Flying troops and Humanitarian aid does not nessacarilly require heavy lift.

Its not outsized loads that cannot be transported via Saudia Boeings and RSAF C-130s right?

They have over 40 C-130s that see hardly any use.

AWACs is a force multiplyer and its proflieration is to be expected, just like UAVs and PGMs.

I dont think Heavy transport aircraft fit into this role, otherwise surely C-5s and AN-124s would have sold like hot cakes in the international market.

To spend potentially billions just in case you need to fly foreign troops or ferry aid seems like an extreme extravagence. Also its a funny coincedence that in teh spcae of a couple of years, UAE, Qatar and Saudi all suddenly develop these requirements for heavy lifet just when Boeing is desperate for new orders for the C-17.

This smells of Pork Barrells. Or Lamb Barrells for the Muslim nations….

It would be a shame to have 10+ brand spanking new C-17s sitting in a massive, modern Saudi airbase all lined up doing not much whilst the rest of Europe is crying out for heavy airlift…..

I really dont see what they will be used for.

Well, at least we know that when the next natural disaster occurs some stricken nation can depend on the Saudi Air Force…..

That’s where GPS guided munitions come into place, they are in the price range of iron bombs, rather then laser guided.

I dont doubt that for a minute, but the present Hornets have this capability, so how can there be an increaed effectivness in each Hornet mission?

It does work, when it is done by smart aircraft with smart-weapons. To make the best of a mission nor more than 4 fighters could be over the same target area at the same time in the most effective way. State of the art fighters and its crew are just too expensive to stick to some past-time saturations tactic. For that purpose are much cheaper “robots” at hand to deal with fixed targets at first.
A pair of 2 F-117A had the same effective power like a full squadron of 24 F-16s f.e. , when that squadron was more effective than 60 B-17s from WW2.
Today it is more important to generate effective mission from the expensive and much more deadly weapons at hand!

But that still leads to even greater expense in smart weapons right? You are implying somehow that each mission will be more effective. I so, there is a cost involved in that surely?

Does not state what the contract is for and contractor yet to be determined, but there was a press release about a Pakistani company teaming up with a US contractor to provide network centric system for Pakistani defence forces.
I suspect this may be for that.

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Pakistan_10-07.pdf

The reduction in aircraft numbers is proposed during “non deployed phases.”

Thus presumably a deployed squadron would be at full strength…whatever that is determined to be.
The aircraft removed from the non deployed squadron will, again presumably, be sent to the deployed units.

There was a time when the US would have simply bought some more jets to cover the gap.
Is this one of the first signs that times really are changing?

OK, I see. Thanks for the explanation. Although this means alot of airframes wont get a “rest” right? Surely they are just going to wear out the honest more quickly?

Thanks.

Never know… it could have been like the reports of India being offered Kitty Hawk… 😉

Er, not quite. The whole Kitty Hawk fantasy was swiftly rejected and laughed at once a USN spokesman heard about it. That was a wet dream.

This set up comes from the mouth of the US Ambassador to Pakistan talking to Pakistans senior military officers at NDU.
Does not get more official then that….

Here. Link is directly from the US embassy. Hope thats good enough for you!

😉

http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pr-10021501.html

“Our Navy SEALS have enjoyed a close training relationship with the Special Services Group – Navy for a number of years now; but this relationship is on the verge of a new era. We are building a new training facility at Gharo Creek and will have an enduring presence to work full-time with your SSG-Navy.”