Potential RAF Typhoon Tranche 4 Order - 25 Aircraft

[Vulture 01]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

[TonyO]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

(Now sitting back waiting for the first clever dik to come back with 'Typhoon can/can't carry that many missiles).

At least it has a gun now...if anyone remembers that debacle.

[Vulcanone]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

(Now sitting back waiting for the first clever dik to come back with 'Typhoon can/can't carry that many missiles).

Your rather overlooking something....

[cat1]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

(Now sitting back waiting for the first clever dik to come back with 'Typhoon can/can't carry that many missiles).

At least it has a gun now...if anyone remembers that debacle.

Sorry I genuinely don't remember that gun debacle, could you enlighten me?

[TonyO]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

(Now sitting back waiting for the first clever dik to come back with 'Typhoon can/can't carry that many missiles).

At least it has a gun now...if anyone remembers that debacle.

Sorry I genuinely don't remember that gun debacle, could you enlighten me?

Early in the UK's purchase of Typhoon, they decided to try and save money by not fitting the aircraft with the gun and replace it with concrete ballast, but it emerged this would cost more money because the aircraft's software would have to be re-written so they kept the gun in, but didn't use it. Then they reverted back to deciding that they actually needed the gun for the various missions and since then its been an integral part of the armarment as it always should have been.

[the concerned]

Wouldn't a order for F_35a be a cheaper and potentially quicker option. Plus the F-35 would be in service longer.

[Vulcanone]

And then we would have to modify the Voyagers or give F-35As a AAR probe

[Agent K]

Wouldn't a order for F_35a be a cheaper and potentially quicker option. Plus the F-35 would be in service longer.

No, because an F35 doesn’t meet the requirement that a Typhoon was designed for, including weapons capability, range etc.

[C24]

F4, there's another bit to add to your comment. Typhoon carries (say) ten missiles. If the enemy send over 11 jets, you're in for a bad day.

(Now sitting back waiting for the first clever dik to come back with 'Typhoon can/can't carry that many missiles).

At least it has a gun now...if anyone remembers that debacle.

Sorry I genuinely don't remember that gun debacle, could you enlighten me?

Unquote

How far back would you like to go?

The original military aircraft were equipped with revolvers etc; then, “Why did the F-4 not have a gun?”

The F-4 was designed without a gun since the prevailing thought at the time thought missiles rendered the gun obsolete. The Navy never equipped their Phantoms with guns, only the air fore did. The Air Force F-4C and D could and did carry gun pods and by extension, I believe the Navy's F-4B could but never did.

As I understand, the sixth generation FJs are to act as one man communication centres flying at high speed carrying up to “11” missiles.
There are currently UAVs, controlled from ground located containers, which can carry up to 4 missiles.
Simplictly therefore it is the missile that does the job not the FJ.

It has been reported recently that North Korea moved 10,000 of its special forces troops to assist the Russian forces in the Ukraine area.
Numbers that win wars not FJs full of new electronics.


C24 has finger trouble

[Finty]

Numbers are important but if the Russian air force had achieved air superiority/ air dominance with fast jets then would they have needed North Koreans in the first place?

[Vulcanone]

C24.

Rather a lot of the North Koreans sent to fight on Russia's side have joined the many Russians they went to replace....

[warthog81]

Such a shame that we likely won't get F-35A or any further Typhoons. Just about every major western/NATO country seems to be getting F-35A.

Italy has F-35A, F-35B, Eurofighter Typhoon and is a partner in Tempest with us. Several other nations will totally rely on F-35A as the only combat aircraft they have.

Part of me would love to see the RAF with more Typhoons but part of me would love to see the RAF with something like 100x F-35As.

[TonyO]

Such a shame that we likely won't get F-35A or any further Typhoons. Just about every major western/NATO country seems to be getting F-35A.

Italy has F-35A, F-35B, Eurofighter Typhoon and is a partner in Tempest with us. Several other nations will totally rely on F-35A as the only combat aircraft they have.

Part of me would love to see the RAF with more Typhoons but part of me would love to see the RAF with something like 100x F-35As.

Do we really want to be locked into a US program with a president as unhinged as Trump in the White House. I am sure that question is already being asked in Denmark for example, which will soon be entirely reliant on F-35. Also the time it’s taking to get our own weapons onto F-35 is obscene, and that’s not going to change if we buy more. Personally relieved we have a mixed fighter fleet right now.

[warthog81]

From memory Norway and the Netherlands are now F-35 only? Denmark I guess the same. Belgium will arrive at that point also along with Canada eventually. Australia is I think F-35 and Super hornet/Growler.
I certainly understand the point you make about being locked into such a project though we certainly would not be the only ones.

If not an increase in F-35s then more Typhoons would be nice, just to bump up the fleet numbers even though in my dreams another 100 to equip two more wings would be great.

The point c38904 makes is a good one about air and ground crew.

We do seem to be in a real muddle. I remember the way Coltishall and the Jaguar force were just dumped in 2006, pre economic crash and pre Brexit, the Sea Harrier went the same way around that time and then the Harrier GR9 force being dumped in 2010.

[DUI]

It does occur to me that Trump's rants are unlikely to do the F35 sales team any favours. With many European countries feeling unhappy about being over dependent on US weapons.

[Snoop 95]

I watched a video on the construction of the SAAB Gripen yesterday. Neat little aircraft as the ETPS presumably feel.

[Headance99]

This administration couldn't run a bath.
Practically every other country that ordered F35s after the UK has now over taken us in terms of deliveries.

[Alf]

This administration couldn't run a bath.
Practically every other country that ordered F35s after the UK has now over taken us in terms of deliveries.

I think it was the previous government that set the delivery schedules.

[Unknown74]

Sorry to mention it but when are we likely to hear what the review has in store? Maybe that is the reason.....?

[Vulcanone]

Defence Review was supposedly sometime between March and June....