UK Defence Forum

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-20/u-k-reaches-2-billion-deal-to-buy-boeing-s-chinook-helicopters?sref=IYQ5mP1s The letter serves as “acknowledgment that the UKG wishes to extend its Chinook Vertical Heavy Lift capability by proceeding with the acquisition of quantity fourteen (14) n...

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2021/04/airbus-a400m-conducts-major-helicopter-refuelling-certification-campaign.html The campaign took place in day and night conditions over the west coast of France at between 1,000 ft and 10,000 ft and flight speeds as low as 105 knots. During th...

The main dock at Harland and Wolff Belfast is 550m long the second dock 350m.

This will bring a flood of comments https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14651188/navys-hms-queen-elizabeth-leak/ THE Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier has sprung a leak — just weeks before she sets off on her maiden round-the-world voyage. Thousands of gallons of salt water flooded the 65,000-ton HMS Queen...

https://www.janes.com/amp/leonardo-to-unveil-uk-new-medium-helicopter-demonstrator/ZnlJK3dHVU9mZ28xajRJVkc5dVI5VFp1cVMwPQ2?__twitter_impression=true Leonardo is to unveil a demonstrator helicopter at its Yeovil plant in Somerset in May to spearhead its bid to win the UK’s recently announced New Medi...

Oops hope this one works better

https://uk.leonardocompany.com/en/innov ... st/podcast

https://teamtempest.podbean.com/e/episode-2-–-check-information-advantage/ With the title ‘Global Britain in a Competitive Age’, the Integrated Review has been described as the most radical assessment of the UK’s place in the world since the end of the Cold War and reveals a seismic shift in emphasi...

I’d be hoping that the mrvp program is more future variants of foxhound and jackal.

Taking the foreign secretary out it would appear

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fore ... ooperation

It’s a gd question about medium. The mantra for its need over the last 20 years has been around its deployability advantage. I guess though when the vehicles you ordered for it are now all touching the scales at around 40 tonnes you can only describe them as heavy. The strike concept I’ve read remai...

Littoral strike ship going from strength to strength

Dahedd wrote:Is this the Zephyr program with a different name or something new ?

To operate we'd apparently be best to have a base on the equator. Suggestions ?

Zephyr is an airbus program based out of farnbrough.

This is a bae systems program with a similar concept.

Not sure it’s as much of an issue as is implied in the question. From open source information you can work out a rough enough figure of what’s going one these a couple of years old but gd enough Fleet dispositions https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment...

Not sure it’s as much of an issue as is implied in the question. From open source information you can work out a rough enough figure of what’s going one these a couple of years old but gd enough Fleet dispositions https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_...

It doesn’t sell that well. The same qualities that the RN appreciates (in having a work horse for the middle of the Atlantic, in most weathers) has found quite a few customers in niche roles: CSAR, SAR... Could it be a variant of the new European Future Medium Rotorcraft programme that has just got...

I'd like to think given how effective the Merlin is that they would realise the benefit of keeping production going. Just look at how old the Chinook is for example. I’m afraid that’s the problem the RN like it in the asw role but no one else does. It’s generally regarded as large overly complex an...

I don’t think your wrong serge750 I think what your beginning to see is reasoning for why Merlin will be replaced by a smaller rotorcraft.

I’m actually a little surprised there is so much interest in the pusher prop configuration in battlefield helicopters. There has always been a design requirement in battlefield helicopters to ensure the tail rotor was as high off the ground as possible for tail strike/ uneven surface landings ect. ...

I’m actually a little surprised there is so much interest in the pusher prop configuration in battlefield helicopters. There has always been a design requirement in battlefield helicopters to ensure the tail rotor was as high off the ground as possible for tail strike/ uneven surface landings ect.

If your looking at deliveries in the early 2030s they would be expecting to see the early examples of the manned aircraft element out of the tempest program arriving in that time frame.

To a certain extent yes but then they’ve using lots of javelins which are expensive too. I think if your looking at lighter forces being used in more urban areas or areas were there is mixing with civilians the need for precision will increase also. It’s likely the light forces may operate over long...

With new mlrs and hopefully new 155 guns for the heavy units perhaps its worth asking is 105mm guns what the lighter forces require for the roles they going to be doing. As mentioned with acc on another thread is it perhaps time they looked to loitering munitions for the future.

the working assumption was that merlin asw and aew would be replaced with unmanned systems Ohh, well for the latter we can modify a weather balloon to be tethered and carry enough of payload ... but for the former :?: Perhaps along these lines https://www.naval-technology.com/features/fire-scout-asw/

going now to make way for AW-149 will help keep Yeovil going until Merlin replacement around 2035 That would look like a straigth, well arranged time line. BUT - can a medium helo do the Merlin ASW job - it is easier to do the AEW, roll on & off job, especially if there will be a rear ramp (hig...