Archive for category RAF

Could RAFALE benefit from F-35 glitches?

Jan 30

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in AIM-120, British, CVs, F-35, F-5, F/A-18 / CF-18 / CF-188, Flight Helmet, France, Gripen, Harrier AV-8B, IAF, India, Land., LISTEN, Money, Planes, PLS 3 / SLP 3, R&D, RAF, Rafale, READ, Sea Harrier, Sweden, Swiss AF, Switzerland, Tail, TECHNICAL English, Typhoon, UK, USA, USAF | No Comments

F-35 Lightning II

The British Harriers were to be replaced by the F-35C. Do you remember? You may have learnt from the recent news that the carrier variant of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Joint Strike Fighter – CV JSF (Carrier Vessel variant’s Joint Strike Fighter) – F-35C was unable to catch the wire onboard the aircraft carrier during the latest landing tests.

Strange as it may seem, the F-35C’s designers may have not forecast what would unfold during a test flight while landing on an aircraft carrier:

The arresting hook (tailhook) never engaged the arresting wire as the clearance between the tail hook and the main landing gear’s tyre tread is too short for such a speed. An F-35C Lightning II missing her carrier landing has been reported even though some U.S. officials would have dismissed such information which might result from simulated tests.

Added to that is a software bug which had grounded the CV JSF for 6 days a few month earlier for the fifth-generation fighter aircraft might have encountered wing-folding input while flying!

As a result, the British Ministry of Defence might find a Plan-B solution as these design flaws, and some others which date back to November 2011 are deemed unacceptable for such an expensive fighter aircraft – $139.5 million for the F-35C (CATOBAR – Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery), and $150 million for the F-35B (STOVL – Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing). The latter can land on carriers but she is more expensive, and the JSF program costs have already increased several times.

Moreover, the JSF would not be able to fire AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as reported in this video:

RAFALE La Ferté Alais 2010 © Xavier Cotton http://passiondesavions.blogspot.com/

And there’s even more: according to a Pentagon study team report, 13 areas of concern that remained to be addressed in the F-35 would have been identified. For instance, the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) would not work properly…

The British MoD is therefore considering the purchase of either F/A-18E Super Hornets or RAFALEs for the RAF. The French Dassault which has already lost the Swiss NAC tender due to replace the Swiss Air Force’s F-5s, would be proposing a new offer with 18 RAFALEs at a cost deemed lower than the 22 SAAB Gripens’ one according to the Swiss press.

The RAFALE is still in competition with the Eurofighter in the Indian MMRCA tender. the Indian officials are expected to make a decision this week. To be continued… ==> We have just learnt (on January 31, 2012) that the RAFALE has won the MMRCA tender…

Photo 1: © Recce 233 Savoie; Photo 2: © Xavier Cotton – http://passiondesavions.blogspot.com/

Tags: 5th generation fighters, AIM-120, AIRCRAFT, AMRAAM, Arresting hook, Arrestor hook, ASIA, Bid, British accent, Concerns, CV JSF, CVs-Aircraft carriers, Dassault, Dassault Aviation, Design, EADS, Eurofighter, F-35, F-35B, F-35C, Flaws, Flight helmet, Flight SAFETY, Folding wings, FRANCE, French, Glitch, Gripen, Gripen NG, HMDS, IAF, INDIA, Indian AF, JSF, Landing, Landing gear, LISTEN, MMRCA, MoD, Money, MRCA, NAC, NAVY, NEWS, Offer, Overshoot, Performance, PHOTOS, PLS 3333, Procurement, Purchase, R&D, RAF, RAFALE, READ, Royal Navy, Saab, Simulating, Software, Sweden, Swiss AF, Switzerland, Tail hook, Tailhook, TECHNICAL English, Tender, Test flight, Typhoon, U.S., UK, US, US & DoD, USA, USAF, Video

RAF fighter aircraft – TORNADO GR4s at RIAT 2011

Jul 18

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in British, England, Libya, Libyan no-fly zone, LISTEN, Pilots, PLS 4 / SLP 4, RAF, Tornado | No Comments

Tags: Air Tattoo, AIRCRAFT, Armament, Arms, Assets, Bombs, British accent, Capability, CO, Commanding officer, England, Fairford, Flexibility, Gloucestershire, GPS, GR4, Laser-guided, Libya, LISTEN, Missiles, NEWS, Panavia, Paveway IV, Pilots, PLS 4444, Pod, RAF, Reconnaissance, RIAT, Tornado, UK, Video, Weapon, Wing Commander

Strategic Defence and Security Review cuts for UK’s Defence

Apr 7

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in ARMY, B2, British, LISTEN, Money, NAVY, PLS 3 / SLP 3, RAF, Troops, UK, UK & MoD | No Comments

As the RAF has already been impacted by huge cuts, now comes the Army, and Navy’s turn. The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) is available here http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg…

