Posted on 08/30/2010 1:27:08 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Jump jets to fall victim to spending cuts
New jump jets for the next generation of Royal Navy aircraft carriers will be cancelled to save money.
By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Published: 9:00AM BST 30 Aug 2010
In a move that could put hundreds of British manufacturing jobs at risk, defence chiefs are ready to abandon plans to buy a vertical-landing fighter jet for the Royal Navy.
Instead, a cheaper conventional-landing warplane will replace the Navy’s Harriers when they retire.
Related Articles BAE wins £574m Harrier contract Afghanistan: Who is going to stand up and fight for Britain's short-changed soldiers Who is going to stand up and fight for our short-changed soldiers? Abolish the Royal Air Force to make the Services more efficient Future of big military projects under threat 'Monarch Air?: plans for Royal plane for Queen revivedThe decision is the first to emerge from the Strategic Defence Review to have direct consequences for British industry. Rolls Royce will be hard hit by the move, which could also strain British relations with the US.
The Navy is buying two new aircraft carriers at a cost of more than £5 billion. Army and RAF chiefs have questioned that plan and suggested that one carrier should be scrapped or shared with the French navy.
Attempting to defend the carriers, Royal Navy chiefs are seeking cuts elsewhere in their planned spending.
Aircraft carriers now in service carry Harrier jets, which are can take off from a short runway and land vertically by directing the blast of their engines downwards.
The next generation of carriers are expected to carry US-made Joint Strike Fighters.
Originally, the Navy was planning to buy a specially-adapted short take-off vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the JSF, which would
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Sad times for the Royal Navy.
Sad situation: two state-of-the-art carriers with no capable air wing. I feel for the once-Great Britain.
TC
Not exactly. If the RN had ordered the STOVL JSF, it would have to either to sell off one of the two carriers or reduce airwing size significantly. At least this option would enable them to keep both airwing and fleet size intact. And lets face it-the F-35C, Super Hornet and Rafale match or exceed the F-35B in most aspects.
Hmm, good point.
The F/A-18E SuperHornet is cheaper than the F-35C. If you’re going cheap, the SuperHornet is the way to go.
This is what happens when your country’s politicians decide that its in their selfish political interests to cease being a world power and become a welfare center for the World’s muslim cast offs. We are headed in that direction, except that when we become incapable of defending ourselves, there will be no one left to help us out.
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Lets not get carried away. The carriers havent been built yet - and F-35 is behind schedule anyway.
“Sad times for the Royal Navy.”
Not if they’re getting Super Hornets. They’re getting a better plane AND paying a lot less then.
But if they’re having THIS many financial problems, maybe they should scrap the carriers altogether.
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