Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: ProudVet77
a war 27 years ago

Try 23 years this coming May. Maybe Alzheimers is setting in early.

The USMC will be switching to the JSF.

Eventually but until then the Harrier II will remain in service for at least another decade.

12 posted on 02/13/2005 6:05:38 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]


To: A.A. Cunningham; ProudVet77

But with more modern missiles their day is over.
***Do you mean Anti Aircraft missiles? The Harrier holds its own against most of the other modern jet planes because of its maneuverability. You can't outrun a supersonic missile -- once it's on your backside at that speed, the game is over. You have to outmaneuver it, or use ECM/stealth. And the Harrier has the best maneuverability in the sky with VIFFing. Any after-market ECM tricks would be applicable to the Harrier as well as other aircraft, so that would lead us to the purpose-built stealthy modern aircraft which will be mighty expensive.


The USMC will be switching to the JSF.
***In several years, as noted. In the meantime, the Harrier is one of the hardest airplanes to knock out of the sky. There's never been an air-to-air loss in combat.

I would venture, and I'm sure you would argue against, if you had a super carrier back then, that with it's escort you would have had the Falklands back in a fortnight, without using all the civilian craft.
***The point is that if you're going to be spending several billion dollars, you want it to have the most force multiplier effect as possible. For the same price as one of these super-carriers you can generate a dozen reconfigured cargo ships that could cover a lot more territory than one super-carrier. And you'd have some money left over for more planes.


26 posted on 02/13/2005 11:22:14 PM PST by Kevin OMalley (No, not Freeper#95235, Freeper #1165: Charter member, What Was My Login Club.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson