Paging Steve Davies

[sqwatch]

I feel like half of us are being routed through a server at shaw, while the rest of us can speak their mind via a proxy server at kunsan

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ram]

Yep. That checks.

Also, since I'm close to Kunsan, the nerds decided to route me around the world to Shaw to "optimize my connection."

[DFRESH]

It looks like I need to ops check the language blocker. Why do we have one of those anyways?

[Lawman]

It looks like I need to ops check the language blocker. Why do we have one of those anyways?

Safe space/trigger requirements.

Kinda like you can't say cockpit anymore... What the is that about.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bergman]

Shit fuck satan death sex drugs rape

 

(name that tune)

 

[Hacker]

Sod them all....

[Clark Griswold]

On 7/21/2016 at 7:29 AM, Steve Davies said:

...

Was going to PM Steve Davies this but remembered this thread so a question for Steve Davies and anyone else who knows about this question...

Because I'm an aviation nerd... was wondering if you knew if the RAF / RN were ever interested in acquiring the Rafale for a single fast jet type for both services?

Water under the bridge as the UK is an F-35 buyer but I saw this model, Rafale in RN livery and it peaked my curiosity,...

Google didn't turn up anything but was wondering if there might have been an backstory.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Clark Griswold
quoted Steve Davies

[Steve Davies]

No, it was never considered by us.

Until the mid-80s, the French and Brits were working together on the Future European Fighter Aircraft programme (alnong with Spain, Italy and West Germany). When the French realised they wouldn't get the aircraft they wanted from a collaboration with multiple air arms from multiple other nations (who'd be stupid enough to do that!?), they smartly went off and did their own thing. They ended up with Rafale, while the original FEFA nations ended up with Eurofighter Typhoon.

[Clark Griswold]

7 hours ago, Steve Davies said:

No, it was never considered by us.

Until the mid-80s, the French and Brits were working together on the Future European Fighter Aircraft programme (alnong with Spain, Italy and West Germany). When the French realised they wouldn't get the aircraft they wanted from a collaboration with multiple air arms from multiple other nations (who'd be stupid enough to do that!?), they smartly went off and did their own thing. They ended up with Rafale, while the original FEFA nations ended up with Eurofighter Typhoon.

Copy that. 

After I posted that I googled to see if the RN had considered the Superhornet or Advanced Superhornet, I knew that Nigel "Sharky" Ward was advocating for the Superhornet as a substitution or a mixed fleet with the F-35.

Some arguments for it but they are now OBE (probably) but from his personal website (https://www.sharkeysworld.com):

Figure 1.

Assumption:  Using Unit Procurement Cost of F-35 for fiscal 2014 Defense budget
An R.N. establishment of 48 aircraft.
Costs in US$ millions
Aircraft	number of aircraft	unit Fly Away cost	subtotal	in life cost **	Total
F-35	48	$290	$13,906	$27,811	$41,717
F-18A Super Hornet	40	$60	$2,400	$3,600.0	$7,800.0
E/A-18 Growler	8	$90	$720	$1,080.0
Saving by going the F-18 Super Hornet route (US$ millions)					$33,916.80

34 billion is real money, even in fighter procurement, and the immediacy of procurement to ensure the Fleet Air Arm doesn't get the ax by not having iron for a few years, another plus.

A mixed fleet of F/A-18 Adv. Hornets with F-35C would be a good combo, IMO, seems less risky.

Just another model but a looker in RN colors:

Edited April 16, 2017 by Clark Griswold