Fighter jets for the Air Corps?

Leonidas BL

We could turn them into unmanned drones and charge the yanks to use them as target practice

sparky42

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

We might still have a seafire tucked away somewhere.

I'd love if we did just for the history (makes me wish Defence was valued enough that we'd kept an operational "historical flight")

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

We could turn them into unmanned drones and charge the yanks to use them as target practice

Or the Belgian technicians...:D

ohnonotgmail

sparky42 wrote: »

I'd love if we did just for the history (makes me wish Defence was valued enough that we'd kept an operational "historical flight")

Yeah that would be nice. The Air Corp museum does have parts of though, including an engine.

skooterblue2

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

I cant even imagine the number of mistakes they had to make for that to happen. Interview without coffee for that gentleman.

The Titanic didnt sink because it hit an iceberg, I am sure there is plenty of blame to go around.

jonnybigwallet

I see there have been some sightings of UFO's over the Kerry coastline. Fast jets needed to go in hot pursuit! I'm beginning to come around to the idea of leasing a squadron of Gripens. The PC9's just can't cut it with these boyos.

banie01

Sure if Macron gets his way with a European army
And it is where Pesco is aiming.

We can just build the bases and rotate some EU fast jet detachments thru on a similar basis to Baltic air policing.
Has the advantage of minimum outlay and with intraoperability would give our own pilots a route onto Fast jets.
Would allow us to build capability at low cost and with a dedicated support environment.

The one thing that always comes to mind with Fast Jet operations for me, is the time to build capability.
An air policing and pilot exchange programme would give us that, cheaply.

jonnybigwallet

Thats a good idea as an interim measure. Could use Knock as a base. Just need to build some bomb proof shelters for the fast jets and install some AA missile defences and upgrade the radar.

sparky42

jonnybigwallet wrote: »

Thats a good idea as an interim measure. Could use Knock as a base. Just need to build some bomb proof shelters for the fast jets and install some AA missile defences and upgrade the radar.

No, no we don't.

jonnybigwallet

sparky42 wrote: »

No, no we don't.

You need to remind yourself what the title and theme of this board is!

sparky42

jonnybigwallet wrote: »

You need to remind yourself what the title and theme of this board is!

Fantasy fighters?


If we even went to a rotating system (and convinced someone else to provide it (their response would most likely be spend more than feck all on defence first)), then all we'd need is some normal shelters for the planes and testing areas for weapons.


We wouldn't be talking about hardened shelters or missile defences, any radar upgrades would be the talked about Primary upgrades anyway.

jonnybigwallet

jonnybigwallet wrote: »

I see there have been some sightings of UFO's over the Kerry coastline. Fast jets needed to go in hot pursuit! I'm beginning to come around to the idea of leasing a squadron of Gripens. The PC9's just can't cut it with these boyos.

Exactly! Nobody is going to provide free air cover unless we are prepared to put our hand in our pocket and buy some aircraft ourselves. If you are going to build shelters you might as well put in some extra rebar and build em quite robustly.

Leonidas BL

Why? Iceland has frig all and they get air cover.

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

Why? Iceland has frig all and they get air cover.

Member of NATO,instead we are going to be asking other EU nations to deploy aircraft to Ireland explicitly because we want air cover but can't be bothered funding the DF.

Leonidas BL

Or join NATO

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

Or join NATO

But then we have to deal with the Orange manchild screaming about how little we spend etc etc...

Leonidas BL

sparky42 wrote: »

But then we have to deal with the Orange manchild screaming about how little we spend etc etc...

I wonder what Iceland spends?

Captain Chaos

Leonidas BL wrote: »

I wonder what Iceland spends?

They let the US base a squadron of F-15s there.

Leonidas BL

Captain Chaos wrote: »

They let the US base a squadron of F-15s there.

Ohhh I dunno if we could have that. The French maybe? Arnt we all friendly with them now?

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

I wonder what Iceland spends?

That's not what you should be wondering about, it should be how much does Trump (and others) already have issues with the Multinationals here in Ireland already. If we were in NATO there's ZERO chance we could avoid a massive increase in spending.

Leonidas BL

sparky42 wrote: »

That's not what you should be wondering about, it should be how much does Trump (and others) already have issues with the Multinationals here in Ireland already. If we were in NATO there's ZERO chance we could avoid a massive increase in spending.

But isn't that really what this tread is about? Everything in here would require a massive increase in spending!!!

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

But isn't that really what this tread is about? Everything in here would require a massive increase in spending!!!

Of course anything we do would mean more spending, like anything. My point is that trying to convince anyone to do a Baltic CAP type operation is going to go down like a Rat Sandwich (NATO or EU).

Leonidas BL

sparky42 wrote: »

Of course anything we do would mean more spending, like anything. My point is that trying to convince anyone to do a Baltic CAP type operation is going to go down like a Rat Sandwich (NATO or EU).

Well like anything new or different in this country, you'll always have a shower of moaners for a while. Eventually they get sick of it and find something else to whinge about.

jonnybigwallet

Exactly! Bring on the jets....8 off trainer type aircraft to get the guys in jet mode and a squadron of Gripens to follow a couple of years later.

Leonidas BL

jonnybigwallet wrote: »

Exactly! Bring on the jets....8 off trainer type aircraft to get the guys in jet mode and a squadron of Gripens to follow a couple of years later.

We already have 8 trainers

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

Well like anything new or different in this country, you'll always have a shower of moaners for a while. Eventually they get sick of it and find something else to whinge about.

Given what the PANA types did to the USN plane how much protection do you think we'd have to give to any new planes? Besides as I said I wouldn't expect much support from anyone else unless we'd already started the process.

Leonidas BL

sparky42 wrote: »

Given what the PANA types did to the USN plane how much protection do you think we'd have to give to any new planes? Besides as I said I wouldn't expect much support from anyone else unless we'd already started the process.

The same kind of protection you'd have to give to any military installation.

sparky42

Leonidas BL wrote: »

The same kind of protection you'd have to give to any military installation.

REmind me how that worked when they got on to the airstrip of Baldonnel and damaged it a few years ago.

ohnonotgmail

sparky42 wrote: »

REmind me how that worked when they got on to the airstrip of Baldonnel and damaged it a few years ago.

well clearly that should never have happened but one would hope it is slightly more difficult to access a military installation than a civilian airport.

Leonidas BL

sparky42 wrote: »

REmind me how that worked when they got on to the airstrip of Baldonnel and damaged it a few years ago.

Seeing as you seem to know about it already I think you dont need reminding. Are you saying our defence forces arnt up to the job?