Noyhauser

Dream Pod 9's Jovian Chronicals has some pretty sick designs although its a roleplaying minature game. My favorite is the Valliant Strke Carriers (these images don't do it justice)

remember that VFs probably see completely different conditions than regular fighters, they often walk on ground, skim at very low altitude, swim (god I can't belive Kawamori allowed it to swim......) ect. I'd expect the weathering to be far more advanced than regular fighters.

The Kai probably appeared after 2000.... According to the Compendium, the F-14 Kai was likely an F-14 A+2 (plus) enhanced with Overtechnology, therefore it must have originated from after 1999. This is from the Compendium http://www.anime.net/macross/mecha/united_.../f14/index.html

Also remember a lot of the individuals can live in like dormatory like accommodations, like what Hikaru's apartment looks like in DYRL. Some of them might also live in the ARDMs and also in the body of the ship.

Must... resist urge... to make... political.... analysis.

remember that Ballistics Missiles are made from very high quality metals to withstand launching and atmospheric ascent, probably the worst thing you want to go up against with a laser....

Technical feasability is the biggest ABL detractor. You've pointed out tracking, which MAYBE possible to remedy with ultra powerful computers to handle the calculations. But even if this happens, the countermeasures to negate it are extremely easy to implement, the missile just needs to spin so that the laser can't burn through one point in the hull.

^^^DOOD if your going to do anything right you've got to use a photo

no their remote controlled VF-11, I think QF-11 is their designation, though I might be wrong.

#1 by far is Info High with the YF-19 streaking into the atmosphere, just when its starts you get that chill down your neck that that the final showdown is going to start. Angel Paint from FB-2012 My Friends from Mac-7 and of course Ai Oboete Imasu Ka

Maybe you should read the news. As Ewilian posted this shows exactly why the program might not get deployed. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04391.pdf The GAO knows far more about these issues than airpower ever will. Note that this rreport was written last month. Moreover, even if a initial rate production is carried out, only 150 can be built maximum because they don't have anymore chips, to build the avionics suites. So we won't see the next batch until 2010 at the earliest, if at all.

HAve you ever heard of the Conventional Forces Europe Agreement? Likely one of the most effective arms control treaties ever created and nobody ever talks about it. Edit: moreover the Washington treaty Had major effects on Naval power. It effectively ended the reign of the Battlships as world powers sought to get around its restrictive texts, which pushed the development of the Carrier as its alternative. It set off a heavy cruiser arms race, which the Japanese led. The only gross abrogation was the Japanese and the Yamatos starting in 1936, but for the most part every nation followed its quotas and size restriction. Really it was the Japanese and to a lesser extent, the Germans that tested the treaty, however its affects were widespread and it was an effective treaty in its aims. Uhh I think that was tounge and cheek we all know that... we've talked to the ends of the earth about aerodynamics.

^^^ WICKED SYSTEM I've been buying stuff from Dp9 since like 1995. Actually, Dp9's universes, Jovian and HG along with macross are my favorite Scifi worlds. You could say that I'm a super geek there. Sillouette is a ridiculously well designed system that should have far more exposure than its getting. ITs far more intelligent than D-20, and is simple at the same time.

Okay this is what I can get for you. there are 736 F-15 Total (of all types) 520 F-15 A/B/C/D, (110 in the ANG, 11 Test, 18 in store.) 216 F-15 E (4 test) Active squardons 11 F-15 Squadron, 6 F-15E 3 reserve F-15 squadrons(a/b only)

It looks like the 767 will be brand new models.... from what I have read. Its to continue the production lines, not a rebuild. If it doesn't get in production, it means it won't get in service because a physical plane won't exist. It needs to pass its final test and eval stage or its not going to be produced at all. And thats the problem. I know it won't be held up if it has little niggling problems, but Its got a few big ones. Read the GVO report, Its avionics shut down on average once every 25 hours, and those are just the major ones. Also the first production batch will be limited to 155 Fighters (if it does even get into production) because Intel doesn't produce the Chips anymore.

Uhh not NOW. The decision for full rate production has not even been made, neither has the final test and evaluation. The thing has major avionics problems, and it looks like, nobody will be able to service it until at least 2006 more likely 2009. The fighter probably won't even be in full rate production until then.

I just read the summary of the GAO F-22. pretty well its arguing what I said above. Sunk costs, whatever you wasted on it before is money down the drain. From this point on is there any reason why should we be procuring this capability. Its calling for a new business case analysis... which means a whole new study at whether it should be continued to be funded. It points out that the Air to ground capability has not even been discussed financially, and that there will probably be further delays. It looks like the whole computer architecture will be replaced because the old computer chip is nolonger made. I can't "read into" this report very much. If this was a Canadian government audit, I would just brush it off because this sort of language is typical for a the Auditor General's office angsty sort of way. But Having read a few GAO audits in my day, it could go either way. It looks to me that the DOD is pushing this hard. Let me explain. Translation: Bureacratic inertia.... unless a program becomes singled out for analysis, it never gets culled. Part of a "joint capabilities review process" means a sweep under the rug, and that it will be examined along with a whole host of other capabilities which inevitably will take a year or so. Mc Cain got the KC-767 culled, because it was done on shaky grounds with limited tender. The F-22 is a different beast entirelyI don't think he'll get the F-22 because it is such a long standing program.

