Emmanuel Gustin wrote:

"Guy Alcala" wrote in message
. ..

Joint Force Harrier, until the JSF enters service. And all the helos.

Problem is that these seem unlikely to stop, say, a couple of
Super Etendards loaded with Exocet missiles, approaching
too low to be detected by the radar of the destroyers...

Which is why, post Falklands, they bought Sea King AEW.2s (and now AEW.7s).
A Harrier GR.9 has equal low altitude capability as the SHAR FRS.1 -- the
latter's radar was unusable when looking down over land or rough sea and/or
at low level, the GR.9 lacks one. OTOH, if such a go-it-alone war such as
the Falklands were to happen, you can bet that the ASRAAM would be cleared
for GR.9 use in very little time.

Of course, the RN is taking the calculated risk that they will be always
fighting as part of a coalition which will provide any CAP required, as has
been the case in the last several conflicts, until the JSF enters service.
As a practical matter, with the exception of Falklands - the Sequel, I can't
imagine them needing to fight a war on their own -- there just aren't that
many scattered British territories where only the Brits are directly
concerned, and where they could go it alone with a reasonable chance.

After the Flakland war, Sea Harriers were modified to carry
AMRAAM to give the fleet a BVR defence capability against
such attacks. Apparently it is losing that now.

Yes, but the critical lack then was AEW capability, not the lack of BVR
missiles. BVR is nice but not essential for that conflict, given the
limited Argentine capability.

Guy