Your Nation's Air Force Mark II:

[New Vaduz]

New Vaduz currently uses the IAI Kfir using the C-7 upgrade which allows it to compete well with the MiG-25s and MiG-29s of the Ottish Empire.


(Image)

The Kfir is a match for the MiG-29 right?

Ehhhhhh....

?

[Dostanuot Loj]

Alright, I want to stir the F-15 pot.

I'm trying to plan out my RL popcap puppet's airforce and fleet air arm. Which means I'm legacy planning.

Now, the nation in question is a small North Atlantic island (Or peninsula with a friendly land border, undecided) which mostly takes part in multinational operations with larger allied nations, and takes sea control/shipping lane protection as most important. So to this it has a lot of territory to cover, and sometimes needs to bomb third world countries. Looking at very rough dates, just to show generational progression.

We leave WW2 with an air force comprised primarily of Spitfires, and a few P-61 Black Widows, with a FAA feeding two light fleet carriers with Seafires.
By the early 1950s Spitfire is replaced by Sabre and P-61 is phased out without replacement shortly afterwards. Seafires were rapidly replaced with Sea Furys after WW2 and is starting to look at jets.

By 1960, with a rebuild of both light fleets the navy has begun using surplus F2H Banshees. The air force picks up a few F-102 Delta Darts to supplement the Sabres.

By 1970 aircraft are woefully outdated. Following modifications to the light fleets the FAA orders new build fighter variants of the A-4 Skyhawk (Like A-4G) that fully replace the Banshees by 1971. These are planned to be the last fighters on the light fleets as more capable carriers are planned to carry F-4 Phantom. political pressure from the government forces the purchase of F-4s on the air force as well.

By the end of the 1970s the new larger carrier plan falls through due to manning issues. This brings me to a few options.

In the 1980s, I can either build a reverse angled CATOBAR carrier large enough for F-14s, or F-18s, or a slightly larger Princepe De Asturias for Harriers.

This leaves me:
1: Harriers for FAA, F-14, F-15, or F-18 for air force.
2: F-18 for FAA and air force.
3: F-14 for FAA and air force.

So I have to wonder. Is the extra capability of F-18 worth the investment? I would need less aircraft, and thus less personnel for them, but the carrier would need more.
Is F-14 worth it? This would be even worse than it is with F-18, and thus have far fewer aircraft.

I'm leaning on F-15s, perhaps F-15Es bought in the mid-1990s, and Harriers. But the F-18 is tempting, very tempting.

[Laritaia]

tbh loath as i am to suggest the F-18 to anyone (it being the aircraft equivalent of utter mediocrity and the colour brown) it probably is your best bet here.

Operating an F-14 from an aircraft carrier shrink wrapped to be just large enough is probably not going to end well. and the harrier is really the mark of a nation that really can't afford a carrier any more but is deluding itself into thinking that if it just pushes things around enough no one will notice.

[Gallan Systems]

F-14

blast all communism

[Free Asian Ports]

Why not a Vought Model 1600?

[Laritaia]

Why not a Vought Model 1600?

Because it's not real.

[Husseinarti]

Is there anyway you could keep A-7s in service?

Just keep them in reserve or w/e?

Also could you put Harpoons on them?

[Free Asian Ports]

Is there anyway you could keep A-7s in service?

Just keep them in reserve or w/e?

Also could you put Harpoons on them?

The Thai do, so I don't see why not.

And if the A-4 can carry the Harpoon, the A-7 can too.

[Dostanuot Loj]

tbh loath as i am to suggest the F-18 to anyone (it being the aircraft equivalent of utter mediocrity and the colour brown) it probably is your best bet here.

Operating an F-14 from an aircraft carrier shrink wrapped to be just large enough is probably not going to end well. and the harrier is really the mark of a nation that really can't afford a carrier any more but is deluding itself into thinking that if it just pushes things around enough no one will notice.

I'm willing to bend my RL-only rule for the carrier design, since it's all RL components.
As such, I'm inclined to agree on the F-18.

[Husseinarti]

Is there anyway you could keep A-7s in service?

Just keep them in reserve or w/e?

Also could you put Harpoons on them?

The Thai do, so I don't see why not.

And if the A-4 can carry the Harpoon, the A-7 can too.

Since 2014 the Thai have had their A-7s in non-operational reserve.

[Free Asian Ports]

The Thai do, so I don't see why not.

And if the A-4 can carry the Harpoon, the A-7 can too.

Since 2014 the Thai have had their A-7s in non-operational reserve.

Yeah, but theoretically they could restore the 4 or so complete air frames they have left back to flight worthiness.

[EsToVnIa]

Is there anyway you could keep A-7s in service?

Just keep them in reserve or w/e?

Also could you put Harpoons on them?

Not if you're a first or second world country

[Laritaia]

It's be stated here many times before but I'll say it again.

Aircraft do not age well.

[Husseinarti]

But A-7s are cool ;-;

[Triplebaconation]

The A-7F Strikefighter was projected to last until 2018 in US service. Probably better than the F-16 as a bomb truck.

[Husseinarti]

The A-7F Strikefighter was projected to last until 2018 in US service. Probably better than the F-16 as a bomb truck.

aw

yis

Was this going to be in active serviceor the ANG, AFR?

[EsToVnIa]

YA-7F was active service iirc

[Expansionist Greater Serbia]

We most commonly use MiG 29 fighter-jets, but for recon missions we use American-made stealth planes.
Our logo:


When we use Helicopters (and we use them rarely) we use standard Nato-Issue transport helicopters. *insert name here, its a common brand*. For fighting we only use Jets.

For Cargo transport the Mil-Mi 26 helicopter

[Husseinarti]

YA-7F was active service iirc

Just found the source from an RU site.

2018 for the nat guard.

still

aw

yis

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

We most commonly use MiG 29 fighter-jets, but for recon missions we use American-made stealth planes.
Our logo:
(Image)

When we use Helicopters (and we use them rarely) we use standard Nato-Issue transport helicopters. *insert name here, its a common brand*. For fighting we only use Jets.

For Cargo transport the Mil-Mi 26 helicopter

And then... ABH Lynx Wildcat with Starstreak derps you in the face erryday of the year. :V

[EsToVnIa]

YA-7F was active service iirc

Just found the source from an RU site.

2018 for the nat guard.

still

aw

yis

i misinterpreted what you meant

i thought you meant the original, not the date it would be in service until rip

[Expansionist Greater Serbia]

We most commonly use MiG 29 fighter-jets, but for recon missions we use American-made stealth planes.
Our logo:
(Image)

When we use Helicopters (and we use them rarely) we use standard Nato-Issue transport helicopters. *insert name here, its a common brand*. For fighting we only use Jets.

For Cargo transport the Mil-Mi 26 helicopter

And then... ABH Lynx Wildcat with Starstreak derps you in the face erryday of the year. :V

lol m9, we have 59 million soldiers and counting. Also we have a territory that is LITERALLY ALL of two continets.
As Christ the Redeemer would say.

[Allanea]

59 million soldiers?

Let's just say I'm a 2003 nation and I RP broadly to stat.

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

And then... ABH Lynx Wildcat with Starstreak derps you in the face erryday of the year. :V

lol m9, we have 59 million soldiers and counting. Also we have a territory that is LITERALLY ALL of two continets.
As Christ the Redeemer would say.

Oh hello Eritrea.

[Expansionist Greater Serbia]

59 million soldiers?

Let's just say I'm a 2003 nation and I RP broadly to stat.

NSStats are inaccurate, I can do whatever I want