It would seem pretty clear to me that the US Navy really unzipped it's fly switching over to the Super-Hornet from the F-14B/D. I fully understand that the F-14 was a very expensive aircraft to run and that airframes were getting old in some instances. However, the Super-Hornet really was not a good-match overall compared to the existing F-14D, the concept Tomcats proposed to replace the D were far and away superior to the Hornet in virtually every respect.
The most glaring shortcoming of the Super-Hornet is what you give up in radar and long range AAM's (Pheonix) when compared to the F-14. There is simply no comparison, and in this role that is a pretty huge oversight IMHO. While certain folks in the DOD and Navy seem to have decided that we will never again have an aircraft carrier face large numbers of incoming bombers or fighter aircraft (we have never regretted decisions like that in the US before :roll: ) somehow, someday I think we may. And, at that time we will likely pay dearly for the time it will take to fix this problem.
The merits of the Super Hornet versus the Cat have likely been discussed here before, but my question is does anybody else have any suggestions as to what could be done to fix this oversight. If you agree that this was a bad idea sooner or later the Navy will likely have to fix it. What would you do?
My first instinct (and the decision the Navy should have made to begin with) would be to build the F-14 ATF proposed by Grumman and have far more defensive firepower in far fewer fighter aircraft. It may be an "old" platform, but it is still head and shoulders above the Hornet and could easily compete with any fighter in the world in the ATF and Tomcat 21 protype trims Grumman showed.
But, since the F-14 is already "gone" that is not really an option they would be likely to under-take. I suppose they could try to sling a Phoenix or some kind of ALRAAM under the Super-Hornet, with appropriate radar of course, even though the Hornet was an obvious case of buying the second best aircraft at the higher price IMO. Other than these I am fresh out of ideas I think would be even remotely likely courses of action.
Unfortunately this very obvious problem probably will not likely become obvious to the powers that be until it is a genuine disaster. But, if you had the reigns what would you do?
The most glaring shortcoming of the Super-Hornet is what you give up in radar and long range AAM's (Pheonix) when compared to the F-14. There is simply no comparison, and in this role that is a pretty huge oversight IMHO. While certain folks in the DOD and Navy seem to have decided that we will never again have an aircraft carrier face large numbers of incoming bombers or fighter aircraft (we have never regretted decisions like that in the US before :roll: ) somehow, someday I think we may. And, at that time we will likely pay dearly for the time it will take to fix this problem.
The merits of the Super Hornet versus the Cat have likely been discussed here before, but my question is does anybody else have any suggestions as to what could be done to fix this oversight. If you agree that this was a bad idea sooner or later the Navy will likely have to fix it. What would you do?
My first instinct (and the decision the Navy should have made to begin with) would be to build the F-14 ATF proposed by Grumman and have far more defensive firepower in far fewer fighter aircraft. It may be an "old" platform, but it is still head and shoulders above the Hornet and could easily compete with any fighter in the world in the ATF and Tomcat 21 protype trims Grumman showed.
But, since the F-14 is already "gone" that is not really an option they would be likely to under-take. I suppose they could try to sling a Phoenix or some kind of ALRAAM under the Super-Hornet, with appropriate radar of course, even though the Hornet was an obvious case of buying the second best aircraft at the higher price IMO. Other than these I am fresh out of ideas I think would be even remotely likely courses of action.
Unfortunately this very obvious problem probably will not likely become obvious to the powers that be until it is a genuine disaster. But, if you had the reigns what would you do?