Tags: ARMY, Brigade, Brigadier, British, British accent, Budget, Commissioned, DefenceDefense, Defense Ministry, English, Field Marshal, Ghurka, Gorkha, HR, Human Resources, Impact, Jobs, LISTEN, Loss, Manpower, Military, Ministry, MoD, Money, Montgomery, NAVY, NEWS, OF-10, Officers, Personnel, PLS 3333, Posts, RAF, RANKS, Redundancy, Review, Royal Army, Royal Navy, SDSR, Security, Services, Soldiers, Strategic, Strength, Support, UK, Unemployment, Video, Yorkshire

Nations backing the no-fly zone & suppressing Gaddafi’s air defenses

Mar 20

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in Aeronautica Militare, American, Armée de l'Air, C1, Canada, CH-46 / CH 113, CV-22, E-3, EdA, F-16, France, Harrier, Harrier AV-8B, HH-60, HOT SPOTS, Italy, J3 Operations, Jordan, Libya, Libyan AF, Libyan no-fly zone, LISTEN, M-346, Mirage 2000, Misc., MQ-1, NATO, Pilots, PLS 4 / SLP 4, Qatar, Qatari AF, R91 Charles de Gaulle, RAF, Rafale, RCAF, S-125/SA-3, S-200/SA-5, S-75/SA-2/V-750, Satellites, Saudi Arabia, SCALP, Spain, Tomahawk, Tornado, UAE, UAEAF, UK, USA, USAF, V-22 | No Comments

According to the BBC, RAF Tornado warplanes would have launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles (equivalent to French MBDA SCALP) on Libya to destroy Gaddafi’s military assets. The Storm Shadows punch holes in runways, radar facilities, and bunkers thanks to their BROACH warheads. (BROACH means Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge)

The French aircraft – Mirage 2000, and Rafale – seem to have carried out missions over Libya before SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) and flew under the threat of Gadhafi’s GBADs (Ground Based Air Defenses). The UAE and the Qatari air forces could be committed to Operation Odyssey Dawn. Here is the situation according to CNN:

Tags: .50 BMG, Aeronautica Militare, AI, AIR FORCES, Air Interdiction, Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground, AIRCRAFT, American, Amphibious assault, Angara, Arleigh Burke, Armament, Armée de l'air, Arms, ASW, Attacks, Austin, AWACS, Az Zawiyah, Ballistic, Benghazi, BGM-109, Bin Jawad, Blue Ridge, Bombing, British, Bushmaster, Canada, cannon, CAOC, CH-46, Charles de Gaulle, Class, Coalition, Command ship, Crater, Cruise missile, DDG-52, DDG-55, Destroyer, Dubna, Dvina, E-3, Ejército del Aire, F-16, FIGHTER aircraft, FIGHTERS, FRANCE, French, Gaddafi, Gadhafi, Gammon, Goa, GR4, Great Britain, Ground-Attack, Guideline, Harrier AV-8B, Harrier II, HH-60H, HOT SPOTS, Imagery, Installations, Italian, Italy, J3, Jamming, JCC-20, Jordan, Knight Hawk, LCC-20, LHD-3, Libya, Libyan, Libyan AF, LISTEN, Los Angeles class, LPD, LPD-15, M-346, Mark 36, Mediterranean, Military, Mirage, Misrata, Misratah, Missiles, Misurata, Mk 32, Multinational, NAVY, Neva, NEWS, Odyssey Dawn, Ohio, Ohio class, Operation Ellamy, Opération Harmattan, Operation Mobile, Operations, Osprey, OTAN - NATO, Pechora, Phalanx CIWS, Pilots, PLS 4444, Pounding, Prohibit, Qatar, Qatari, Radars, RAF, Range, Ras Lanuf, RECCE, Recce 233 Savoie, Reconnaissance, RIM-156, Rolling Airframe, RUM-139, S-125, S-200, S-75, SA-2, SA-3, SA-5, SAM, Satellite, Saudi Arabia, Sea Hawk, Sea Knight, Sea Sparrow, SEAD, SH-60, SH-60F, SHIPS, SM-2, Spain, Spanish AF, SRBOC, SSGN-728, SSN-719, Strike, Submarine, Targets, Tomahawk, Torpedo, Tripoli, U.S., UAE, UAEAF, UNSCR 1973, US, USA, USAF, USS Barry, USS Florida, USS Kearsarge, USS Mount Whitney, USS Ponce, USS Providence, USS Stout, V-22, Vega, Video, VL-Asroc, VMM-261, Weapon, Zawiya

Libya no-fly zone enforcement

Mar 19

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in Aeronautica Militare, Armée de l'Air, B2, BAC, Belgium, British, Civilians, CVs, Denmark, EdA, Forbin, France, Frigates, HMS Cumberland, HMS Westminster, HOT SPOTS, Libya, Libyan AF, LISTEN, MQ-1, Norway, PLS 3 / SLP 3, R91 Charles de Gaulle, RAF, S-Cyprus, Spain, Tornado, Typhoon, UK, UN, USA, USAF | No Comments

