SC, Re:
"the Western carrier navies are the US, UK, France, Spain and Italy. These last both possess a single small carrier comparable to ours, but they operate the US-built AV-8 Harrier, a version with FA2-equivalent air-to-air armament"
Following on from WEBF - As far as AIM-120 goes: according to a recently published journal (one of the successors to World Air Power Journal), the Italians get AMRAAM this year; there are pics aboutof Spanish AV-8B+'s with AIM-120 on wing pylons, but these may be trial fits only: I know from speaking with a Spanish naval officer a couple of years back that they certainly want the weapon.
Also - look at the French approach. The French using an American-built aircraft with origins in the UK? Mais non, mon ami! Vivé la/le [?] Rafale! They have the Super Etendard Modernise (now almost as good as the Jag M was thirty years ago...) and Rafales. Note that the Rafale can carry in the region of eight BVR weapons. Again, a sign that the notion that AD for the fleet isn't some bizarre outdated concept that doesn't need consideration.
[Edited to make sense]
Last edited by Archimedes; 18th Apr 2002 at 20:06.