K9dug....We use the Harrier for close air support, it's lucky that the Americans decided to sell it to us.

So the harrier was an American invention, I always thought it was british.

Originally Posted by Rabs

So the harrier was an American invention, I always thought it was british.

The Harrier was indeed a British designed aircraft. If memory serves correctly, it was designed by Hawker-Siddely with a vectored thrust engine that was especially built for it by Rolls-Royce, the Pegasus. The first versions appeared for the British forces; one of them was an Air Force Version, and the other was the carrier-borne version, the Sea Harrier. The later Av-8B was the joint effort between the US (Marine Corps, IIRC) and the British government, and it resulted in the plane we see today.

Dean.

Originally Posted by LeEnfield

therise,,,,are you saying that Britain should not have a nuclear deterrent and should rely on America for it's defence

no im saying you already have a deterrent. how would this new missile be anymore of a deterrent than the one its replacing?

Will the replacing ICBM be a European-designed one? (Trident is American, right?)

Will the replacing ICBM be a European-designed one? (Trident is American, right?)

I just dont see any European companys willing to start produceing new ICBMs or the experience to do so.

Originally Posted by Rabs

I just dont see any European companys willing to start produceing new ICBMs or the experience to do so.

Europe builds rockets that go into space. Surely an ICBM can't be that much harder? I think France has self-designed ICBMs and Italy experimented with them in the 60s.

I think we will have to get the Germans to design some thing of that ilk.

Originally Posted by LeEnfield

I think we will have to get the Germans to design some thing of that ilk.

Germany isn't much into designing ballistic missiles I don't think.

Yeh, but they kinda started the whole thing.

Originally Posted by Rabs

Yeh, but they kinda started the whole thing.

True. But then they all went to the USA and USSR.