Why UK didn't buy F117 Nighthawk

theaviationgeekclub.com... itish-mod-declined-the-proposal-heres-why/

Interesting article about why Thatcher did not take up Reagan's offer to sell these to the RAF.

Thoughts?

It brings home once again who our real friends are.

-From the article. Thatcher to Reagan, 1986

As a Yankee, this hurt (to see what's been lost over the years).

Anyway on topic, remember the era and that the Soviet Union was very much alive. Maybe a missed opportunity, but I can understand the British not wanting to risk the complications that getting caught with "unofficial" American military hardware would bring.

I think you guys were holding out for something else.
Perhaps a bit miffed it wasnt a fighter and didnt really have the payload capacity nor the legs like a Vulcan did? In all honesty it was probably because the RAF didnt see the need to spend money on an aircraft like that.

There couldve been some really nice images of those sitting out in the dark forest at Bentwaters or Woodbridge airbases.

Now why would UK keep secret the true potential of its air craft?
you realy thing they tell ever one just how good they are?

UK does not Need second hand tec!

originally posted by: gb540

It brings home once again who our real friends are.

-From the article. Thatcher to Reagan, 1986

As a Yankee, this hurt (to see what's been lost over the years).

Totally agree. Reagan and Thatcher don't get near enough credit from historians for their leadership during the last full decade of the Cold War, largely because said historians are butthurt over what parties both of them belonged to.

On topic, I wouldn't be surprised if part of it was Thatcher not wanting to bite off more than they could chew. Don't forget, the U.K. went through a lot of economic turmoil in her time due to their failed flirtations with socialism. Their economy was rocky enough, maybe she didn't want to overcommit to trying to do too much all at once.

a reply to: face23785

The UK defense budget wouldn't have allowed them to buy more than a couple, unless the US helped a lot with maintaining them. They would have dumped most of their budget into a small fleet of F-117s, and not had the money for much else, unless they wanted to increase their budget to unsustainable levels.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

An interesting read, and shows the real friendship between Reagan and Thatcher.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

If you look at the threats that the UK was facing at the time they needed long range bombers and aircraft capable of long ranged CAP. Neither of which was really a natural task for the F117.

a reply to: AaarghZombies

Yes, good point.

It was a bomb truck. Unable to perform anything in daylight. Needing lots of inflight refueling. Not what the RAF needed. Tornados were very effective once they got laser designators

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

wasn't this at the point of project greenglow? which evolved to become Replica/F35/Tempest.. and a few streams of tech including quantum cameras and quantum positioning.