英國의 F-35 JSF 와 차기 항공모함 도입 소식...

 

최근 영국의 F-35 JSF 도입 관련 소식과 Queen Elizabeth 급 차기 항공모함 도입 소식등을 함께 소개 합니다. 현재 영국이

당면한 경제적 어려움에서 발생된 국방 예산의 감축 가능성으로 아래와 같은 내용들이 보도 되고 있는 것으로 이해해야 할

것으로 보입니다.

 

먼저 첫번째 기사, 25일字 영국 일간 Daily Mail 기사에 의하면, 현재 건조되고 있는 차기 항모에 탑재할 함재기를 미국으로

부터 임대할 가능성이 있다는 소식입니다. 어떠한 기종에 대해서 얼마만큼의 수량으로 임대를 검토하고 있다는 구체적인

언급은 없습니다만, 만약 보도와 같이 임대 형식으로 운용을 한다면 F-35B STOVL 혹은 F-35C 가 될 것으로 예상됩니다.

그러나 최근 영국이 건조 중인 차기 항모에 EMCAT (Electromagnetic Catapult System) 적용을 검토하고 있다는 소식을

참고하자면, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (or Silent Hornet) 의 임대 혹은 구입 가능성도 남아 있다고 봅니다. 또한 동 기사에

의하면, 52억 파운드라는 막대한 금액으로 현재 건조 중인 2척의 차기 항모중 1척에 대해서는 헬기탑재 상륙함으로 규모를

줄일 것을 영국 재무성이 요구하고 있다는 보도입니다.

 

두번째 기사, 30일字 Telegraph 기사는, 영국 해군이 F-35B STOVL 기 대신 상대적으로 저렴한 F-35C 를 구입할 가능성이

있다는 보도입니다. 만약 영국 해군이 F-35B 구입 계획을 철회하고 F-35C 구입을 결정한다면, 일단 미국과의 외교 마찰은

불가피 할 것으로 보이며, 경제적으로도 F-35 JSF 사업에 참여하고 있는 Rolls-Royce 社를 포함 영국 기업들에게도 영향

이 미칠 것이라는 보도입니다.

 

끝으로 세번째 기사, 31일字 영국 The Times 紙 기사를 인용한 로이터 통신 기사에 의하면, 영국과 프랑스가 항공모함을

공동으로 운용하는 계획을 11월 양국 정상회담을 통해 발표할 가능성이 있다는 소식입니다. The Times 기사와 관련하여

다른 영국 언론들은 일단 "Speculation", 추측성 기사로 평가 하면서도 모든 가능성은 열려 있다는 후속 보도를 하고 있습

니다. 이와 관련하여 영국 국방성은 언급을 거부했다는 소식입니다. (참고로 The Times 기사는 유료로 제공됩니다.)

 

결론적으로 아래 소개하는 3개의 최근 기사는 앞서 설명한 바와 같이, 영국이 현재 겪고 있는 재정위기로 인한 국방 예산

감축에서 오는 내용들로써, 특히 F-35B 구입에 있어서는 도입 물량의 축소 혹은 도입 모델의 변경 등 어떤 형태로의 수정

은 이루어 질 것으로 판단이 되는 내용이라 할 수 있습니다.

 

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Britain forced to borrow U.S. jets to fly from our NEW aircraft carriers as cutbacks bite

Daily Mail, By Tim Shipman

Last updated at 8:29 AM on 25th August 2010

 

Britain will be forced to borrow U.S. warplanes to fly from the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers because of defence cuts, the Daily Mail can reveal.

 

The Navy's Harrier Jump Jets - the aircraft that won renown in the Falklands conflict - are to be retired early leaving the two new carriers with no aircraft when they come into service.

 

Under the plans, the U.S. Marines would be invited to fly from the British carriers in joint operations and the Navy is also examining the prospect of leasing aircraft from the Americans.

 

Major costs savings are necessary because the Treasury budget for the carriers only covers the costs of building an empty shell 一 leaving no money for the aircraft to fly from them.

 

A senior military source said: 'The U.S. Marines have the aircraft. Their aircraft would fly from the British carriers. Or we could borrow some from them.

 

'The Treasury are happy to pay for the carriers but there's an issue over the cost of the aircraft.'

 

The carriers are due to enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively and the remaining Harriers, famous for their ability to take off and land vertically, are currently due to be retired in 2018.

 

But bringing that date forward, which would save more than £1billion and could happen as early as the end of next year, would leave the Navy with a capability gap that would have to be filled by the Americans before Joint Strike Fighter aircraft become available in 2018.

 

Rather than 'salami slice' kit from every area, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has decided to give up major capabilities that let Britain fight wars alone, and rely on American support in future conflicts instead.

 

The RAF is set to abandon its 'spy in the sky' aerial surveillance planes because the U.S. can provide the intelligence material instead. That is likely to mean the cancellation of new Nimrod aircraft.

 

In order to pay for the new aircraft carriers, which will cost a total of £5.2billion, the Navy is expected to have to sacrifice its amphibious landing capability.

 

The source added: 'It comes down to a choice between carrier strike capability and amphibious landing 一 and they're not going to give up the carriers.'

 

That means the Royal Marines and the Army would have to rely on American assault ships if they wanted to launch a seaborne invasion like the Falklands in future.

 

'There are going to be some very painful decisions,' the source said.

 

'But the plan is to sacrifice some capabilities so that we can keep the kit where we really need it.'

 

Chancellor George Osborne has also asked the Ministry of Defence to find budget savings of between 10 and 20 per cent.

