I must admit I took it as the RN dreaming that their unsecured budget was bigger, only for reality to bite later when it’s too late. The only way this has a chance IMO is that this class is the only new one in the 2030s. Definitely has a ring of truth to that. With the perennial personnel shortages...

It's been nearly a month now The writing has been on the wall since the end of last year Well quite. I don't think anyone seriously thought, at least for a long time, we'd be splitting an order for 12 identical ships with the Dutch... What interested me was the line about how the "budget is di...

.... well. That's the end of that:



Guessing we're too poor.

Didn't seen that coming... https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1777755252311130197?t=0FY-tcAsmJo9_2lTtfSVng&s=19 Flat-top The concept that was shown to the three MPs from NSC, PVV and GroenLinks-PvdA in the Suze Groeneweg Hall of the House of Representatives, has a flight deck with four spotl...

AUKUS is all about China and helping Pacific allies get up to speed with the US/UK technologically, so Japan is a natural fit. Japan lags behind in non-conventional defence so the 2nd pillar is an appropriate stage to join. You can argue they also could use a nuclear sub but a military project that...

Stealth has become the new "Mach 2+ capability". Assumed to be vital for every platform irrespective of cost. That the USN operates an outrageously expensive (2x F-35A and rising ), low-observation, tanker drone is perhaps the peak of modern combat air vogue... 1) It is quite essential fo...

I can’t really think where they would have mounted a podded radar system that would not of been comprised for air to air with fuselage blanking in some part of the field of view. I think that was clutching at straws. The gr9 was mid 00s upgrade. The problem in 2010 would have been how many could be...

Unfortunate timing. Though a useful reminder that all advanced navies have issues with their platforms and systems. The Danish Armed Forces announced today a “technical problem” involving a Harpoon onboard the frigate Niels Juel, which is currently in harbor at Naval Station Korsør, on the Danish is...

Incredible photos! Nice flying.

Do we know what the new assembly process will be once the hall's finished? Are the old triple sheds going to be used for putting together 'superblocks', or will that all be done in the new one?

There was no way they were integrating a radar to the harrier fleet in 2010 it would have taken too many airframes out of service to do it, if it was to be one of the two fastjet types to remain because it would have needed to go back to Afghanistan. Over the years, I've seen mentions of a Blue Vix...

Should we have kept the Sea Harrier https://twitter.com/nicholadrummond/status/1773751780276342816?s=20 With the benefit of hindsight, a variety of poor decisions based on poor assumptions. 1) That JSF/JCA was going to enter service in 2012 (and in numbers). Which was the justification for binning ...

HDMS Iver Huitfeldt heading home for an early bath, after going up against the Iranian Houthi proxies. https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1775154472605368812?t=qELGVjYLgzNIIoCUHSZ88w&s=19 https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Deens-fregat-werd-aangevallen-in-Rode-Zee-maar-kanon-en-radar-werkten-ni...

EXCLUSIVE - HMS Queen Elizabeth Ski-jump ramp removed! (Royal Navy/MoD) As part of the Royal Navy's Future Maritime Artillery Force (FMAS) programme, the 12.5 degree ski-ramp of HMS Queen Elizabeth has been successfully removed from the bow of the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier, which is currently d...

"Not all" doing some very heavy lifting there Ron! Sorry but what does that mean? This particular idea from Parker has been dropped. It was agreeing with you. Suggesting that a great many of Parker's other concepts (particularly in supply chain and distributed build) have similarly gone o...

The National Shipbuilding Strategy said Starting with the Type 31e, the Royal Navy will determine the optimum economic service life for each future class of ship and this will be fixed at Main Gate. This will balance initial purchase costs and through life costs against the costs of upgrading capab...

I don't think either are correct. The Navy intends the T31's to have a regular service life and the NSS doesn't mention Parker's idea of selling on "young" ships. Not all of his recommendations were adopted. "Not all" doing some very heavy lifting there Ron! We might all want mo...

It's the Eurasian Times, whatever agenda that article serves it's certainly not aligned with that of the UK... To put it very mildly.

The phrase "Royal Army" should probably rule it out from being taken seriously too.

This book maybe of interest on transport aircraft topics https://www.crecy.co.uk/on-atlas-shoulder On Atlas' Shoulders: RAF Transport Aircraft Projects Since 1945 The coanda effect is used to aid lift by inservice aircraft today namely c17. An excellent book with some very unexpected aircraft that ...

Re the AW681, I seem to recall that Lockheed offered a Hercules based project, with a UK designed STOL wing and RR Tyne engines. It would have given C130J levels of performance 30 years earlier. Lockeed understood the UK's excellence in Wing design even then, a really doable trans Atlantic project ...

On the subject of TSR-2 the RAeS had a fantastic series of lectures on the topic about eight months ago (July 2023): https://www.youtube.com/@Aerosociety/videos

So, rather than polluting other threads with misty eyed dreams about lost or cancelled projects and 'missed opportunities', I thought I'd go ahead and create a thread... [mods - hope this is OK?] Do you dream of gigantic, angular, variable geometry triangles from Barnes Wallis; rocket powered interc...

Not to piss everyone off... I'd have probably favoured a UK spec Mirage IV-B, with a British powerplant and lots more buccaneers. In 20/20 hindsight, a transonic or supersonic Buccaneer variant (as outlined in Ray Boot's wonderful autobiography) would have been the best answer. Would have tagged mo...

True enough, but at the time we were also building a new class of very expensive SSBN.... oh wait.... :D How much did the tosser waste by ordering F-111's and then cancelling the order? Wilson's mob was dazzled by supposed Yankee technical superiority. Too dumb to realize it was actually superior Y...

I think Labour's union connections, and the value of thousands of highly skilled jobs Didn't stop the tosser Healey from cancelling TSR2. True enough, but at the time we were also building a new class of very expensive SSBN.... oh wait.... :D In all seriousness, along with P.1154 and HS.681 the RAF...

Breaking news out of Germany. The Bundeswehr has finaly decided (they took their time for so long) to acquire 123 of the Australian Boxer CRV block 2 for their needs. This mean the manned Lance turret with Spike Atgm missiles. https://x.com/Jeff21461/status/1770476323447644525?s=20 At c.€15.5m per ...