"maybe we should consider other assets that could potentially be regenerated/purchased in a hurry should we find ourselves needing carrier air in a crisis?"
Nice idea Sam, but just how many Phantoms, Vixens, Buccs and Gannets are there lying around in museums that could be regenerated, even assuming the parts are available? And what use wold they be anyway?
I guess you could try with the Sea Harriers - but how many are there still in military hands and not smashed up? Ten? And even then you'd have to do it with minimal or no support from BAE
As for the Harrier - its the wrong aircraft to take to sea anyway. Its a CAS airframe, not an all-weather fighter / stirke design ,which is what is required. Great for expeditionary campaigns as flying artillery, not much use for anything else. And anyway we've sold them
What we need to do are buy a fleet of F/A-18s to serve short-term and back them up with suitable support aircraft - tankers (S-3 or F/A-18 buddies) replacement AWACS (which has to be Hawkeye) and then hang on until the UAV carrier aircraft come into service. The F-35 is going to be too little, too late, and superceded technology when it comes into volume service
Or if we can't get F?A-18s cheap enough, maybe the French could knock up a squadron of Rafale-M out of spare bits in a hurry. Or maybe not...
Last edited by jamesdevice; 6th Dec 2011 at 08:26.