 

One carrier may be axed to save money but Navy chiefs would rather fight for them both.

 

But to pay for them, the second may be downgraded to carry helicopters rather than jets. Ministers are also examining whether they can share some costs with the French navy.

 

Fighter that helped win Falklands War

 

The British Harrier Jump Jet was the first in the world to be able to take off in a very short distance and land vertically without a runway.

 

A mainstay of the Fleet Air Arm since 1960, its finest hour was the 1982 conflict to recover the Falklands, when the planes shot down 20 Argentine aircraft without suffering a single loss in return.

 

The Harrier's primary role is air defence, operating from Royal Navy aircraft carriers. It was instrumental in protecting the Falklands Task Force from serious losses at the hands of the Argentine air force.

 

The last Sea Harriers operated by the Fleet Air Arm were withdrawn from service in 2006, leaving Navy and RAF pilots using the GR9 ground attack variant of the aircraft.

 

There are 45 Harriers left, but the jet is due to go out of service by 2018 to be replaced by a variant of the U.S.-made Joint Strike Fighter.

 

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

 

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Jump jets to fall victim to spending cuts

New jump jets for the next generation of Royal Navy aircraft carriers will be cancelled to save money.

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent, Telegraph

Published: 9:00AM BST 30 Aug 2010

 

In a move that could put hundreds of British manufacturing jobs at risk, defence chiefs are ready to abandon plans to buy a vertical-landing fighter jet for the Royal Navy.

 

Instead, a cheaper conventional-landing warplane will replace the Navy’s Harriers when they retire.

 

The decision is the first to emerge from the Strategic Defence Review to have direct consequences for British industry. Rolls Royce will be hard hit by the move, which could also strain British relations with the US.

 

The Navy is buying two new aircraft carriers at a cost of more than £5 billion. Army and RAF chiefs have questioned that plan and suggested that one carrier should be scrapped or shared with the French navy.

 

Attempting to defend the carriers, Royal Navy chiefs are seeking cuts elsewhere in their planned spending.

 

Aircraft carriers now in service carry Harrier jets, which are can take off from a short runway and land vertically by directing the blast of their engines downwards.

 

The next generation of carriers are expected to carry US-made Joint Strike Fighters.

 

Originally, the Navy was planning to buy a specially-adapted short take-off vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the JSF, which would take off and land on the carriers much as Harriers do now.

 

However, developing and building the special STOVL version of the JSF would cost more than buying the conventional version, and insiders say that cost cannot be justified.

 

The military value of vertical landing has also been questioned by senior officers, who say conventional fighters are more useful because they can fly further and faster and carry more weapons.

 

Using conventional jets would also make it easier to conduct joint operations with allies including the US and France, whose carriers

 

As a result of those calculations, the STOVL aircraft is set to be scrapped in favour of the cheaper conventional JSF, which would be launched from the new carriers using catapults.

 

In recent weeks, the MoD has quietly commissioned design work on catapults to launch jets from the new carriers, due to enter service in 2014 and 2016.

 

Because construction work on the ships is still at an early stage, adapting their designs to accommodate conventional aircraft is said to be relatively easy.

 

In addition, a team of 12 Royal Navy pilots has been sent to the US to train with conventional take-off aircraft on carriers.

 

Much of the specialised engine system for the STOVL jet is being made by Rolls Royce in Bristol, and the switch would jeopardise hundreds of jobs there.

 

The decision to abandon the STOVL jet could be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the National Security Council next week, although ministers are aware that the move could be controversial.

 

Giving up on the STOVL aircraft could lead to accusations of waste, since the Ministry of Defence has already spent more than £500 million on the programme.

 

But insiders say the overall saving of buying standard fighters instead will more than justify writing off that spending.

 

Pulling out of the STOVL project could also strain British relations with the US. The STOVL jet is being jointly developed with the US Marine Corps, and without British involvement, US costs are likely to increase.

 

Government sources said ministers will blame the previous administration for the need to change plans on the carriers and their aircraft.

 

A source said: “Labour chose the wrong type of aircraft and the wrong configuration of carrier, and they wasted a lot of money doing it. What’s going on now is about trying to fix that mess.”

 

An MoD spokesman said: “The Defence Secretary has made clear that tough decisions will need to be made but the complex process of a Strategic Defence and Security Review will be concluded in the Autumn and speculation at this stage about its outcome is entirely unfounded.”

 

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Britain, France to share aircraft carriers - paper

Tue Aug 31, 12:49am BST

 

LONDON (Reuters) 一 Britain and France are getting ready to unveil plans to share aircraft carriers amid pressure on the British military to cut costs, the Times reported on Tuesday.

 

Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicholas Sarkozy were expected to announce the proposal at a November summit, the Times said, quoting an unidentified British naval source for its information.

 

No immediate comment was available from British officials on the report.

 

Earlier this month, a Defence Ministry source told Reuters that Britain might cancel one or both of its planned new aircraft carriers to cut costs, though there were no plans to scale back the country's nuclear deterrent.

 

The proposal involving France would make it easier for Britain to scrap or downgrade one of the two replacement carriers under construction, the Times said.

 

The newspaper said the proposal would ensure that one of three ships 一 one French and two British 一 would always patrol the seas.

 

"Using each other's carriers would require decisions to be made at the strategic level so that national aims on any given operation would be the same," the naval source was quoted as saying.

 

The Defence Ministry is conducting a sweeping review of Britain's future military needs and ways to provide capability more cheaply.

 

(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; editing by Ralph Gowling)

 

© Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved.

 

 

  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier (illustrate) ⓒ BAE Systems