120418 - Cameron 'to Change His Mind' on the One Thing He Got Right in Defence
So Sharkey and friends see RAF fingerprints all over the switch back to the B model.
Interesting.
They make a couple of points in this paper that I disagree with but they also make a couple of points I can't dispute. I don't have good enough visibility on the UK defense complex to give a proper opinion.
One claim made that I find interesting is that they claim even Super Hornets or Rafales operating off her majesty's carriers would put the Typhoon to shame.
Like I said interesting.
The Typhoon has largely escaped a serious inspection of its capabilities.
Either way. The UK has some serious egg on its face. My recommendation. Sort it out and stop acting like a "CHAV".
So Sharkey and friends see RAF fingerprints all over the switch back to the B model.
Interesting.
They make a couple of points in this paper that I disagree with but they also make a couple of points I can't dispute. I don't have good enough visibility on the UK defense complex to give a proper opinion.
One claim made that I find interesting is that they claim even Super Hornets or Rafales operating off her majesty's carriers would put the Typhoon to shame.
Like I said interesting.
The Typhoon has largely escaped a serious inspection of its capabilities.
Either way. The UK has some serious egg on its face. My recommendation. Sort it out and stop acting like a "CHAV".
What a massive crock of shit
ReplyDeleteThe notion that that switching back to the B revolves around the political influence of one company and fears of an interim aircraft is simply rubbish. There's no evidence the UK wants an interim aircraft and will not just wait for the F-35.
ReplyDeleteAssuming it's not really about what is cheaper, or affordable, is a huge mistake. Indeed the original plan of buying 138 F-35's and operating two large carriers able to operate 36+ each turned out be something the UK didn't want to pay for. The entire ability to do long term force planning is at least open to question.
Frankly they'd have been better off with 3 small carriers, with 1 or 2 available at all times for operations, and enough aircraft for 2. Operating a single carrier, when it's not available a significant percentage of the time, is problematic. Even 2 carriers was a poor choice as you either have 1 air wing or 2 but one shore based when either carrier is undergoing maintenance.
This aside the notion the RN would pay for an interim aircraft, if one were actually required, misses the point that it's just an extra cost the RN can't afford. They can barely afford to operate a single carrier of the two they've built.
I respect Sharkey, but that's just absolute bunkus. The whole idea behind the switch back to the -B model is that the UK can't afford the catapult modifications to it's carriers and by choosing to opt back to the -B model, can delay expenditure for a few years and build up it's carrier strike power through gradual acquisition of F-35B's.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that there are (somewhere) Hornets and Rafale's available for lease, makes about as much sense as that guy Geogen who continually argues that it might be a better idea for most countries to lease some existing 4 Gen aircraft and wait until 6 Gen or something is available.
It misses the point. Jets have to exist before they can be leased and someone has to take the hit in building said jets upfront. They can't be built for nothing...
Are Boeing and Dassault building dozens of jets at their own expense just waiting for a potential lease customer? I hardly think so...
The only way would be for France to retire some of it's Rafale M's or USN / USMC etc to retire some Hornets or Super Hornets.
As each of these services are struggling to maintain sufficient aircraft to meet their own needs, I hardly see this as a likely prospect.
Especially when you consider that the UK would then be up for the catapult modification they can't afford, the lease of a Hornet / Rafale fleet which wouldn't be cheap and then the acquisition of an F-35C fleet down the track, which still wouldn't be cheap.
All of that is going to be FAR more costly than acquiring a squadron of 2 of -B model F-35's...