sid wrote:
Looks like the need for more than single seat fighters is becoming an
issue again. From the April Seapower:
http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/apr_04_16.php
"Boeing's Ted Herman, business development manager for the F-18
program, told Sea Power the Super Hornet tanker helps "extend the
legs" of the strike aircraft and does not compromise on aerodynamic
performance.

But the Navy is not entirely content with the Super Hornet as a
tanker. While converted to refuel, the jet is not carrying weapons for
strike missions. Fitzgerald said the Navy would consider a replacement
for its C-2 logistics aircraft that may offer refueling capability.
The C-2 replacement would either be the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor or the
next model C-2. The Navy begins to retire the current fleet of C-2s in
2014.

"We are thinking about whether we just have C-2 replacement planes for
logistics, or whether we should buy some more that would be available
for recovery refueling," Fitzgerald said."

Instead of a C-2ish aircraft, I would suggest a modern analogue to
what was arguably the most sucessful "CSA" the Navy produced:

http://www.a3skywarrior.com/featurep...Det1_NG616.jpg

And this "CSA" could carry up to 12,500 lbs of ordnance internally and
had an *unrefueled* combat range of better than a 1000nm. Fifty years
later there is gushing praise for 4000 lbs and 600 nm.

http://www.a3skywarrior.com/cogdell/drop.jpg

An A-3 size airframe would be handy for tanker duties. and could maybe also
serve as a carrier-based mini-MC2A (combined AWACS/ELINT aircraft).
Developing this would be relatively straightforward, assuming some money can
be found.

The problem comes when you try to make it a bomb dropper too. That demands
a lot of more expensive design choices to keep the aircraft survivable
against modern defenses (signature reduction, weapon delivery systems, etc.)
That's not going to be affordable at all.

Sure, a new A-3 could carry more bombs, but it woudn't strike more targets
at once, which two or three JSFs can do.

--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when
wrong to be put right." - Senator Carl Schurz, 1872