I suspect that this may be a load of codswallop. Has anyone else heard/read anything?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-1902806,00.html
"Britain in battle with US over fighter plane
Peter Almond and Dominic O'Connell
BRITAIN is threatening to pull out of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a co-operative combat-aircraft project with America that is one of the largest military programmes in the world. The move, confirmed to The Sunday Times by senior defence officials, could have serious repercussions for BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, Britain’s two main contributors to the project......."
The reasons I don't believe it is true.
A) I haven't read about this anywhere else
B) RAF/RN defence policy is so STOVL oriented - there are no competitors, the poms just couldn't pull out.
C) Talk of modifying the Typhoon for carrier use seems just too preposterous. There'd have to be a major design overhaul just on the landing gear alone.
But I'm sure the poms, prolly just like everyone else (non US) who have signed up, are probably getting cheesed off over the technology transfer issues. I suspect that this story may be one way for the poms to let the yanks know that they are getting pissed off.
cheers
rb
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-1902806,00.html
"Britain in battle with US over fighter plane
Peter Almond and Dominic O'Connell
BRITAIN is threatening to pull out of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a co-operative combat-aircraft project with America that is one of the largest military programmes in the world. The move, confirmed to The Sunday Times by senior defence officials, could have serious repercussions for BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, Britain’s two main contributors to the project......."
The reasons I don't believe it is true.
A) I haven't read about this anywhere else
B) RAF/RN defence policy is so STOVL oriented - there are no competitors, the poms just couldn't pull out.
C) Talk of modifying the Typhoon for carrier use seems just too preposterous. There'd have to be a major design overhaul just on the landing gear alone.
But I'm sure the poms, prolly just like everyone else (non US) who have signed up, are probably getting cheesed off over the technology transfer issues. I suspect that this story may be one way for the poms to let the yanks know that they are getting pissed off.
cheers
rb