Phew.. thats a tough one. I did ALOT of research on the European Union Security and Defence Policy last summer (including attempts to get a EU arms agency set up, which is called OCCAR), and I remember reading the piece and a few others on it. It may have been from a Janes Publication (Janes Defence Weekly, and others.) which I get through my research position at the University. ITs a 330-200 that they were proposing and its Final assembly would have been done in the Toulose, while the 767 would have been done in Kansas... which was the sponsoring senator's home state. One BIG no no I just found out. They were going to lease the tanker from the operations and Management Budget rather than the Usual Capital accounts..... Instead of paying for it from money dedicated for building the later airforce, they were going to use money from the money earmarked for day to day operations and readiness of the military. I can't tell you how wrong that is from Defence manager's stand point. Remember what Mc Cain was talking about? Stripping money from capital accounts to pay for day to day operations? well this program would have done the exact opposite.

Ah but the question is about the Airbus contracts... what was the domestic offset program for it? I'd bet it was below 50% while the Boeing Contract was 100%. With a domestic offset your effectively recycling the money back into your economy and creating jobs in the United States, while the Airbus contract would have seen much of the money go to EADS. Effectively your just dumping money into the sea. Thats a big factor in its cost.

thats what the KC-X is supposed to do, however the KC-767 program is just sapping the funds from it,

Don't even get me started about these procurements. The South Koreans were definately not on the level with that contract. These were completely based on Political motivations especially the South Korean contract, in which Dassault actually won the competition in all areas except in Interopterability, and offered more domestic offsets than Boeing.

About the Tanker aircraft, The KC-135s aren't nearly at the point where they need replacing. the 434 aircraft have a operational lifetime of 39000 hours, and today, most of them average about 300 hours per year. Estimates show that they can last until 2040. They have been excellently upgraded with new engines, avionics and skins. Its the Airforce who suddenly decided that they needed a new Tanker as a stop gap (probably by proding from Boeing), however the situation isn't nearly that bad as of yet. Boeing is making a KILLING off of the KC-767. They are getting a 15% Military profit margin on a Plane that is mostly commercial in nature, which nominally entails a 6% profit margin (thats generally what Boeing makes off of Civillian market planes). The Plane should only get a 6% because its cheap as hell for Boeing to build them. While they are intended to be a stop gap between the KC-135s and the KC-X program, however its just diverting funds from the replacement. The KC-X isn't supposed to start funding until FY-2006 and probably more like FY-2009 if the KC-767 goes through.

I was really into battletech... until about 8 years ago when I discovered HG. The realism factors are just not comparable. You can effectively simulate anything with the Sillouette system from simple lighting a piece of paper to fleet level combat. The system encourages intelligent thinking. You can either go with high cost//fewer number of units, vs low quality high numbers, depending on your tactics. You have to intelligently design or pick your vehicles, unlike BT where its Pack as many weapons on a frame and lets go. Thats not how a vehicle is designed in real life. You've got to consider cost and role. The tactics used in HG are very similar to the ones we use today. Combined arms teams are vital. Gears are prized for their adaptabilty and manuverabilty, not for their super armor or heavy weapons. But in different situations they are at extreme disadvantages. Infantry are the best for city scapes since they are heavily obscured, while a tank would eat a gear alive on a flat terrain. Realistically, a humaniod design is a brutal design if you want to make something survivable in combat. we present huge cross section to hit and numerous shot traps. Tanks on the other hand are the best design because they are squat, low to the ground and can carry more armor where it matters. Thats why in the HG universe tanks rule all, carrying the heaviest weapons and the most armor. honestly if you wanted to make something survivable you'd make it a tank, not a lumbering walking beast, Why not fully guided? If they can design minaturized nuclear reactors that have to precicely control a magnetic Jar, I think building fully guided missiles could be a sinch. HG Guided weapons are quite common. Guided mortars are evil evil creation as are target designators. You can arm artillery shells with guidance sensors AKA copperheads. All weapon types are accurately represented. Compared to the HG universe, it pales in comparison, This is partly due to HG dual aspect as a RPG system. I know that BT used to have a RPG aspect, but it abandoned that long ago. Dream pod 9 embraces the roleplaying aspect. Life on terranova is considered one of the best sourcebooks ever put out by any company. The City States described unbelievably detailed, and work off political and sociological models. Examine the depth of information about the Norlight Confederacy or the United Mercantile Federation. DP9 has fleshed out these world to the most minutest detail. the UMF, a corporatist state does not have any taxes, however you must purchace services from government like voting voutchers. Most of these states have varying political systems that players can interact in. BT's 60+ novels are just pulp fiction, they can't compare to the Storybook series. Thats also one of the best things about HG, it is that the whole series is still in the hands of the original creators, the Oullette brothers. They have maintained tne metaplot behind the whole universe.

Eliot Cohen once said Air power is an unusually seductive form of military strength, in part because, like modern courtship, it appears to offer gratification without commitment. thought I might throw that one in there.

... no, the Minmay attack would probably be used to distract a force, then then a full barrage would be used. Its also feasable that the Grand Cannons would probably be put into place as well (nothing has been said that they wouldn't be rebuilt afterwards) and they did play a pivotal role in allowing the Macross to win.