Future Carrier (Including Costs)

[orca]

SSSETOWTF

Thank you for your reply. All more than fair, and obviously very well informed, although i don't necessarily agree with you. (As is my wont, and i fully accept that you don't have to agree with me etc etc)

I would put forward the fact that there will be scenarios, stealthy or not when you will require loiter time for special mission aircraft or UAVs, or even your own wingmen, to do their job. I think that the LO geeks will work wonders, but you might still need to run away or defeat a weapon kinematically, so fuel is good. (There's every chance that threat nations also have geeks, they might be up to no good.) I completely accept that B or C will be awesome. I think that the USMC are getting a fantastic aeroplane, but they have the luxury in certain circumstances, of having a USN along with them. My personal opinion is that the UK needs to be a little less stove-piped. Particularly as this aeroplane might well end up replacing GR4, so a common OS asset across the board is worth considering.

I think deploying to a FOB using C-17 sounds great, but 'stepping ashore' from CVF doesn't. (C-17 loads and ASW Merlin loads being somewhat different.) You probably know better than i how much kit the UK is fragged for and whether or not the C-17 would fly with stuff left at Lossie/ pinched from another unit.

I accept fully that all the VAAC work etc has made the job of hovering easy. (Let's be honest hovering a harrier 2 is achieved daily by a number of people, so i assume it doesn't rank as the hardest task in the world) But i remain to be convinced that you'll get more than one DL per hop. This might not represent a training burden, it might present a logistical burden.

I think your most telling point is that the boat has indeed sailed, I cannot see UK buying anything other than STOVL, (in fact i'd bet my house on the fact!)but i don't subscribe to the view that this should stop us debating the issue. (If you, like i, have nothing better to do of an evening!)

Fly safely.