Originally Posted by Not_a_boffin
My mistake! I meant to say "naval export order" - of course Gripen has done well as a low-cost high capability land based fighter, particularly since F16 is still about.
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EP99 - by DSR assets, do you mean Afloat Support? If so see MARS project which is largely driven by need to provide huge quantities of F44, F76, bombs, vittles, bin bags & bog roll. They are funded (this week) and part of DIS was specifically written to allow them to be built as cost-effectively as possible.........They are scheduled to be (mostly) in service by the time both CVF are available - it may even happen, Smart Procurement has to work once, just to prove the exception to the rule.
CEC is probably a non-issue. The USN are actually quite reluctant to allow anyone else to integrate with it so probably won't happen. Would need decent sensors on RFA to even consider it. Makes a decent MASC asset like Hawkeye 2000 even more crucial. Would even allow better integration with FR/US forces. BTW your faith in multinational command structures is laudable, but a touch optimistic methinks.
MLRS is not and never will be qualified for Mk41 use. It would also be very difficult to employ against FIAC using white traffic for cover.
regards
Indeed, Deploy Sustain Recover is presently reasonably well funded, point is the requirements were originally presented for the logistics requirement for supporting over the shore requirements, not OTS plus carriers.
If we cannot use CEC, or develop our own, then the threat we are considering operating against is not a "first world" one. If it is not then we do not need full up carriers. Granted, in a World where the Navy is prepared to use aircraft without A.I capabilities on its carriers anything is a possibility! What, for example, is the point of having a Sampson radar without either a.i. equipped aircraft or a viable, layered, area defence system? and this against the aircraft threat, let alone missile defence. If the missile can do 100 clicks, and the radar can see 20 at low level then the mismatch is likely to put you at the bottom of the ocean. I guess most of the planning guys are too young to remember "Atlantic Conveyor" (I seem to remember that the tapes showed that engagement as not being too good an advertisement for chaff!)
regards
Incidentally, I wasn't thinking primarily of MLRS, rather more of ATACMS but with a payload of BATS.