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From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: PS-890 radar
Message-ID: <1991Apr16.041529.28144@amd.com>
Date: 14 Apr 91 01:31:47 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.033318.3949@amd.com>
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 32
Approved: military@amd.com


From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)


>From: drn@pinet.aip.org (donald_newcomb)
>If the Brits were able to mount the PS-890 on a VTOL aircraft such
>as the  V-22 Osprey and operate them from the "ski-jump" carriers
>could they not reclaim much of the blue ocean capability lost in
>the seventies?

They've already got a certain amount of it back using helicopter-mounted
radar systems, which were *almost* ready for combat in the late phases
of the Falklands War, after a hasty development project.  There was a
lot of talk then about more sophisticated systems on STOL aircraft (you
don't really need VTOL for operations off Invincible-class carriers; these
are hefty carriers by WW2 standards, small only compared to the USN's
monsters), but I don't believe anything has come of it.

Although the helicopter-mounted radars are smaller, and have shorter
airborne endurance and lower altitude capability than aircraft ones, they
do have one or two advantages of their own.  Particularly notable is that
they can operate off other helicopter-capable ships, leaving the carriers
free for fighters.  Also, I wouldn't be surprised if something like the
V-22 is a tad big for elevators on the Invincible class, and it certainly
would be an inconveniently bulky craft to maneuver in the hangar.  (This
is particularly significant because the RN doesn't share the USN's
willingness to park aircraft on deck more or less permanently:  perhaps
as a result of more historical experience in foul-weather operations,
the RN prefers to stow inactive aircraft below.)
-- 
And the bean-counter replied,           | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
"beans are more important".             |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry