A capable aircraft by all descriptions but this from Galrahn is ... just plain weird...
This is just smart. It is my belief the EA-18G is the best aircraft on the planet being built today, and one of the main reasons the British have chosen exactly wrong to not put EMALS on their CVFs.I mean really?
Did he say that out loud before he typed it?
It is my belief the EA-18G is the best aircraft on the planet being built today, and one of the main reasons the British have chosen exactly wrong to not put EMALS on their CVFs?
I had to immediately go get info the EA-18 because I must have missed something. I went to the Boeing website, Naval Technology.com and Wikipedia.
What I found was hardly ground breaking. To be honest its just the EA-6 in a new wrapper with a bit of automation added and an AESA array. The second part of it is just him playing to the anti F-35 crowd.
But read the entire article he has up 'cause he takes an unwarranted swing at the Gator Navy. This is especially insane because he's commented before that amphibs are some of the most in demand ships in the fleet and that we don't have enough....
Here is what you need to know about AFSB - it is basically a MLP with a module that converts it into a LPH. The AFSB has a fairly large aviation capability that makes HMS Ocean look like a baby cousin. AFSB + MLP is a remarkable capability that I for one hopes to see get built and tested thoroughly, because it is a two ship system for a legitimate forward operating base at sea, and it can scale well with existing Sealift capabilities and by plugging in T-AKEs. It is certainly an 80% solution, but if it works it is an appealing capability that will go well beyond what the US Navy is using Ponce for - indeed the combination would finally get folks in the expeditionary space to start really thinking about what is possible with Sealift capabilities when you aren't married to the enormously expensive enormous amphibious ship designs.
First the AFSB is a Marine Corps concept. The MLP is a Marine Corps concept.
The idea about getting the other services to buy into the expeditionary capability that will come with sea basing IS A MARINE CORPS CONCEPT.
Policy blogs.
They ignore real life and focuses on the Congress and Pentagon. That's not where the real military is. If you choose to focus on those places...if you love forums and think tanks....if you get off on Washington dinners then fine. But that ain't where the real Navy, Marine Corps, Army or Air Force lives.
Not even close.
Man, this guy really dislikes the F... 22.
ReplyDeleteFerran
yeah he does. he's a policy wonk. he loves the halls of congress and anything else he has no idea about.
ReplyDeletehe's one of those Sweetman alcolytes that wants to hangout in that crowd. i never liked the guy and its moving toward hating him.
he's an arrogant ass.
this article proves it.
The EA-18G is a fine standoff jammer aircraft, in fact probably the best there is. What it isn't is a multi-role fighter.
ReplyDeleteIf he said the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II+ was the best aircraft on the planet TODAY, I'd probably have agreed with him.
In ten years time however, it will be starting to look quite tired and that's when the UK will be trying to work up IOC on it's carriers, which is why the Super Hornet is a BAD idea for the UK and it's timeline and F-35 is perfect.
AD
The guy is high. I'd put an F-15SG (Singapore) ahead of a notional "Super Hornet Block II". Bigger AESA, bigger payload, more speed, more range, lower cost.
ReplyDeletei was thinking the same thing. if the USAF would bet its head out of its ass the F-15E would be a great platform for a radar jamming airplane.
ReplyDeleteYou could stuff a lot of EW gear in those CFTs.
ReplyDeleteCFTs began life as a "FAST" pod.
ReplyDeleteFAST stands for "Fuel And Sensor Tactical" which were designed from the get-go to carry avionics, sensors, jammers, etc.
A lot more than that, but the only version they ended up buying was the fuel tanks. The had weapon versions, rocket propulsion, etc.
ReplyDeleteGalrahn knows very little about logistics ships and his opinion about the AFSB nee MLP is completely inaccurate. I challenged him in an email and this is how he replied.
ReplyDeleteSOl both concepts preceded USMC support for them AFSB has been around for decades. MLP is a bastardization of the Intermediate Transfer Station concepet from NSWC Carderock.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Marines do what the other service to sign up for seabasing, that service unfortunately continues to offer its own unique platforms as solutions. That is what killed the MPF(Future). So until more "joint friednliness" is shown, that other services may well say not interested?
Solomon, lets get to the facts, buddy. You don't like Galrahn because he is well respected and taken seriously, while there is not even one major military blogger that gives a damn about you.
ReplyDeletewww.informationdissemination.net/2012/05/house-defense-appropriations.html
When have you ever written such a post? When have you ever taken the time to do that amount of research?
Hell, if you think he is full of it, why don't you have the balls to comment directly on the article? You think he is arrogant? Well, better to be arrogant than a pussy.
Sferrin,
ReplyDeleteThe Block II+ Super Hornet is the current production standard.
I agree the Sing F-15SG's are a great bit of kit, but they don't match the all-round capability of the current Super Hornet. Where is their anti-ship missile capability? Where is their SEAD capability?
They aren't intended specifically for those roles. Hence my claim, I was referring to all-round capability, when the totality of the capability it has is considered, there isn't another single fighter today that has such a high degree of capability in so many different roles.
Hey anon, before calling other's pussies and then using "anon" why don't you find some ticker and show us who you really are? At least a recognisable handle...
Regards,
AD
Aussie Digger,
ReplyDeleteNot certain if DEWS provides you legitimate standoff jamming capability but I think the F-15SA has both the SEAD and ASM (modulo export restrictions) capabilities that you desire...
RE: "Well, better to be arrogant than a pussy"
ReplyDeleteWritten by "brave" Anonymous.
Lamest troll Evah!--'nuff said.
Maurder,
ReplyDeleteThe Sing F-15SG's don't have HARM or Harpoon capabilities and no other dedicated anti-radiation or anti-ship missile capability.
That's what I was referring to earlier.
Regards,
AD