Tags: AFRICA, Air Defense, AIR FORCES, Air Interdiction, Alert, Area, Armée de l'air, Attacks, Aviano, Belgium, Benghazi, Bombing, Britain, British, British accent, CAS, Charles de Gaulle, Civilians, CNGF, Coast, CVs-Aircraft carriers, Cyprus, Denmark, Drones-UAVs, Enforcement, Eurofighter, EUROPE, F237, F85, Flights, Forbin, FRANCE, FRENCH AIR FORCE, Frigate, Gaddafi, Gadhafi, Gaeta, GBAD, Great Britain, Ground, HELICOPTERS, HMS Cumberland, HMS Westminster, Horizon class, HOT SPOTS, Humanitarian, Insurgents, Istres, Italy, Libya, Libyan, Libyan AF, LISTEN, MBTs, Mediterranean, Misratah, Missiles, NAVY, NEWS, No-fly zone, Norway, Orange, PLS 3333, Pounding, Predator, Radars, RAF, Rebels, SEAD, Sicily, Sigonella, Solenzara, Spain, Strike, Suveillance, Tanks, Task, Tornado, Tripoli, Troops, Type 22, Type 23, Typhoon, UK, United Nations, UNO, USA, USAF, Ventiseri, Violence, Warplane, Warship

French FIGHTERJETS and/or PILOTS possibly SUPERIOR

Feb 20

Posted by Recce 233 Savoie in Aeronautica Militare, Armée de l'Air, B2, Brazil, China, Dogfighting, F-22, F-5, FAB, France, Germany, HAF, IAF, India, Italy, J-20 / J-XX, Korea, S., MiG-21 / J-7 / F-7, Mirage 2000, Misc., Pilots, PLAAF, PLS 3 / SLP 3, RAF, Rafale, READ, ROKAF, Swiss AF, Switzerland, Typhoon, UAE, UAEAF, UK, USA, USAF | 3 Comments

First of all, it is not that simple. Last instance: The “World’s Armed Forces Forum” has recently posted a new topic relating to this Prepa PLS Anglais post: /rafale-vs-typhooneurofighter/ which was edited here on December 20, 2009. It is very clear that this was just a post to pass rumors on to other websurfers who may not have already read/heard such gossips.

This post may have been deemed as a preposterous one among the aviation community. That is why I then posted this post: /french-fighter-aircraft-performance/ in early 2010. Well, in hindsight I ought to add that I had forgotten that confrontation between the French Dassault fighter aircraft with the Eurofighter: the Rafales – there were only two of them according to the report – shot down four Typhoons during an exercise. Yes, twice as many…

The assumption that a Rafale might have shot down an F-22 Raptor left my readers in utter disbelief in 2009. Well, in hindsight again, I ought to add that I had forgotten to quote the Korean balance sheet about the Rafale performance, as I had forgotten that a United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) Mirage 2000-9 (variant of Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2) flown by a French pilot would have – virtually – shot down an F-22 Raptor as well…

I would never write anything like “an F-5 cannot down any French jetfighter”. Let us get real on this – I guess that either an F-5 or a MiG-21 could down any Mirage 2000 or Rafale. It depends on the radars; the sensors; the weapon systems used that day; the weather conditions; the pilots’ training; and their skills; the distance – BVR or WVR, not to mention autonomy; etc. When I read that some people remain adamant that any Rafale cannot have downed any F-22 Raptor, I think that they have the right to take such a stance. As I have the right to believe that they are wrong in their assertion. All-in-all, everything would be rumors… So, why should they care about them?

The pragmatic Swiss have honestly stated that they would be interested in the French Rafale for they got the results of their demanding NAC tests. However, due to a shrinking defense budget, they may not buy Rafales.

As far as the Brazilian, Emirati, Greek, and Indian (for MMRCA tender) media are concerned, they have already issued – at least once – breaking news according to which their countries would not purchase any Rafale for it would be “too expensive“.

Blimey! Let them buy what they like. I do not know whether it is worth paying for such performance because with these tenders, it is not a question of purchasing warplanes but foreign policies. Nonetheless, I would not be suprised to learn that some French Rafale pilots might be eager to challenge the brand new Chinese J-20 5th-generation fighter aircraft as it is deemed to be less performant than the F-22 Raptor.

If it were to happen – J-20 vs Rafale – the result would remain, as usual, among the rumors.

Tags: 2000-5, 2000-9, 4.5 generation, 5th generation fighters, Aeronautica Militare, AIRCRAFT, Armée de l'air, ASIA, Asian, Bid, Black Eagle, CHINA, Chinese, Cinema, Contract, Dassault, Emirates, Emirati, Emirats, Eurofighter, EUROPE, European, F-22, F-5, F1, FAB, Fighter jets, FIGHTERS, Foreign affairs, FRANCE, French, FRENCH AIR FORCE, Greece, Greek, HAF, IAF, INDIA, J-20, Jet fighters, Korean, Les chevaliers du ciel, Luftwaffe, M2000, MiG-21, MiG-23, Mirage, Mirage 2000, MMRCA, Movie, MRCA, NAC, NEWS, PHOTOS, PLAAF, PLS 3333, Purchase, RAF, RAFALE, Raptor, READ, Recce 233 Savoie, ROKAF, Sky Fighters, South Korea, Su-22, Swiss, Swiss AF, Switzerland, Tender, Typhoon, UAE, UAEAF, USA, USAF, Video, vs

Prepa PLS Anglais

AERONAUTICS and DEFENSE for English learners