Search found 288 matches

by Tony Williams
23 Jan 2017, 10:14
Forum: Political Discussions
Topic: The Future of the Armed Forces
Replies: 9
Views: 998

Re: The Future of the Armed Forces

My edited notes on the presentations: Julian Lewis We cannot predict the next war (recent wars were all unexpected) so it is essential to adopt flexibility in organising, equipping and training the armed forces. The MoD has identified three tiers of warfare to prepare for, in priority order: 1. Terr...
by Tony Williams
21 Jan 2017, 09:25
Forum: Political Discussions
Topic: The Future of the Armed Forces
Replies: 9
Views: 998

The Future of the Armed Forces

This evening (Sat 21 Jan) at 9.00 pm on the BBC Parliament channel is the first of a lecture series called "Speaker's House", which will feature Julian Lewis MP (Conservative chairman of the Defence Select Committee) speaking on the subject "The Future of the Armed Forces".
by Tony Williams
08 Jun 2016, 08:58
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Saint Helena (British Overseas Territory)
Replies: 23
Views: 1889

Re: Saint Helena (British Overseas Territory)

What about the windshear problem? It sounds rather bad in this article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/st-helena-airport-opening-postponed-again-a7002226.html ...and especially this one: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3622981/The-250m-island-airport-jets-t-land-windy-guess-aid-money-payi...
by Tony Williams
14 Apr 2016, 11:17
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Aircraft with oversized guns:
Replies: 35
Views: 1591

Re: Aircraft with oversized guns:

1. Which one of the GAU tank killer rounds is in the picture? (Borrowing from globalsecurity.org: "A typical combat load for the GAU-8 would include 1,100 rounds of 30mm high explosive or armor piercing ammunition. The 30mm API is mixed with 30mm High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) at the factory ...
by Tony Williams
14 Apr 2016, 09:17
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Aircraft with oversized guns:
Replies: 35
Views: 1591

Re: Aircraft with oversized guns:

I thought the present day 23mm Mauser was a fast one. - adjusted from fighter planes to the close-up defence of German "stabilization" frigates I think you meant to type 27mm... By the way, you might be interested in the pic below from my website, concerning post-WW2 aircraft gun ammo: ht...
by Tony Williams
13 Apr 2016, 10:11
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Aircraft with oversized guns:
Replies: 35
Views: 1591

Re: Aircraft with oversized guns:

The NR-23 and AM-23 were two different gun designs, although they used basically the same ammo (slightly modified for the AM-23). Other aircraft guns using the 23x115 ammo were the NS-23 (late WW2, replaced by the NR-23), the famous twin-barrel GSh-23, and the six-barrel GSh-6-23 which achieved over...
by Tony Williams
13 Apr 2016, 07:46
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Aircraft with oversized guns:
Replies: 35
Views: 1591

Re: Aircraft with oversized guns:

ArmChairCivvy wrote:They (the Soviets) were the last to give up on rear gunners.

Though the 27 mm (twin?) can't be called oversized, it probably was quite peppery, as for the muzzle velocity?
Did you mean 37mm?
by Tony Williams
12 Apr 2016, 08:35
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Aircraft with oversized guns:
Replies: 35
Views: 1591

Re: Aircraft with oversized guns:

Old RN wrote:In terms of oversize guns didn't the Mig 15 have a 37mm cannon as standard?
Yes, as did a few other Soviet fighters of the 1950s. The muzzle velocity of the N-37 was low, though, which didn't help hit probability, so it was mainly intended for use against heavy bombers.
by Tony Williams
09 Apr 2016, 08:19
Forum: British Army
Topic: Starstreak HVM
Replies: 43
Views: 27944

Re: Starstreak HVM

The advantage of the simplicity of the beam rider is also a drawback, particularly if the target is fast and the missile is slow, because the missile isn't smart enough to cut the corner. That said, it might be possible to make the guidance system that smart. I vaguely recall a radio beam rider fro...
by Tony Williams
06 Apr 2016, 10:36
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

