Aircraft Carriers III
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Your conclusion about the CATOBAR vs STOVL carrier is probably right in the sense that politically, it was the right thing to do, and the RN has a history with the Harrier that they ultimately "went with", and if indeed it will result in more 5 gen aircraft on the boats, you're absolutely right..
Now, two boat loads of F-35Cs will be a much more potent force, with MUCH GREATER reach than two boat loads of F-35Bs. The Charlie will always be a much cheaper and less risky aircraft to operate than the Bravo, just the nature of the beast!
Now we see the USN having its own little "panic attack" when they are faced with the F-35C, they are once again dragging their feet and shuffling in an attempt to "do what they know"... So with the tremendous cost overruns and schedule roll-backs of the Ford class, they simply do NOT have the resources or depth of expertise to move ahead on the F-35C, and that friends is entirely entirely unacceptable!
Those F-18s are NOT a viable future fighting force, and the USN is setting itself back another 20 years with this childish and in my own opinion cowardly approach,,, here again, we are facing the political realities that the Navy has "turned away" from 5 gen with poor and uninformed leadership at the top. The "boat boys" are running the carriers, not the "fly boys" and that is NOT how you project power and protect the peace, it will NOT work!
Even the President is way behind the 8 ball on this,,, the threat continues to multiply, and in the end the Navy will be flying an "overloaded F-18, that is incapable of going "downtown" where the action is? it hurts our own abilities, but more important it gives the perception of weakness, which our enemies have and will continue to emboldened by, starting with the NorKs
That's GREAT...for some reason I thought I had read they had a 40 year life. 50 is always better.
As to one versus two...it should never have been an issue.
The RN needed leadership with the will to defend the nation properly. such leadership could have and would have found the money to do so if they really wanted to.
At the time, the leadership (at least from this distant over here) appeared to not want to have to deal with the real decisions necessary to get what the RN really needed.
Clearly, the best decision for the RN would have been two CATOBAR carriers with F-35Cs, F/a-18E?Fs and E-2Ds, just like a US air wing.
The F/A-18EFs are going to last with the US Navy into the 2040s in all likelihood nd will in the end be completely replaced when a 6th gen naval fighter starts to come on board.
until then they will continue to upgrade them IMHO, and given what is most likely to be at sea on potential adversary carriers, the Advanced F/A-18 super Hornet upgrade will be able to go against them with the advanced weaponry and sensors that will be made available for those aircraft.
Will they be as good as all 5th gen? Probably not...but the Advanced Super Hornet will be good enough to come in and lower the boom any where the US does the SEAD missions before hand with JSFs and other stealthy tools that will be available.
Now, although I truly wish the RN had gotten two CATOBAR carriers...I am tickled pink that they have the two carriers they have, and that they will be flying the Bravo JSFs.
Even as they are, they will be among the most powerful and capable vessels available and will always be welcome in any US Navy Task Force or operation.
Always.
Agree 110%! my only beef with the USN is that they are back-peddling their F-35C purchase and roll-out. As you stated above, the RN needs to do whats necessary, and so does the USN. To rebate or truncate F-35C roll-out and buy, will only put the USN another 20 years behind where they need to be.
To do that based on the "pie-in-the-ski" sixth gen is utter foolishness and will result in the Nimitz and Ford class being far less capable than we need them to be in this new and very dangerous world! IMHO the USN allowed the USAF to "carry the ball" when they did not design and build their own ATF!
Yes, they have "muddled through", retiring the F-14, and replacing it with the SHornet, a good airplane, but nowhere near the F-22 league the USN should be operating today. That basic lack of commitment then, has led to this even more backward thinking? that they will push back on the F-35C and wait for a six gen???
The Ford Class operating mostly Growler's and Super Hornets will be a tremendous wasted opportunity, without a full up commitment to the F-35C. More importantly, it will be vulnerable to OPFOR who are moving ahead on their 5 Gen aircraft!
Oh, there will be F-35C on the carriers.
They will strt off with one squadron of F-35Cs...probably 12 aircraft, but they will roll that capability out to all carriers, while retaining two squadrons of F/A-18Fs and one of F/A-18Es.
Then, as the numbers grow, you will see each USN carrier get two squadrons of F-35Cs and one each of F/A-18Es and one F/A-18F. By that time the F's will probably be turning into or be the Advanced Super Hornet rendition.
The US Navy is going to have 25 F-35Cs on the carriers at that point...but as I said, that takes time. But make no mistake, as the F-35Cs roll out, there will be more and more push to get to the two squadron capability because of what the F-35C represents.
At that point, they will get to a postion where they are whittling the F/A-18s down to a single squadron and those will ultimately be replaced by the 6th gen aircraft. but by then, the majority of aircraft on the carriers will be F-35Cs.
At least that is how I see it rolling outt over the next 15-20 years.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Is this what we have been waiting for ?
Outstanding !
QE and CVN-73
Outstanding !
QE and CVN-73
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