Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) UK-Japan-Italy

Maro.Kyo said:
There's a key difference between UK, a NATO member, and Japan, is that UK is responsible for the defnece of its allies in the NATO's Eastern flank; Japan is not for Taiwan. NATO regularly deploys BAP and there are several NATO GBAD batteries from Western European member nations deployed to Eastern European allied territories. UK for example has one of their five Sky Sabres batteries forward deployed in Poland.

This also means there are grand total of two Sky Sabre batteries stationed in Britain, as the other two are deployed in the Falklands. If anything, the differences in how Britain is armed in terms of GBAD and comparing that to Japan should give a good idea why it's such an apple to oranges comparison to directly compare both countries' ADIZ and its EEZ when it comes to air power projection requirements. JSDF is really just that, a self defense force, while British Armed Forces aren't.
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Remember how close Okinawa is to Taiwan.

Any fighting around Taiwan will require the effective neutralization of the bases at Okinawa by China.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Remember how close Okinawa is to Taiwan.

Any fighting around Taiwan will require the effective neutralization of the bases at Okinawa by China.
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Doesn't change the fact that flying from Tsuiki or Nyutabaru to Okinawa is still closer than flying to Taiwan. Even if we consider Ishigaki, there is more than several hundreads of km of difference, which means there is a considerable difference in loiter/playtime.

Also, if you are to defend Taiwan, you're not fighting over Taiwan but over Taiwan straight.

There definitely is a non-negligible difference in distance.

More importantly, none of that really matters in terms of what I'm conveying.
 
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Maro.Kyo said:
The actual frontline is NATO's frontline, not the ADIZ.
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I would argue that GCAP's frontline in UK service will be the GIUK Gap and the eastern Atlantic, not NATO's frontline. That will remain Typhoon / F-35's domain.

Russian strategic assets can launch ALCMs from their North Cape bastion against NATO's flank and rear echelons, the long way around and in the 'back door'. GCAP seems well suited to countering that, rather than acting as tacair over the FLOT.

GCAP is a 6th Gen Fiddler / Foxhound.
 
Odds are that the GCAP will be in service for a long time. I imagine it'll be pressed into all kinds of jobs over the years, especially after older platforms are retired. A big, long range stealth platform with a large IWB and a billion sensors should have a lot of uses. It'll be interesting to see how each countries aircraft diverge over time.

Geopollicalics is an ever shifting desert, the concerns of today might not matter tomorrow. By the time Tempest is ready, the UK's attention might be elsewhere.
 
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snne said:
AFAIK some IRSTs already come with laser range finders. As a semi-related side note, this is the reason why Aselsan's developing laser warning systems as a component of the Integrated EO System for the Kaan fighter. I expect this to be a popular application on next generation fighter aircraft going forward.
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Praetorian DASS on Typhoon has Laser Warning Receivers.
 
www.gov.uk

Military 'silent hangar' to help protect against foreign GPS jamming

A new test facility, one of the largest in Europe, will help military kit to be better protected from attempts to jam GPS devices.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk

Pictured existing QinetiQ facility
QBD6756-121.jpg
 

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