1. Can Storm Shadow (or similar) armed Nimrods (or similar) compete with the sortie rates that CVF promises? ?
Not necessary; we're talking about an aircraft armed with multiple stand-off precision weapons, rather than a FJ required to penetrate all the way to target.
2. Without compromising their other roles?
Swing or multi-role is the way ahead for most platforms. The Nimrod is a great example of increased capability and role diversity.
3. Can this ever be as versitile as the ability to carry aircraft for air defence, ground/maritime attack, ASW/ASuW (or whatever they are now called), C2 and ISTAR, Junglies, Chinooks, Apaches - or a combination therof?
Apples and oranges; one aircraft type obviously will not replace everything CVF promises - but we have Nimrod now, and CVF remains an aspiration. The Nimrod already has maritime, overland, ASW/ASuW and ISTAR capabilities
4. Do strategic aircraft not need overflight rights - which cannot be relied on 100% of the time?
It depends on the DOB location. During Op TELIC (and now, for that matter) aircraft flew from Al Udeid up the Gulf, over Kuwait and into Iraq. This would be exactly the same for aircraft launched from a naval asset.
5. Do they not need AAR support?
Not always - the open-source endurance range quoted for Nimrod MR2 is 10 hours/4000KM
6. So the distance covered by a ship in 24 hours can be covered by an aircraft in one hour. Can the logistics, engineering and other facilities, and weapon and fuel stores be moved at the same rate?
Why would you want to? Long range and endurance allows the ability to place your launch point to the rear. Why expose assets to the threat if you don't need to?
7. Who/what is going to provide fighter sweeps/escorts for the Nimrod? Do land based fighters have the legs to escort them, without needing more tankers than we have? Perhaps the Sea Harrier could have done it, if the Government hadn't axed it?
Are you suggesting the unrefuelled range of the SHAR exceeds that of a CTOL land-based fighter? Also see the answer to point 6; if you don't need to penetrate enemy airspace then the CAP/Sweep requirements diminish
8. Didn't USN carrier based fighters act as escorts for B52s in Vietnam - during Linebacker II etc
Yes, in the same way that carrier-based fighters provided similar cover for Afghanistan and Iraq raids.
My point is that the Nimrod is a pretty versatile machine and if you look beyond the politics and
PR that always seem to surround the aircraft then not only is it good at its main role, it carries the potential (realised already in some cases) for expansion into other areas. And no, I'm not a Nimrod man!
SBG