Hi Willard,
Thank you very much for the update and I have a few questions none of which are specifically aimed at you but one question does involve your comments about a conventional carrier.
If India were to build or purchase a conventional carrier then where would she get a trained deck crew to operate the ship whilst at flying stations? I ask this question as this area of expertise takes possibly years to master in a competent and professional manner. There are lots of noises being made at the moment regarding certain countries buying oil from Iran with gold instead of the recognised dollar... Would America appreciate this and still offer to help train the Indians or the other fast jet operator France who is part of the EU boycott. where would Indian get this expertise?
Going back to the F-35 or a substitute F-18, I am still about the RAF ownership should the F-18 be deemed necessary. Would the RAF prefer the F-18 to the Tornado or are all GR4's eventually being replaced by the Typhoon? If so same question but substitute Typhoon. If the RAF are not 100% committed then would the 18 be a dead man walking and we have the SHAR saga all over again?
Please note these are questions and I am NOT suggesting or implying anything regarding the purchasing of the F-18 or its future roles..
having said that would the F-18 Growler be more than welcome on any flight deck and is there a substitute for what that aircraft brings to the table?
