The USMC is rock solid behind the F-35B...even more now that we have an aviation Commandant. The US Navy is luke warm to the F-35C. What will the UK do if the US Navy drops the F-35C, the USMC continues with the F-35B and other allies suspected of going with the F-35B continue.
The way I see it, thats a valid option...so what will the UK's options then be???
1. Become the only buyer of the F-35C...
2. Revamp the Typhoon into a carrier model...
3. Buy Rafales...(in light of their recent decisions this is the more probable outcome)....
4. Buy Gripens....
Interesting. Think Defence and SNAFU! are working on a collaboration. Keep an eye on his blog for news on the latest from across the Atlantic.
Or Super Hornets...
ReplyDeletethere is no way that the uk will buy Hornets. The most probably outcome is just F-35. Plam B Typhoons. The rafale is just too expensive.
ReplyDeleteGuillermo
Rafale is too expensive but re-designing a land based CTOL aircraft + acquisition is not?
ReplyDeleteSorry mate, but a RN operated Super Hornet fleet is more likely than either a carrier variant Typhoon OR a Rafale, if fiscal constraint meant the UK could not afford F-35 or if the program were somehow cancelled. For starters the USN would have to place a huge Super Hornet production order to fill it's planned F-35C equipped squadrons, meaning near on 1000 orders for the Shornet, which would lower the overall price of that aircraft, even lower than it already is.
There is no way either a Typhoon or Rafale could compete with the Shornet o
cost, nor availability under such a scenario and it's weapon fit at least has some common ground with current UK inventory. Everything to provide a Rafale capability would be new to the RN and with no disrespect to any French readers of this blog, the Rafale STILL needs a lot of development work and investment to bring it up to the standard of capability the Shornet provides today, let alone in 5-10 years when the UK will need to start actualky acquiring these fighters...
The Typhoon would be too expensive to redesign, and build new, carrier capable models. They are already trying to back out of those they have committed too.
ReplyDeleteThe same is true for the Gripen, but even more so as it is not in the fleet like the Typhoon.
The Rafale option is actually quite likely given the recent close ties and commitments. Although I doubt a straight buy.
I would expect a creative lease agreement or some type of rotating responsibility between the French and the Brits.