PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - RAF offered F117 by Reagan?
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Old 3rd Jan 2017, 13:50
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PDR1
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Mordor
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(a) There's no way the UK could have afforded it (both to buy and to operate - the MMMH/FH for the 117 is hideous due to all the signature management processes never mind all the mission planning faffing).

(b) The UK didn't have a mission for it. In GW1 its tiny population flattered its stats. In the skies over bagdad the principle threat was unaimed, unguided AAA and stealth is no use at all against that threat. There were only (IIRC) 12 F117s in GW1, and so the loss of a single airframe would have been an 8.3% loss rate. I don't believe *any* coalition aircraft suffered an 8.3% loss rate with the possible exception of the Tonkas doing the runway denial role, which is an inherently dangerous role.

My interpretation of Ronnie's note (FWIW) would be that he had just been briefed on these new toys and got a bit excited, so he wanted to talk to his best buddy about them to play a game of top-trumps.

€0.03 supplied, YMMV,

PDR
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