hadn’t cracked prior to takeoff.

…I apologise for that.

Are there any photos of Typhoon in the Mach loop?

An apprentice electrician working on nuclear submarines that is cute, blond, female and obviously happy being on film and talking to the camera, I bet the programme makers couldn’t believe their luck, in fact I suspect the entire production team did a ‘high five’ when they saw her.

Couldn’t help but notice there a few cheeky cleavage shots too, naughty cameramen.

I’m trying to watch this Iplayer now but it’s being an absolute ***** about it. Now I REALLY want to watch it to see what all the fuss is about.

I think it’s more likely they’re trying to hype all the new systems the navy has in order to reduce the PR impact of the ones they won’t have(thanks to future cuts).:D

Way to burst my bubble. 🙁

Really – I am a bit surprised as I thought CAAM was not due to come into service until 2020ish, is it still at an early stage?

2018 I think is the ISD. It might be different times for the different launch platforms though. They need to be ready for C1 in 2020-ish. Not sure when the Rapier needs replacing.

Not sure what stage it is at tbh, they seem fairly tight lipped on the subject, but it is based on an in service missile so it may not take as long to progress.