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The carriers are well defended by multiple layers of a defence network. The carriers managed to avoid the Exocet risk in the Falklands with far less sophisticated defence measures.
Yes basically by staying out of range of Exocet which meant the Sea Harrier’s already limited range was further handicapped meaning air superiority wasn’t a possibility (combined with lack of AEW).
A lot of those issues still persist.
We also won the B of B due to a cock up by a German pilot, instead of bombing Kenley he bombed Croydon airport and killed a load of civilians. Churchill had to be seen to be doing something about this so we bombed Berlin, Hitler was outraged at this and decided that the Luftwaffe should switch from RAF bases as the primary targets to blitzing the cities. At this point it was expected that the RAF would be destroyed within 3 weeks!
The switch to the cities bought the RAF valuable breathing space.
Churchill had to be seen to be doing something about this so we bombed Berlin
Yes, this is quite true.
However, the early days of city bombing proved to be more difficult than expected, the only casualty of the RAF's attack on Berlin was an unfortunate elephant in Berlin's zoo.
Sounds very much like the best is the enemy of the good.So after 7 years of service, which was delayed by 3 years, they still keep blacking out.
And you think that's OK?
I wonder how they're getting on with the Windows 2000 based software systems?
I said it was difficult, not OK. But it's also part of the development programme and 7 years isn't a lot. These things are not off the shelf products. Don't blame the engineers, blame the specification. The engineers design and deliver against a spec. if the spec is challenging then who do you blame? There is risk in all these big engineering programmes and how risk is managed is subject to the contract. The press love to go on about these programme that run over cost and budget with no knowledge of what's in the contract and how risk is managed, but the blame for that is often a complicated and difficult issue. Most of these government programmes push the technological boundaries as it means as part of the programme the new technology is developed and proved, which has knock on benefits for the nation. We could always go back to 'good old' diesel and steam power if we want to play it safe.
I'm sure the Windows 2000 software is doing much better than the crap MS pumps out today. IT's certainly so old it's probably un-hackable by the North Koreans and Russians.
Yes basically by staying out of range of Exocet which meant the Sea Harrier’s already limited range was further handicapped meaning air superiority wasn’t a possibility (combined with lack of AEW).
A lot of those issues still persist.
Well the Harrier was a creaking old thing even back in 1982 with severely limited capabilities even by the standards of the day back then. I love the Harrier as much as the next guy, but it clung on in service a good 40 or so year too long.
[i]far less sophisticated defence measures.[/i]
Parking half way to Cape Town?
Not sure that is much of a risk or any more than before. The carriers are well defended by multiple layers of a defence network. The carriers managed to avoid the Exocet risk in the Falklands with far less sophisticated defence measures. Anyway if the carrier is hit you're not going to be able to deploy all your aircraft with enough fuel to make land. If the carrier is hit it's going down with all the planes on board. No need to compromise the aircraft performance and capabilities to give it a the capability to land on rough landing strip just in case.
Don't think they're going to be able to protect it from Mach5+ land based ship killers which China and Russia/ India are both developing.
BrahMos-II (K) - Mach 7!! The Russians are going to be putting 80 cell launchers on their Kirovs. What is the anti-missile capability of a T45? Max 48 Sea Vipers... T26 has up to 48 Sea Ceptors...
DF21-D carrier killer - a Mach10 ballistic missile
DF26 has a range of 2,500 miles - the carrier's F35s won't even be able to respond to that because the ship will be dead before they get even into range