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It's better, but still has a lot of roadblocks to being effective. For starters, modifying it for carrier operations will probably add at least 1,000 pounds to the empty weight of the aircraft, and that's assuming it doesn't need a bigger wing (it's OTL wing is tiny, under 27' span clean). That's probably going to knock down its range. When operating as an interceptor, it had 320nmi of range with 5 minutes combat time. But that is also with only 2xAIM-9 missiles hung on it. Start adding in Sparrows and is probably going to drop to somewhere between 175-200nmi combat radius. That's at least marginally effective against air launched ASMs like the Exocet (but not any of the big Soviet missiles). The big issues show up once you start bombing it up. Range drops like a stone. Flying CAS, it has 150nmi of range. Less for a carrier version. Hi-lo-hi missions are better at 550nmi, but you can only carry 2,500 pounds of bombs with 2 drop tanks.That's not to say it's all bad. The F404 is a damn good powerplant that sips fuel at altitude. In a CAP role with drop tanks and 2xAIM-9s, it could fly out 300nmi from base and stay there for over 2 hours and still have enough fuel for combat. And it's tiny. Less than 48' long and less than 27' wide. You don't even need folding wings. It was also designed to be easy to maintain, making carrier operations somewhat less of a logistical burden (assuming it was properly modified).To me, it's an acceptable option for a prestige carrier or a nation operating in a low threat environment. Assuming the US is willing to eat the cost of navalising it.
It's better, but still has a lot of roadblocks to being effective. For starters, modifying it for carrier operations will probably add at least 1,000 pounds to the empty weight of the aircraft, and that's assuming it doesn't need a bigger wing (it's OTL wing is tiny, under 27' span clean). That's probably going to knock down its range. When operating as an interceptor, it had 320nmi of range with 5 minutes combat time. But that is also with only 2xAIM-9 missiles hung on it. Start adding in Sparrows and is probably going to drop to somewhere between 175-200nmi combat radius. That's at least marginally effective against air launched ASMs like the Exocet (but not any of the big Soviet missiles). The big issues show up once you start bombing it up. Range drops like a stone. Flying CAS, it has 150nmi of range. Less for a carrier version. Hi-lo-hi missions are better at 550nmi, but you can only carry 2,500 pounds of bombs with 2 drop tanks.
That's not to say it's all bad. The F404 is a damn good powerplant that sips fuel at altitude. In a CAP role with drop tanks and 2xAIM-9s, it could fly out 300nmi from base and stay there for over 2 hours and still have enough fuel for combat. And it's tiny. Less than 48' long and less than 27' wide. You don't even need folding wings. It was also designed to be easy to maintain, making carrier operations somewhat less of a logistical burden (assuming it was properly modified).
To me, it's an acceptable option for a prestige carrier or a nation operating in a low threat environment. Assuming the US is willing to eat the cost of navalising it.
