Of course history suggests that any aircraft that tries to do everything often doesn't at much but if it comes to fruition it could be interesting. PGM's, podded recon and EW solutions and modern avionics completely changed that paradigm. A single platform can be a superb fighter, bomber, recon and...

It's all moving in the right direction...

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air- ... ce-budget/

I wonder if the future cruise (Low observable, subsonic) is going to be a product improved storm shadow. I cant see how else they will get it in service by 2028. In short no. It may lean on the Storm Shadow MLU work and components in terms of the new datalink, GPS denied navigation and other minor ...

bobp wrote: ↑16 Oct 2023, 10:14 USMC continue to test the F35B weapon loads SRVL yet to come.

https://x.com/HMSPWLS/status/1713642313946194187?s=20

Interesting that there was a JDAM being wheeled over as well...

A lot of clarification from Jon Hawkes on CR2/3 power upgrades.

Looks like it will be 1200hp for the foreseeable...

Spitfire9 wrote: ↑15 Oct 2023, 00:40 Is the Typhoon deal with Qatar in jeopardy after the killing of a large number of people in the south of Israel? Hamas is a proscribed organisation in the UK and elsewhere. Qatar is said to finance Hamas.

They're almost all delivered.

Yes I'm wondering what France is thinking Frankly, and with respect, as a Brit who has spent the last 17 years in Belgium, France and Germany I have to intervene here and just point out how much those in the UK still misunderstand their neighbours even after everything that has happened and make th...

sol wrote: ↑11 Oct 2023, 10:04 CR3 new driver digital periscope

https://www.forces.net/technology/windo ... -periscope

That appears to be a cracking piece of kit.

https://twitter.com/COMUKCSG/status/1712008981776941428 This will be at the Swedish air weapons range at Vidsel in Northern Sweden. UK has been making increasing use of it in recent years as its one of the few ranges in Europe where live aircraft bombs can be dropped. The UK only has the small Garv...

https://twitter.com/Gabriel64869839/status/1704256850089165026 Nothing that new but nice to know. The wait for Block 4 is painful considering what we have in the works for it. Lucky we got some of our stuff in the block 3F software. Actually the whole thread is fairly new, and a lot bears repeating...

Was just reading this from Tusa. Something that caught my eye: [...] a sidebar chat with an MoD official: the next batch of 24 F-35s for the UK is on hold – the funding is needed elsewhere, and Tempest will get some of it. I suspect this might be the same official who said it was a good idea that w...

On an entirely unrelated topic. Curious when F-35B production is expected to end/be mothballed? Production of the B variant will likely continue on to at least 2035. The USMC still have a lot to be delivered, the UK has additional orders that will be in soon. Add in Japanese, Spanish and potentiall...

definitely. fits into a container / POD so quite small. Excellent. Couple of those on a frigate to supplement the Wildcat/Merlin They appear to be quiet good equipment. They don't exist yet Just a concept. But they pack in an ISO container, can carry sonobuoys or a dipping sonar, Razer, Sea Venom, ...

Exactly - if the order is not placed this year what is the point? Roll it into Tempest. I really do wonder what the French are thinking when they watch this melodrama Also - I suspect if we were France the entire Boxer program would have been cancelled by now You know we were part of the original c...

It's approaching that time of year when another delivery happens... Should be another flying shortly (BK-35/ZM169). Probably delivered together in late October/early November based on previous delivery cycles. The only question is if BK-31 which has been at Edwards AFB also comes over at the same ti...

Given how many have been fired off in Ukraine it shows how many didn't have the mid life upgrades I take MBDA is busy with other weapons right now? The SPEAR 4 MLU is still underway. Only around half of the stockpile were planned to get the MLU. MBDA are busy finishing that off. Plus other users St...

National News UK article suggests that RAF maybe planning to buy the Israeli Rampage missile to replace Storm Shadows sent to Ukraine https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/06/30/uk-targets-israeli-rampage-missiles-to-replace-storm-shadows-sent-to-ukraine/ So that's two interim solution...

Fair enough. No problem there - flightglobal got it wrong. By the way, apart from UK blocking exports to Argentina for military gear, do Italy or Japan have any export limitations? I don't know of any. None that stand out. Anyone Italy and Japan wouldn't export to the UK would agree with them on, a...

I am not sure that Japan's constitution prevents it exporting defence equipment - IIRC it has offered the C2 airlifter for export. If the constitution bans export of kit with lethal capabilities (eg a fighter aircraft) then GCAP faces a big problem. The Japanese have already given assurances around...

Do feel free to correct me if I’m wrong shark bait, but I thought that the integration of UK weapons was dependent upon the delivery of F-35 block IV and that the UK was deliberately keeping F-35 deliveries to a minimum until block IV was available due to the huge cost of upgrading earlier versions...

Of course, a second model, different from the Eurofighter and that is fifth generation, takes us back to where it seems we do not want to go, to the unmentionable. Let us, however, do an exercise in imagination and see what would result. For the Navy it would be its 12 aircraft and there would be a...

Wouldn't the position of the intake be problematic, it looks like a giant hoover Typhoon's intake is in front of the front wheel, this helps enormously as the front wheel kicks up dust and debris. Also....the Typhoon's intake are further from the ground than Gripen's intakes....they're also higher ...

This is interesting, a lot of people think Ajax is too big for Recon. People have mentioned Jaguar as an other way of doing things....turns out that Jaguar is a bit of a monster as well...

https://twitter.com/TotherChris?ref_src ... r%5Eauthor

I understand that Spain will need F-35B for its carrier. I wonder if the forthcoming Typhoon order means that Spain will not be ordering any F-35A as Hornets are retired at the end of the decade but rather replace them with Typhoon. I presume that outcome would make FCAS partner Germany happier. Th...