Philip wrote:1."Sorry Bob,No",said Air Marshal Mark Binskin to Bob Gower,Boeing's VP on buying more additonal F-18F SHs for the Oz air force.
The need for the SH for Australia was driven by the gap between the retirement of the F-111 and the arrival of the F-35.
If 24 SHs are deemed adequate capability to fill that gap, it doesn't really matter how long the gap is (within reason).
Philip wrote:F-18F SH's,of that excellent vintage from the '70s!
'90s
Philip wrote:2.The IAF is to double the SU-30MKI fleet by 2015
The 230 number is ancient news and is only marginally different from the original plan.
The original plan was 50 from Russia + 140 from HAL (190 total)
Then a supplemental buy of 40 from Russia was added in 2007 (230 total)
(This is as close as I have been able to pull together from scattered news reports.)
Philip wrote:3.The US has banned the Israelis from selling their AESA radar for the Gripen!
1. The Israeli radar was never planned for Gripen.
2. The French blocked Thales from selling AESA for the Gripen-NG AFTER it had been selected and development work was underway.
Philip wrote:This will also force the Israelis to now offer their AESA radar to the Russians for the MIG-35
That makes no sense. Why would the US block AESA to the Gripen but not the MiG-35?
Either:
1. They didn't block it for the Gripen
2. They will block it for the MiG-35
Take your pick.
Philip wrote:4.Boeing has unveiled its "6th-gen" concept to replace the F-18SH by 2025.
Boeing can dream all they want
The F-35 isn't planned to reach IOC with the USN until 2015, and the JSF development contract was signed in 1996, a gap of 19 years.
The notional FA/XX program isn't even to launch until 2012, and if they go with the unmanned option as expected, there will be serious development issues. Unmanned carrier landings, unmanned aerial refueling, unmanned AERIAL COMBAT. These are all very risky technologies and to expect it to proceed faster than the F-35 is a joke.
Philip wrote:So within another 15 years,the US will start retiring their F-18s.
The F-18s will actually be before then.
As for the SH, yes in 15 years the oldest ones will be 27 years old.
Also in 15 years, the oldest:
EF will be 21 years old
Rafale will be 24 years old
USN SH procurement is currently scheduled to run through 2012. If those planes last 25 years, the SH will be in service through 2037.
Philip wrote:One looks forward to JF-17 vs LCA/MMRCA comparisons and contests in the future.
Here's to hoping they remain paper competitions.