I am not sure whether its MQ-25 or something else. Refuelling is not mentioned on the top diagram; at least it isn't listed under Project Vixen and a separate MQ-25 is not shown even if Protector is. Presumably a Vixen variant without radar and weapons capability could serve as an MQ-25 analogue but that would seem to be a sub-optimal way of doing things.
Is there any link between Mosquito and Vixen? Both would seem to be highly capable UCAVs with radar and weapon bays and if they want to add AEW then it must have a very decent loiter capability. Developing both Mosquito and Vixen as separate RAF and RN entities would be a very expensive solution.
Is Maritime Protector actually a genuine bid for RN-operated Protectors or is the P-8/Protector pairing just a sop to the RAF to give them some grudging "limited access" to the Navy's ambitions? This effort looks more ambitious than FCAS in the number of platforms and aiming for 2030, 5-years sooner than FCAS. Doubtless the RAF will have its own Powerpoint showing their P-8, Protector, Lightning and Mosquito will have littoral warfare all sown up.
Is it just me or does there seem to be a multiple array of strike options that seem rather duplicated:
Anti-Ship/tactical land targets: P-8 F-35, Vixen, Protector, Wildcat, Proteus, Small UAS (and this is ignoring the further ship-borne options of the converted Bay and Type 32 strike platforms and Astutes, the RN is going BIG on land strike)
ASW: P-8, Merlin, Proteus
AAW: F-35, Vixen
This implies that Wildcat will never get a series ASW capability (i.e. dipping sonar) and that Crowsnest may well be a short-term solution. Merlin is due to retire in 2035-40 so its an open question whether a future Merlin replacement will be an ASW asset or just purely a Marine-lifter/CSAR platform.
Looks like an acronym soup, presumably someone somewhere understands what it all means? DSAR in the old day was just the humble 'plane guard'.