I think the "wounding intent" is post-event rationalising rather than anything to do with the original choice. That is my feeling also. As I understand it, British infantry are trained to keep pressing an attack, leaving the wounded to be dealt with by medics. Otherwise the attack will gr...
by Tony Williams
29 Mar 2016, 08:08
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Ok, comming under contact is a very emotive, being in a patrol base surrounded by unfriendlies and some way off from a CLP. Then on top of that having ROE that restrict the use of area denial weapons. PID, courageous restraint etc. Then witnessing the sheer ammount of rounds used to suppress the un...
by Tony Williams
28 Mar 2016, 08:46
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Have you ever been in a contact? No, I have never been in the services - but I listen to a lot of people who have. I recall one quote given at a conference by a senior British officer from around the peak of the Afghan fighting: "The Taliban ignore 5.56mm fire, respect 7.62mm and fear .50 cal....
by Tony Williams
27 Mar 2016, 14:12
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Considering that "99%" of shots "miss" we are probably better off with 5.56. More rounds carried means additional chance for that magic "1%" According to the analysis I provided a link to above, 7.62mm is twice as effective at suppression as 5.56mm, weight for weight (...
by Tony Williams
27 Mar 2016, 11:53
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Ellis's Datebook on World War 2 gives the following percentages of battle wounds to British soldiers: Mortar, grenade, bomb, shell: 75% Bullet, anti-tank mine: 10% Landmine, booby trap: 10% Other 5%. However, he also notes that there was great variation in the percentages attributed to bullet wounds...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 20:27
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Using things like Load From a Disc, Hornady Ballistics calculator, Powley computer and the velocity estimator from shootersnotes.com I came up with a 75 gr bullet (estimated at 0.41 ballistic Coefficient), muzzle energy of 1324 lb-ft. (same as 556), energy at 500 yards of 549 (close to a 6.8 spc) w...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 09:04
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

there was also the .280 Ross. But it is interesting that the optimal round seams to be around 6.5 to 7mm which the studies in the late 19th and early 20th C indicated as well. It isn't just the calibre that matters: the .280 Ross is a powerful cartridge, almost in the Magnum class by modern standar...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 08:58
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Tony, been meaning to ask, have you got any experience with the 6.25? I've read that it had good potential but was dropped because the '77 trials spec'd 556 as an upper limit. The prototype 6.25mm as tested was just a necked-down 7x43, so had a very fat case for the calibre (same diameter as 7.62x5...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 07:49
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Just like with 7.62x 51mm & 5.56x45mm as opposed to 7x43mm and 4.85x49mm had we gone British Depends on how you look at it. The 7x43 was designed to meet US long-range requirements which the British thought were unnecessary. Before then, a lot of work had been done by the British Small Arms Cal...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 07:32
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Intermediate rounds will only be selected if the US Army goes for one. Until the US Army does not move, the British Army won't, either. Absolutely. Interestingly, various parts of the US Army (ARDEC, AMU and also funding for a Textron study) have carried out research into the optimum squad rifle/MG...
by Tony Williams
26 Mar 2016, 07:29
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

I find the mention of "intermediate" rifle cartridges as interesting a 7.62x51 is an intermediate cartridge and was designed to be so. "Intermediate" means whatever you want it to mean. It has also been used to describe 5.56x45 (intermediate in power between 7.62x51 and 9x19). I...
by Tony Williams
25 Mar 2016, 13:31
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

It does raise the possibility of buying a weapon in NATO standard but being able to run experiments with alternative calibres like Tony William's (and other's) General Purpose Cartridge. If you an run with 7.62mm and 5.56mm then you can run most things in-between. Yes. The advantage of most 7.62mm ...
by Tony Williams
25 Mar 2016, 13:29
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

but having sections with 50% carrying 5.56mm and 50% carrying 7.62 causes serious logistics problems and interoperability problems when you are aren't operating from a fixed base. having a single type of ammunition means redistribution of ammunition is simpler. I agree entirely, which is one reason...
by Tony Williams
24 Mar 2016, 15:03
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

Well, in that case it's Lewis Machine Tools M4/M16 derivative for me. There would be some logic to that, in that the design, handling etc would be a close match for the LMT 7.62mm L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle already in service, thereby simplifying training. Although I'd like to see more L129A1 bought...
by Tony Williams
24 Mar 2016, 09:18
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: RRS Sir David Attenborough
Replies: 54
Views: 5323

Re: Name our new polar research ship

A fascinating mixture of the serious and silly, with the silly getting most votes. I see that Boaty is still winning by miles, but of the other silly ones I like "It's Bloody Cold Here", also "What Iceberg?" More seriously, perhaps they should follow the examples of pedigree hors...
by Tony Williams
24 Mar 2016, 09:04
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431758

Re: Section infantry weapons

The BA will want an off-the-shelf purchase, preferably already in service or at least ordered by a big user. There is no company in the UK currently set up to churn out automatic rifles at a high rate, and there really would be no point in creating one. It would involve acquiring a factory and loads...