I’ll balance the thing then. F-35B.

Actually useable off their new through-decks. Plus, as Comoford says, suddenly lots of short hard surface strips in theatre that become deployment options.

You don’t really need a carrier when you can go island hopping throughout the region.

Occasionally charters are hard to come by and this happens:

The big question is how it is possible that NH-90 have no proper place for side gunners like on S-70/UH-60 and even on latest Super Puma/Cougar. Yes side gunners in dedicated place, no door gunners that block mounted troops to do fast disembark. This is ******* incredible!

The NH90 does have a place for the door gunners. Its just poorly designed – way to small and obstructs the cabin.

The window at the back is the door gunners station.

Compare UH-60 Black Hawk

Apparently Global hawk is to be killed and U2 to be kept flying for a lot longer.

USAF are killing off the Block 30 but are still pursuing the Block 40 Global Hawk. USN still keeping Global Hawk for BAMS.

RAAF Wants C-27J Rather Than C295

Despite being more expensive, C-27Js can accommodate the Army’s G-Wagens and LAND 121 light vehicles.

…. could use larger aircraft, such as its Lockheed Martin C-130s, to transport the G-Wagons. But Brown says “then you end up with small loads on the C-130 and this is not an efficient use” of the aircraft. He also says the air force wants to avoid a situation in which the Australian armed forces’ Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters are used for airlifting such cargo.

… but I haven’t read anything I believed to say the Eurofighter was definitely out of it.

The original source appears to have come from Nikkei, a Japanese financial news service (think Bloomberg or FT). Probably as close to official as a press release by a government or company.

CFT, weapons pod and internal irst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3h8yImm4U

Would be great as a small order interim choice for customers who eventually want the F-35. USN (and RAF catobar), Japan, etc

Narrows the gap with the F-35 and probably puts it ahead of will-they or wont-they Eurofighter upgrade program.