Joint Strike Fighter Plan B

[Troll]

Sorry Churchy. The F29 is the newest fighter being developed by the yanks. They aren't planning on releasing it outside of the States and the current cost is approaching something like $1billion per jet. It's pretty much 30% better in every way over the Typhoon.

And for anyone who reckons the Tornado can't cut it against the new jets should have an investigation in Operation Red Flag. It's (well, was) a war game between the RAF and USAF. Which we've won every year since its conception. The Tornado has gone up against the best and won many times. So has the Jaguar (although that's French).

The yanks only developed terrain mapping technologies after they saw how well our boys were flying in the Tornadoes.

As for those Chinooks.... grrrrrrr! We're still using the MKII's and when the MKIII's do come into service they're only going to 1 out of the 3 Chinook squadrons. Handy.

From my Airfix building days... I seem to recall the Jaguar being a Brit/French collaboration
Is Red Flag the exercise run in Canada - and featured on a Sky documentary?

[DanTheMan]

No mate, that's Maple Flag. Red Flag is/was in Nevada

I should say that I got told about the F29 by a Squadron Leader who'd completed an exchange with the USAF so he could be lying....

[Troll]

Didn't Spain buy the Harrier? if so they should be a natural partner for an joint venture - what about India - it has Hermes so must fly Harriers

Is the only problem that the Harrier is subsonic? if we could live with that, could we not just upgrade the avionics and or weapons platform?

[DanTheMan]

The only problem with the Harrier is that all the engineers who work on them are crazy

The Harrier was pushed into service before it's time. Just so happened that the decision making politicians had lots of interest in how the company's shares were doing. It doesn't need replacing at all. the only downside to it (that hasn't been a problem in its history) is that it can only hover for 60 seconds before burning all its fuel. Something that can be sea-based doesn't need to be supersonic. We don't need the Raptors but someone will make a lot of money out of saying that we do.

[Gibbon]

Dan,

I think I know you. ADVSMT ring any bells.

[DanTheMan]

ADVSMT? Can't say that it does mate. Give me a clue....

[Gibbon]

I don't know you then. It's a different Dan I'm thinking of. You're ex-RAF though or you read a lot of RAF news.

[DanTheMan]

I never worked on Harriers which I'm guessing the ADVSMT (especially not a fairy!) is aimed at. A few of my old colleagues were Harrier engineers which is why I know they make the craziest linies.

[Gibbon]

Dan,

ADVSMT was the F3 software team, now defunct. I was a Phantom/F3 fairy
before they made me use a computer.

I hear they now have gate guard as a trade, WTF !!!

[Swamp Thing]

And for anyone who reckons the Tornado can't cut it against the new jets should have an investigation in Operation Red Flag. It's (well, was) a war game between the RAF and USAF. Which we've won every year since its conception. The Tornado has gone up against the best and won many times. So has the Jaguar (although that's French).

The yanks only developed terrain mapping technologies after they saw how well our boys were flying in the Tornadoes.

But I thought the Tornados handle like buses compared with the F14 or 15 or 16??