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Old 27th Aug 2011, 18:43
  #3047 (permalink)  
Not_a_boffin
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portsmouth
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"Of all the US services, the Navy gains least from JSF. They have a pretty capable aircraft in production, with some development potential."

Errrr, no, sorry LO. The SuperBug is a good aircraft, but it's barely 4th Gen and it certainly won't do day one ops against any credible IADS with double-digit pucker-factor and any sort of credible air force.

The Navy is still paying the price for A12. Compared to the CVW of twenty years ago, the capability is relatively degraded - A6E plus F14B/D, plus KA6D & EA6B trumps any number of Bug variants today, in all but one (very important) respect - cost of ownership. In essence the USN has taken a substantial capability hit because the A12 programme failed and the only reason they are still in the game is that they've managed to get a capable aircraft ("stopgap" does the Superbug a disservice) on the back of O&M savings.

They can't afford to do that again.
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