If it was up to you.....

[Silver]

In order of preference -

1. Gripen
2. F-16
3. F-5
4. L-159



Hey FF, if we were to believe you, we should have fighter jets in place by now !
.....you've been telling us for the last two years that jets were "to arrive shortly" !!

Whats your answer to that ?

[Guinness]

Guys,

to my humble opinion the Alpha-jet would do fine in the IAC.
Why?'>
It's cheap, easy to handle, 2-seat, twin engine, multirole a.s.o..

Let's be realistic......it IS a good choise.
We can keep on dreaming about JAS 39 Gripens with the green-white-orange roundels but these birds are way to expensive for a country like Ireland.
I would say 8 A-jets CAN do the job.

Guinness

[n-e-foo]

Hey Guinness...

While your absolutely correct that under current circumstances that the Gripen is just completely unrealistic for the Air Corps.
The question in this topic is about what would we ideally would want.

I think it was mentioned on this messageboard that the Alpha Jet was wanted by the Air Corps.... in the 80's and in the 90's as a replacement to the Fouga. But now we have the PC-9M.... theres no real need for an alpha jet type aircraft. It doesnt offer enough over the PC-9 to warrant the expense of operating it.

Thats why theres discussion over aircraft such as the L-159. Trainer jets with pretensions about being fighter aircraft, as they have radar/sidewinder/amraam capabilities.

But likewise they dont really offer that much over the PC-9.... so on the discussion goes '>

[Silver]

Lets just get more PC-9's !!   '>

[n-e-foo]

The most realistic suggestion so far '>

[alpha foxtrot 07]

what about the SU-27 or SU-37. great dogfighters and they look fricken cool to.

[Turkey]

..........and they make a spectacular sight when they hit the ground too, seriously, you are not the first to suggest the SU-27..............

[Guinness]

Su-27 '>?  sound like an idea.
But if you guys are looking for an interceptor......what about the MiG-31?
This thing is so fast you can intercept the whole lot. '>

Guinness

[n-e-foo]

It may have been on this board a few years ago.... but wasnt it mentioned that an SU-27 or Mig-29 came to baldonnel on a promo trip, offering it to the Air Corps a few years ago (2-3 years maybe). Anyway so the story went that when the Air Corps asked for the price.... and after finding that nugget of information out, it wasnt brought any further... I wonder why '>

[Guinness]

Probarly the USAF was looking into new planes for their "agressor "Sqns and wanted to buy them via Ireland.

When Clinton heard the price he went bananas '>

Guinness

[n-e-foo]

Using the upper estimates of the price per aircraft of these two types, i basically converted the figures to euro's and multiplied by 12...

Cost of 12 SU-30MK    €359,432,916
Cost of 12 EADS Mako €242,833,092 (light combat version)

€80,944,364    <- 4 MAKO's at a time

€119,810,972  <- 4 SU-30's at a time

........ its a bit unlikely eh?

More likely?
12 L-159's based on Silvers secondhand price:  €48,000,000

But I guess I should ballance it against other figures:
"Car owners face a charge of £1.65 and heavy goods vehicles £4.06 for using the 35km stretch of motorway being built privately at a cost of £257m." -  Irish Independent 28-8-2001

That translates into €326,323,00

Ok anyway these figures were just plucked off the internet and I'm not sure about their accuracy, I think its an interesting rough guide if nothing else '>

[c22910]

If it were up to me I think I would choose an attack aircraft rather than a fighter.  I can see more useful roles for an aircraft like the A10 than I can for a pure fighter or fighter bomber.  

While we haven't protected our air space at home (hopefully we never need to).  I think we need to give our guys on the ground in war zones more support.  Our guys do an excellent job and I think they could do with someone watching there backs.  I'm sure a mowag could stand up to a technical  but I would be happier if it never got a chance to.

[Guinness]

C22910

first of all: welcome to the forum.
Second.... I'm not realy sure of the need of ground attack planes lake the A-10.
If ( and I say IF not when) Ireland decide to buy jets the are better of with jets who are multi-role.

Guinness

[c22910]

True the FA-18 is probably a better multi-role but its a lot more expensive.  The A10 can really take a beating and still fly home.  My choice is based on ground troop support.  As air superiority is not such a big deal for our needs.  Even the US didn't have much need for pure air superiority aircraft in Iraq.  The iraq's did not contest  the air much in either war.

Thanks for the welcome.

[n-e-foo]

It'd be electoral suicide for a government to order A10's. Its been used in too many wars and the use of depleted uranium ammo hasnt exactly endeared it to people.