Possibly the RAF have just discovered the downsid to choosing nagging female voice for the incockpit audio feedback?

Nice looking ships. I think it is now confirmed that they we will get Phalanx at the blunt end rather than Goalkeeper

There is more than a passing visual similarity between these and project 58250. Interesting to see what the Koreans and Ukrainians have seen as the minimum fit required for their immediate maritime defence.

And delete those angled launchers on top of the superstructure and go for VL Exocets.

Does anybody make a VL Exocet though?

Your musings on replacing helo facilities with an aft VLS farm are interesting. Accepted wisdom does very much seem to be that Frigate and larger skimmers need helo hangars. I wonder if that is likely to change? Presumably with your idea you would keep the pad and refueling facilities?

Standard is now availible in a form which double-packs in a VLS module. Whilst MBDA get their fingers out and develop VL Exocet (and Otomat especially Milas) they could work on Aster-30 which double packs. That’d make FREMM much more formidable.

As an aside, I’ve been in a camp of thought with those thinking it could behoove Japan’s industry to separately study a possible joint development of their F-2, for a common conversion into an F-16XL+ type variant taking more economical range into account, as well as other potential advantages gained?

F16XXL or F16X (or I suppose F2X) has lots going for it
Looks pretty
Range
Conformal carriage of weapons (AAMs certainly)
2 seats (1 to supervise UAVs)
Low(er) risk

Could have fairly straightforwardly
IRST
Japanese AESA
Divertless intake

Could have less straightforwardly
EO DAS
TVC

It could make an excellent Japanese F4 replacement and ANG next airframe and fill the Eagle gap in USAF

The three disadvantages I see are:
1. LM makes F16 and has the data on F16XL, why on earth would they want to compete with their own JSF? MAYBE the terms of the F2 can/have overcome this

2. F2X won’t have LO/VLO characteristics of JSF

3. ANY new programme has inherent risk and cost escalation potential. Buying more JSFs off the shelf might actually prove to be cheaper and lower risk for USAF and ANG

maybe just maybe they are planning on turning the typhoon into the ATD-X, if they sign up for AESA, TVC, conformal fuel tanks, meteor and A2G . add to that exterior makeover to make it full stealth maybe find a way to make some internal bays, it would be a hell of a aircraft and a hell of a lot cheaper to do than developing a brand new aircraft!!

That’s quite a lot to do the airframe. Whilst we are at it could we add thrust vectoring paddles, remove that pesky vertical stabiliser and give it groovy divertless inlets?

Well one can dream…. Back in the real world can’t really see past the F-35 seems to me that the Japanese would find this the most appealing as it’s probably the next best thing to the F-22 from their point of view.

There are definite cases for JSF. And if the programme had managed to keep to the ‘cheap’ bit of the plan it would probably be a shoe in. Realistically (stoopid word to use on an enthusiasts forum I know) decision will I suspect have more to do with a political decision to stay US or go European than any measure of military effectiveness.

Guess that’ll replace the railguns.:D

Oh no it won’t.

Railguns (or coilguns according to design) offer (potentially) over the horizon and massive kinetic energy. i.e. perfect against big and immobile or semi-mobile targets.

DEW, CREWS, Lasers, whatevers offer effectively zero flight time but are LoS and so will be ace last ditch weapons for dinghies, aircraft and missiles once the issue of generating sufficiently powerful weapons has been nailed.

Tonka (snip) with very high wing loading,

Um you know why though don’t you? And you know that it was a deliberate design decision?

In my wet dreams the M2k carries

Mirage 4000 in SEM-style camouflage carrying AASM, Brimstone, Micas AND Laserguided rocket (pods) is my froggy jet porn. Plus with that lovely big delt wing no need for unsightly drop tanks (maybe one on centreline if really absolutely required)