Re: Unknown
The Nederlands would never sell F-16s to us as long as the Western Sahara is in dispute, same goes for most EU countries. The Americans may do so, but I think that we made a big mistake in fitting digital equipment on the Mirage F-1s seeing how the airframe is obsolete.
yeah
Yeah, i totally agree with you. But you never know.. Saudi Arabia and the UAE willd efinately help us in case of a war, they can "borrow" us some AH-64 and F-16's, maybe Mirage2000 too. But we can only match Algeria, forget a win about Sppain
But now forget the F-5's , or the Mirage's. Lets now think real about which planes CAN replace our current jets, and have to be able to compete against the Mig-29's and EF2000-Typhoon, F-18 and Harrier. They all 4 are one of the best in the world.
So we need an All-Type plane, for Air COmbat, and all the other things.
First of all if there is a country in the world that does not want to help Morocco with its air arms it is Sweden. So forget the Gripen.
The Rafale is a possibility but the French are going to ask for a lot of money per unit, 50 to 60 million per unit is probably reasonable in the French point of view. After all costs have risen and no country has placed an order outside the Armee d'l Air.
As for the US, if Congress would give the go ahead for the sale chances are that the F-15s would bo so heavily downgraded that F-16MLUs would be of higher quality.
Russia however is a possibility, but we have keep in the back of our head that its all about ( more than any other country ) money there. So as for military spending in Russia we would have to out bid, out baught Algeria. In Russia its who ever pays more gets more.
But not to lose all hope, I would recon the J-10 as a real contender in an arms race. Its cheap and up to date. And the Chinese are not that hard headed.
Who will deny that the best way to stay alive is to kill first?
Re: yeah
Iran has a policy of equaling arms imports with domestic arms production in terms of value. But keep in mind that Iran's military tends to focus on the quality & not quantity of its personnel. That being said, they are hardly worth their weight in salt & are probably better in theory than in practice. An Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear reactor would humiliate the Iranian military.
My dad says (& he's a former RMAF pilot) that we cannot operate at air force at this time without heavy foreign assistance in training & maintance as is the case today. There was a time when many Moroccan pilots were rotated to France & flew Mirage F-1s & even Mirage 2000s.
My dad believes that absorbing the J-10 would be too difficult & co-operation with China's PLAAF would also be hard given problems in distance & language barriers. For instance, the first problem involves recalibrating the aircraft & systems/software in French (a problem we'd face) & that would make the process expensive, even if contracted abroad.
Likewise, we don't have the resources to develop tactics & systems, wheras with the French we'd at least get 70-80% of what they know on the cheap. This, & the fact that we could better manage a force of (say) 28 Rafale C with top notch pilots, 1/4 of whom would be in France at any given time training on Rafale squadrons thus creating a fighter force of proffessionals. Complimenting the Rafale with the J-10 would be an option if this was done.
Re: yeah
I disagree there. My dad has a more 'proffessional' opinion & prefers small numbers of Rafale backed up by a second line fighter (perhaps surplus F-16A/B or even new-build J-10s or JF-17s) because the Rafale as the French mainstay fighter will allow Moroccan pilots to acquire training from the most active & proffessional French squadrons. My dad says that current funds cannot produce world-class crews in Morocco so he's in favour of lots of exchanges between ourselves & the French.
World-class crews can adapt, but do need technology. A force of (say) 24 - 28 Rafale backed up by a smaller multi-role fighter. Rafale would enhance co-operation with the French & allow experienced instructors to set up training for the newer fighter. For instance, my dad says, it doesn't matter what you train on, if you have quality training you can adapt to anything.
Re: yeah
No doubt that the Rafale would be the best choice, but fact is and remains that it is sooo expnesive for the price of a single Rafale one could buy a fully loaded F-18C/D. If the Moroccan economy can provide funds for a batch of Rafales, than nothing stands in our way.
I prefer the Mirage 2000 upgraded to Rafale standard, with the Super Mirage F1 backing it up ( or some nice Falcon MLUs if they are nice priced ).
BUT a batch or 3 lovely Russian Su-30s would be very very nice too.
Who will deny that the best way to stay alive is to kill first?
Re: yeah
My dad looks at the Rafale as being more advantagous because it will most likely remain service until 2055-2060 & the fleet can be progressively enhanced with more crews. For instance, an initial force of 28 Rafale C/D (F2) with another squadron (12-14 aircraft) added every ten years (considering how French Rafale production is intended to go on until 2020 or so). Curiously enough, 28 Rafale are more effective than the current RMAF combat inventory, even if you were to add 20 F-16MLU aircraft.
I personally have a very different view. I'd much rather we invest in the FC-1/JF-17 (from China/Pakistan) & utilise Chinese systems as both a Mirage F-1CH/EH & F-5E/F replacement while saving up to purchase the JXX series of aircraft from China plus weapons systems. I also wouldn't mind the PAK-FA from Russia as a high-end fighter to the FC-1/JF-17 but we'll have to wait & see how it goes.
My dad disagrees suggesting that our relations with France (coupled by Dassault's failed efforts to press the Rafale abroad) should be taken advantage of, citing that developing a base for our own tactics, training & technology is virtually impossible on current funds, & co-operating with China or Pakistan would be much, much more difficult than exploiting existing relationships with the French.
Dad however, suggested that the J-10 would make a good low-end compliment to the Rafale, particularly since it is very reasonably priced at $20 million per unit & from reports it is a very competitive aircraft as well. Thus according to my dad, French training, tactics, & even technologies in our crews with an established type (Rafale) can be passed on the J-10 crews as well.
I did ask dad, "why not the F-35 JSF to take advantage of these so-called 'bilateral relationships' you suggested?" he replied, "Against the Rafale, the JSF doesn't stand a chance, besides the Rafale is a more complete aircraft" (meaning that the Rafale has more to offer) even though the F-35 JSF has presumed stealth, anti-stealth technologies make it's high price too much to ask for.
**** Bye Bye "Moroccan" F-16's.
yeah, that's for sure, The rafales can do the main task, and the other can accompany the Rafales 
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies