Retiring Trident

Retiring Trident
B61-12, though there is no reason to suspect that it would be the same price as the Trident-based
options.
162 Eurofighter Typhoon has a ground-attack capability, but the design is optimised as an air superiority
fighter. Operated with F-35s, it is anticipated that Typhoons will perform an air-to-air role to
achieve at least localised air superiority to provide the F-35s the best opportunity of achieving their
ground attack mission objectives.
163 “The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter”, House of Commons Library Standard Note SN06278,
House of Commons, London, 12 April 2013, page 3.
164 JSF was initially a competition between concept demonstrators from Boeing (X-32) and Lockheed
Martin / Northrop Grumman / BAE Systems (X-35). The Lockheed Martin-led team was selected
on 26 October 2001. See http://www.jsf.mil/history/his_jsf.htm and http://www.jsf.mil/history/
his_f35.htm.
165 “UK to spend £2.5bn on F-35 fighters”, Mark Urban, BBC News, 11 February 2014.
166 “UNITED KINGDOM, A Legacy of Innovation” Lockheed Martin, accessed 14 January 2015.
167 “MoD confirms £3.8bn carrier order”, BBC News, 25 July 2007.
168 The decision to revert to the F-35B disappointed many because of the reduction in capability it
entailed, both as a platform and that the abandonment of CATOBAR operations precluded carrier-based
fixed wing AEW or COD. See, e.g., “The United Kingdom’s Future Carriers”, Rear Admiral
Christopher Parry RN (Ret’d), RUSI Journal, Volume 157 Number 6, 19 December 2012, pages 6 – 7.
169 “Carrier Strike: The 2012 reversion decision”, paragraph 1.9, page 12.
170 “Carrier Strike: The 2012 reversion decision”, page 4.
171 See “Stealth Capabilities: Virtually Undetectable”, Lockheed Martin, www.f35.com.
172 “PM Interview: Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III”, Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 15 April
2014.
173 It is important to note than an aircraft’s RCS depends on in which direction the radar is looking
at the aircraft, known as the aspect. The F-35 has the lowest RCS when viewed from the frontal
aspect (open source estimate of 0.0015m 2 ), but has a much higher rear aspect RCS (0.01m 2 ).
174 “Weight Watchers: How a team of engineers and a crash diet saved the Joint Strike Fighter”, Joe
Pappalardo, Air & Space Magazine, November 2006.
175 “Weight Watchers”, Air & Space Magazine, November 2006.
176 Interview C, June 2014.
177 SDSR 2010, page 23.
178 See, e.g. Appendix 1 to “The Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security
Strategy - Defence Committee: Written evidence from Admiral Sir John Woodward GBE KCB and
colleagues” House of Commons Defence Select Committee, 3 August 2011. Admiral Sir John (Sandy)
Woodward was the in-theatre commander of UK forces in the 1982 Falklands War (Operation
CORPORATE).
179 “Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier”, Flight International, 28 March 2006.
180 See, e.g., “Harrier dispute between Navy and RAF chiefs sees Army ‘marriage counsellor’ called in”,
Thomas Harding, Daily Telegraph, 4 February 2009
181 “Written evidence from Admiral Sir John Woodward GBE KCB and colleagues”, Appendix 1, paragraph
30.
182 For example, the F-35C will have to fulfil a Fleet air defence (AD) role, even though it is not
optimised for air-to-air combat as the Typhoon FGR4 is. Consequently, whilst RAF F-35Cs will be
predominately used in the deep strike role with very little AD tasking replacing Tornado GR4, FAA
F-35Cs will have to conduct a significant amount of AD training.
183 See, e.g., “Winging Friday at NAS Meridian”, Meridian Star, 20 December 2012
184 Boeing/BAE Systems T-45C Goshawk, Boeing.com, accessed 25 November 2014.
185 This 1.5 crews / aircraft ratio reflects historical fast-jet norms. However, given the difficulties
that the RN had in manning FAA and JFH squadrons, increasing the available number of qualified
aircrew to meet this size of force is likely to constitute a significant challenge for the RN.
186 Historically, the FAA has usually assigned six – eight aircraft per fast jet squadron, in contrast to the
96