Grodge,
Back to concepts. Present CV carriers needed VV quick speeds etc to get up to speed to launch under-powered jets. Now I accept, if you want to make the case for it, that these type of engines are required for these type of jets. But one of the questions I have been asking is why we require VSTOL? If you accept the case we do, we do not need military style engines. You can launch or recover at any speed you like. They have also finally completed the feasibility studies, and have announced the proposed start up of, the high speed trans-atlantic freight service using water jets powered 250,000 tons transports from Europe to the USA at 30 Knots+ normal, not surge, speed. So the engines are there.
The case still stands for separate logs systems. Different needs for different services.
As a personal opinion I would go the opposite direction. Instead of going for a single system we should just have a team/commitee setting information exchange standards and allow every budget holder to buy what he wants. Just, to make a point, like we are talking on the internet. There are PC/UNIX/Mac etc happily exchanging data. There is even a database standard to allow database exchange. Add the crypto... Different organisations/commands are interested in different things. Standardisation puts everything into a strait-jacket.
Look ahead at GCCS/TBMCS/WCCS etc and real-time information exchange and decision making and you realise this about a lot more than a simple supply system. If you want us to have our own GCCS equivalent, I agree, but it is far outside the scope of what we are discussing, has far more profound implications and will be far, far more expensive. The cost would rival that of introducing an aircraft type.
As to JSF STOVL, yes it will fly. The questions is will anyone buy? I have grave suspicions it will get cut in congress once large amounts of money are involved.
All the more reason for being at least CV capable.
[This message has been edited by ORAC (edited 01 October 2000).]