Re(4): ADEN 25 failure
IP: 81.135.0.209
Posted on July 19, 2004 at 10:48:01 AM by andy lawson
The Americans did offer a CBG during the '82 scrap, but it was felt too politically dodgy so we just used their supply of AIM9-L's - 'The Secret War for The Falklands' is worth a read.
The UK couldn't handle the Botswana navy at the moment - no SAM's, no fighters and a Navy determined to ignore the lessons of history.
After 9/11, when there was a safety cordon around London, I was photographing houses from a Cessna 172 - one of our 172's was vectored onto a rogue aircraft by Heathrow ATC ! The photographer identified it using a tele lens, but that was about as close as they got.
Still probably a better interceptor than a Tornado...
While I think the navy's Type 23 Duke class is a fine ship, one cannot help noticing the Seawolf range of 2-3 miles compared to air-launched missiles at over 50 miles !
We did trial fits for all sorts of sensor goodies on the Sea Harrier FRS2 ( as then ) similar to the F14 and Mig 29 fit, if you see what I mean, along with other stuff like new canopies and even Lithium wings - presumably these were rated below Admirals' barges as they never happened.
The JSF is interesting - I do hope the pilot has armour behind his seat, or if that lift fan sheds a blade...
As you rightly say, the Pegasus is outdated - people used to ask if the Harrier 2 was stealthy, being largely carbon fibre.
Snag is, modern air to air radar and ECM systems can actually discriminate fan blades and rev's,i.e looking down a Harriers's huge intakes, giving opposing pilots an instant 'ident' on most aircraft from the 'threat library' on the HUD computer.
That being said, if BAe had any brains it would be developing the Harrier 3 or even the forward swept wing P-1216, rather than giving it all up to the U.S; internal politics are a curse, and you wouldn't believe some of the 'designs' Warton have come up with.
Bits of alloy or even Carbon don't cost as much as supposed, and in my experience the only good accountant is one roasting slowly on a spit...
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