Recent content by Rainbow1910

It would be somewhat amusing to spin the exact same argument used by Gripen supporters against the F-35 back in their faces and watch them try to make a response. Not sure about the M-346 but reading into the FA-50 being proposed to Egypt recently, KAI/LM are offering Cairo 70 airframes...

Amusingly as well, the CCG AOPS variants will also be using a derivative of CMS-330 designed for the Coast Guard. These new vessels will be a huge boost in capability for the CCG compared to their 1970's and 1980's veteran vessels of similar types.

Put an Army HIMARS system on the flight deck of AOPS equipped with PrSM Increment 2 and sink the enemy yourself :ROFLMAO:

Concern doesn't equal a conflict, I'd largely agree that using a non-combatant for wartime roles is largely unsuitable but AOPS is still more than workable if we have raised tensions in the North with Russia for example infringing on our sovereignty.

LM Canada recently released an infographic showing some of the internal/external equipment differences between the CCG and RCN AOPS variants. Apologies for the quality, but it is the best they provided.

Ideally if we are sending the AOPS North when there is an active concern up there, we would have the RCAF available there with them or on short notice to provide support.

Maritime Engineering Journal has a great issue out recently which goes into this refit extensively. To answer your question from the PDF above: Some interesting images from the article above as well:

As far as I know there isn't plans to widen the hall to such a degree as there simply isn't room to do pure side by side construction, they are still enlarging the hall so it is far easier to maneuver the larger and more complex megablocks of the River class around. Irving's Hall is also an all...

Currently Irving does not have adequate space to take on efficient River class construction given that the yard was initially expanded to build smaller vessels, before the NSS mandated larger warship designs as part of the CSC program. The new construction will give them enough room to...

No plans currently besides vague overtures towards "Small Surface Combatants", although we have no idea as to what this entails. It seems likely that the US will need some kind of interim frigate or corvette design given their fleet operational issues, although the political leadership of the...

Nothing public.

Because there isn't realistically anything that the RCN or Govt can to do Irving right now to actually speed up delivery timelines. Irving is still actively finishing up the final two CCG AOPS and actively working on the first River class, the yard has to clear out before work on the frigates...

Never going to happen, the RCN is beyond desperate to get the River class in service and will accept no delays in order to make that happen. Nobody besides Irving is going to take on production.

We did not rule the Eurofighter and Rafale out like we did with the Super Hornets, both other Euro competitors withdrew on their own accords due to perceived issues they had or capability requirements (FIVEEYES/domestic production/offsets) which they couldn't meet.

The numbers really put the headline into perspective. Saab did not enter the C/D model for review in the procurement, otherwise the percentages would be even lower.