I think it takes a decent amount of skill to reverse-engineer something as complex as a modern fighter plane. The Chinese have come close and amy have even succeeded in implementing their own designs in the 4++/5th generation space. Whether or not much of this progress was gleaned from acquired information sought overseas doesn’t really matter, the Chinese designers and engineers still have to interpret it and implement it. Ever try and fix some code someone else written? Code that is not well laid out or even commented? That is tough alone, trying to recreate something as complex as a 5th generation fighter would seem insurmountable. If the Chinese engineers can come close to that, surely they can make a component piece like an engine.

Am I completely off in thinking that a dozen B-52s, loaded with conventional “dumb” ordinance, would be enough to pummel IS into the stone age? Colateral damages aside. Isn’t simple saturation a good alternative to surgical strikes with expensive precision weapons? What about napalm? Part of me thinks we could beat IS this way and strike a little fear in the hearts of our (American/NATO) enemies.

Good. One or two decade more in that direction and aviation enthusiasts will be delighted to see the RCAF flying Spitfire and Lancaster for their missions.

Or there will be no missions at all…

To the contrary, it makes a great deal of sense.

No nation ‘likes’ or ‘hates’ any other nation, any positive relations are based on mutual benefit. Internal PR ( ‘great Satan’, ‘axis of Evil’ et al ) has nothing to do with real politics.

Iran is assisting Iraqi and Kurdish forces in fighting IS, which is a greater threat to US interests in the region, and globally, than Iran. Iran is the backstop that will prevent IS spreading eastwards and encircling Baghdad in a pincer, so Iran will be supported.

We in the West mock Iran for keeping 40-year-old F-5s flying with local ‘modifications’ and making rip-offs of Chinese copies of M16s, but today those weapons are what will check IS.

Iran will only do what is best for Iran. As soon as IS becomes a threat to the hegemony in that country, they’ll start paying closer attention. If you really think the Iranian govt has anything but negative sentiments toward the U.S., you’re misled. IS is going to be a big threat to the U.S. no matter what Iran does. As long as the U.S. border remains open, there is a chance that islamic radicals from IS will board a flight to NYC or Boston. That is the real threat to the U.S. islamic terrorists coming in as tourists or on a student visa. I do agree that the U.S. has a large part to take in the responsibility for the current state of the region, but we are not the solution to the war of my god is better than yours.

When it comes to air strikes and air cover this conflict affects Iran who has an up and running air force send them 10 high time Mirage F-1’s (a type already in services) from French stocks and drip feed them weapons to use add to this 10 or so Cobra AH-1’s from US stocks also a type in services with Iran and that way all that has happened is we have added 20 old but capable platforms with limited life to the region

Why should the U.S. give Iran anything? The Iranian government hates the U.S. To them, we’re the “great satan”, why should we give them ANY help? That doesn’t make sense.

It could fly between trees if you really wanted to (to some extent anyway). GR9 was equipped with AGM-65 I think. I was kind of being silly though. I think the real answer is that there were more important things to spend the defence budget on.

I do not think the GR.9 was around for RAF deployment in Germany. I think they pulled out when the GR.5 was available (I could be wrong). I agree there are better priorities for defense spending. Besides, the attack helicopter is an offensive platform (IMHO).

Looks like the mock-up has a new nose wheel. A single unit as opposed to the double-wheeled variant on the C/D models