These don’t look like Hong Kong Dollar Menus at all.

Yes, a single one at best. I, personally, believe a 100 lb warhead doesn’t have much of a need in a naval engagement. It’s too small to engage large combatants, and too big to carry enough to engage a swarm of fast attack craft. I would probably advocate for a smaller missile along the lines of Spike, Griffin, etc.

Hell no. There’s way too much traffic in that region to risk an accidental shoot down or collateral damage during times of peace.

Source: I worked technology development for the LCS program for many years. It included studying the integration and feasibility of various UAV systems on board (including NGC’s very own BAT UAS).

We have a base in Bahrain, home of the 5th Fleet. We setup 5th Fleet there to manage all US Navy operations in the CENTCOM region. That includes not only the Persian Gulf, but also the Red and Arabian seas. Additionally, several NATO Combined Task Forces (think counter piracy) operate out of the base. The Strait is…

Should have gone full throttle on the carrier.

Admittedly playing devil’s advocate a bit; We know that we atrophy unique military acquisition and manufacturing capability when we leave those major contractors without work. Subs, ships, vehicle armor, etc. All have experienced it some degree or another.

I think they’re going to discover that this is a very bad idea. The aerodynamics are all wrong for this sort of design. During landing the aircraft will be presenting a TON of surface area laterally regardless of ship heading. I’m only aware of one type of landing maneuver performed bay a UAV that addresses this, and…

Damn! They needed every last inch of that elevator.

Not quite. Turkey sees the PKK as terrorists. There’s an important distinction their. They have nothing against the ethnic group that are Kurds. They specifically have a problem with a group of people that identify as the PKK. They’re even being kinder to their own native Kurdish population (including the teaching of…

I don’t disagree, but I think there were more errors from trying to do too much vice not doing enough. Instead of prioritizing economy and healthcare, State Dept tried to do it all squandering billions in trying to build infrastructure where it was immediately needed and spur outside investment (which NEVER comes near…

“Zeven Provincien Class destroyers”

“ that can save a nation from civil war”

They don’t even want them. They don’t even want any more of the NSCs. Everyone seems to want to force the CG into ownership of more ships. Meanwhile they barely have the manpower or money to sustain what they already have.

I’m not arguing that they did a good job. I’m just saying that at least they tried. I’m a firm believer that positive economic growth is the ONLY thing that can save a nation from civil was or insurgency. And the numbers don’t lie. Iraq is better off today than it was 15 years ago.

And then there’s Syria - Government Fixing 3.0.

The US tried a lot harder in Iraq to setup and protect a fledgling government. We basically walked away from Libya. Two approaches to the same problem, both ended with similar results (for the receiving country). In fighting, decentralization, economic shambles, and an influx of terror groups.

I think we’re pretty much at the same place based on your second paragraph. Armor equivalency was explained to me as a means of equating RHA tank armor schemes which are a combination of several plates at advantageous geometries (not necessarily composite), to a single thickness of hardened steel.

They’re getting the same radar that LCS 25 is getting it’s the next generation of the TRS-3D, the TRS-4D. The designed the VLS system in at the sacrifice of A LOT of berthing and other systems. So now they have a notoriously undermanned ship that even more undermanned.

Well you make such a convincing argument. I’ll have to go reevaluate my very existence now.