Cyprus-Forum.com

[paliometoxo]

nice lasers like star wars

[Bananiot]

I was thinking in terms of some people urging us to enter into an arms race with Turkey. This kind of stupidity is also highlighted by the call to keep pointing an accusing finger at the stupid Franks who make up for about 80% of our tourist income. Perhaps we can make up by selling these laser things. We only need to invent them or send a spy to steal the prototype.

[Paphitis]

I was thinking in terms of some people urging us to enter into an arms race with Turkey. This kind of stupidity is also highlighted by the call to keep pointing an accusing finger at the stupid Franks who make up for about 80% of our tourist income. Perhaps we can make up by selling these laser things. We only need to invent them or send a spy to steal the prototype.

You are absolutely right!!!

Why enter into a costly arms race when we can negotiate away basic human and democratic rights. Brilliant idea!!!

Do you know that Greece and Turkey are engaged in an arms race?

[Bananiot]

That is exactly the response I expected from you Paphitis. It shows how much you care about this island. You want us to engage in an arms race with a huge country with huge resources which will debilitate our economy and destroy the moral of people. You want us to engage in a project which will have only one winner and thus play into the hands of Turkey. Tell more as to how Greece is involved in an arms race with Turkey.

[Paphitis]

"The [US] Defense Department is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop lasers that can blast rockets, artillery, and mortars out of the sky. By the end of the year [2008], military researchers promise, those lasers should be at battlefield strength. "

This is from recent news release. Lasers pulse at the speed of light, thus obviating any need for complex target tracking systems. If they can bring down a rocket they can bring down a jet plane. What does the above mean for costly air forces and the vast infrastructures (airports, fuel depots, maintenance, pilot training) that keep them going?

Very interesting claims.

I am looking forward to any back up evidence.

But I dare say that all this will mean very little for air forces around the world, because if this technology is available you can rest assured that combat aircraft manufacturers will also develop a defensive countermeasure against these laser beams. Also keep in mind that this technology would not be released and sold to other nations for a very long time, which means the US would be the only nation with this capability, unless Russia or France also develop similar technologies.

Also, such a laser would have to be very powerful in order to knock out a jet fighter travelling at Mach 1.2 to Mach 2.5 at 45,000ft. These days aircraft can release their ordnance from 150 kms away - fire and forget.

Read this link, and you would realise that such "Laser Beams" may still be good target practice for a suitably equipped air force.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/jassm.htm

I would say that such technology is a long way off from being effective, and the level of F 22 Raptor and Joint Strike Fighter orders further reinforces this, even though a slight reduction in investment was approved by Congress, probably due to the current economic crisis.

Over 2,800 orders for the JSF alone!!! Worth 150 Billion USD in Research and Development. The 150 Billion does not include the cost of the 2,800 aircraft. And on top of this is the Raptor, Rafale and Eurofighter. This is a Trillion Dollar industry which is showing no sign of any slow down.

F-22 Cut Would Threaten Jsf, Air Force Says
Seattle Times Staff: Seattle Times News Services

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Air Force may have to delay or withdraw from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, a $150 billion effort to build more than 2,800 planes for several military services, if Congress approves a cut in funding for the F-22 fighter, The Wall Street Journal reported today, citing U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Ryan.

Such a withdrawal could be a major blow to Seattle-based Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the two companies competing to build the JSF, a plane that would work in tandem with the F-22, the Journal reported.

Uncertainty over the JSF program poses problems for the Pentagon as well; the F-22 is the top Air Force priority; the JSF is more important to the Marine Corps.

U.S. House members, who approved a $1.8 billion cut in F-22 spending, and senators, who approved the full amount requested by President Clinton, will meet by September to reconcile the defense spending bills.

[Paphitis]

That is exactly the response I expected from you Paphitis. It shows how much you care about this island. You want us to engage in an arms race with a huge country with huge resources which will debilitate our economy and destroy the moral of people. You want us to engage in a project which will have only one winner and thus play into the hands of Turkey. Tell more as to how Greece is involved in an arms race with Turkey.

Think about what you say Bananiot and then come back and we can have an intelligent discussion. Greece and Turkey are in an arms race. Turkey has recently ordered additional F-16 Block 52 aircraft, taking her total to some 500 aircraft. She is also a signatory to the F-35 JSF program, and will place an order for 100 aircraft.

Greece on the other hand is currently assessing the F-35 JSF, Rafale and Eurofighter. In fact, Greece has placed an order for Eurofighter aircraft and will get delivery of these aircraft before Turkey obtains her F-35s, which gives the HAF and jump start in capability and ensures Greek air superiority for the next 10 years. When Turkey obtains her F-35s, then Turkey will have the edge until Greece purchases the F-35 or goes 1 better and purchases the F-22 Raptor.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent. ... gre09.html

Read the above link, it is especially interesting. You see Greece is not a defeatist nation like we are!!

http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-ne ... no_cache=1

Both nations have spent Billions purchasing state of the art German conventional Submarines, Frigates, Destroyers, Surveillance Aircraft, Tanks, Air Defence weapons. It is tit for tat, and so far Greece is ahead of the technology race - only just.

Cyprus can not compete with this. But Cyprus could invest in relatively cheap S2A Air Defence systems which are specifically designed to counter a particular air force and it's inventory.

[pantheman]

Paphiti,

save it, its no good telling that to the likes of Bananiot. he would just expect us all to line up, bend over and be grateful for what we are about to recieve.

God the suspense is killing me, from where this man hails.

But good to know that at least some Greeks won't take Turkish shit that easily.

[Bananiot]

Pantheman, get it into your thick head. You are not a Greek. You are just a barbarian that has learned Greek. Read the classics, at least you may get a thin coating of Greekness. On second thought, you wouldn't understand them, it would be like double Dutch to you.

Paphitis, Papadopoulos took 80 million pounds from us, the tax payers, for the defence funds during his five year tenure. He spent not one penny on defence! You see, the more patriotic you want to appear, the bigger the scoundrel you are. Perhaps you can direct a question at him. Why did you neglect our defence? May be he knows something we do not know, then, he might just be a bigger traitor than Bananiot.

[DT.]

Those who are in power and meddle with the NG as if it is some sort of an indicator to be lowered or increased with fiscal policy should be jailed for treason. No one regardless of who's in govt has the right to mess with the protection of the people and the defenders of the islands sovereignty no matter how weak or strong that force is.

Questions need to be asked of both the previous administration and the current one on what happened to those funds. They were both in power and they share responsibility. AKEL now seem determined to disband the NG regardless of whether or not a solution is near.

Any reservists out there will understand what I mean.

[Paphitis]

Pantheman, get it into your thick head. You are not a Greek. You are just a barbarian that has learned Greek. Read the classics, at least you may get a thin coating of Greekness. On second thought, you wouldn't understand them, it would be like double Dutch to you.

Paphitis, Papadopoulos took 80 million pounds from us, the tax payers, for the defence funds during his five year tenure. He spent not one penny on defence! You see, the more patriotic you want to appear, the bigger the scoundrel you are. Perhaps you can direct a question at him. Why did you neglect our defence? May be he knows something we do not know, then, he might just be a bigger traitor than Bananiot.

Listen here Bananiot, Defence is a sovereign right of any nation. It costs big bucks to properly invest in hardware and training. But a nation like Cyprus has no other choice. To degrade our defence is socially irresponsible.

It is tantamount to walking all alone in a dark alley full of gangsters and not having a means to defend yourself. It is dangerous and stupid.

I am not going to ask Papadopoulos anything. If what you allege is true, then I will condemn it. But I will also honour him because at least he was not bargaining and trading our human and democratic rights.