Surely you're missing the point, focusing entirely on the air defence aspect of these jets.
what makes the F-5E type attractive for the air corps is its CAS capability. Given the changes in peace support missions, the whole fact is that the training regime of the army has to change, and the air corps inventory should reflect that( something the PC-9 can't do), In any modern combat operation the use of air support is vital, if troops aren't trained in calling in air support or indeed defending against attack, then no matter how good their individual training is, then they're not properly trained. And while possibly overseas exercises might assist the army develop its expertise, the training regime needed over the next ten years would suggest that the investment in a small force of 12 light fighters would be worth it, and the fact that they'ld have a limited air defence capability wld be a bonus. As the person who may have put this idea into C-Qs head, I never really thought that we'ld have two jets permantly available to scramble in case the isle of man invaded our air space,only on certain high risk occassions. Its actually quite hard to hit a building with a commercial aeroplane, the twin towers were massive buildings, impossible to miss.
what makes the F-5E type attractive for the air corps is its CAS capability. Given the changes in peace support missions, the whole fact is that the training regime of the army has to change, and the air corps inventory should reflect that( something the PC-9 can't do), In any modern combat operation the use of air support is vital, if troops aren't trained in calling in air support or indeed defending against attack, then no matter how good their individual training is, then they're not properly trained. And while possibly overseas exercises might assist the army develop its expertise, the training regime needed over the next ten years would suggest that the investment in a small force of 12 light fighters would be worth it, and the fact that they'ld have a limited air defence capability wld be a bonus. As the person who may have put this idea into C-Qs head, I never really thought that we'ld have two jets permantly available to scramble in case the isle of man invaded our air space,only on certain high risk occassions. Its actually quite hard to hit a building with a commercial aeroplane, the twin towers were massive buildings, impossible to miss.
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