UK Defence Forum

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOuNJftWAAArvSM.jpg:large Well at least a helicopter has now actually landed on a River. Up until now the pad has been nothing but a winching spot. But from the overhead pic, despite having an onboard crane, when it comes to getting a pretty standard container onboard th...

Nice pic of the first of the new Type 055 commissioned yesterday, the Nanchang, ~13,000 ton, 112 VLS, 64 fwd and 48 aft, launched 28th June 2017. in total 6 launched to date, last 26th Dec. 2019 Win subject to German Parliament approval and protests. Isn't this thread for Royal Navy Current and Fut...

RAF types are fainting all over Whitehall at the very thought. By the way, F-35A's cannot be refueled by RAF's rented tankers. I know this sounds perverse but that's just the way my mind works. But if there were ever to be a split buy it would almost make more sense for the RAF to get a squadron of...

I’d argue that each would require a higher level of self defence capability along the lines being discussed (though personally I’d say adding a 57mm plus a port & starboard 30mm with LMM, would be a good mix). However the rest would be off board systems such as a couple of ASV P950 Autonomous R...

Yeah well, this is a bit dull, but it's news of sorts https://www.naval-technology.com/features/babcock-isupport360-brings-smart-insight-to-naval-asset-maintenance/ Going forward, iFrigate is set to become an integral part of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme, as Babcock plans to embed the ...

Roders96 wrote:Similar was said about T31 itself not long ago. Amazing what happens when things become cost-effective!

T31 (although it didn’t yet have the name) was specifically written into SDSR 2015.

Surfaced launched Spear 3 is a fantasy weapon.

Roders96 wrote:Each one could have 100 SP3 each and still have enough space for 28 camm each.

Pity Vertical Launch SP3 doesn't exist, isn't being developed, hasn't been proposed and isn't funded.

Ron5 wrote:Anyhoo, back to the thread. Here's two slides from Babcock's half yearly financial report:

Thanks Ron, published on Nov 20, which probably explains the timing of order announcement five days previously.

Lots of people confused around purdah and the Type 31 contract signing as well. Purdah doesn't mean government ceases, it just means announcements and politically contentious decisions are put in abeyance. Signing a contract and not announcing it is in fact perfectly fine. Someone letting the cat o...

PhillyJ wrote:I read somewhere that it's because of the upcoming election and Purdah or something, could be a load of BS and they just couldn't be bothered!

Purdah applies to public bodies. It has absolutely no impact on the media, including the BBC.

https://twitter.com/rich_scott2/status/1195357219384102913 https://www.investegate.co.uk/babcock-intnl-group/bab/type-31-contract-win/201911151413386267T/?fe=1&utm_source=FE%20Investegate%20Alerts&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Announcement%20Alert%20Mail&utm_campaign=Babcock%20Intnl%2...

Simon82 wrote:Just in case anybody missed this and might be interested. Compatibility testing of LRASM on the US Navy P-8s...
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ventually/

Thank you Xavier

“LRASM integration on P-8A is not a program requirement.”

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844073/Sir_John_Parker_s_Independent_Review_of_the_National_Shipbuilding_Strategy_2019.pdf The incredibly easy to miss independent review of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (all six pages) - with a few...

So the review of the review is out now... I've totally missed it https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844073/Sir_John_Parker_s_Independent_Review_of_the_National_Shipbuilding_Strategy_2019.pdf Easy to miss - all six pages of it. The most im...

U.S. Wanting to Buy Fewer Chinooks Sees U.K., U.A.E. Buying More https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-22/u-s-wanting-to-buy-fewer-chinooks-sees-u-k-u-a-e-buying-more “I believe we will be the position here very shortly to take the next step for notification to Congress” of a proposed sal...

Rivers in the Caribbean have been given the rationale that by training the local CG personnel we are helping with the upgrading of those "forces" from boats to more capable vessels - I buy into that - but who is going to buy the vessels for them? I think the order placed by Trinidad went ...

The latest rumours I hear is there are hopes that the 3 batch 1 River OPVs will have their funding extended to allow them to continue to operate in UK home waters to around 2027 (at which point they will 25 years old). This will allow the B2 OPVs to be forward deployed, first to the Falklands (Fort...

Well your knowledge seems to be lacking as you only seem to think medical staff can come from the NHS which is clearly bull but don’t let that get in the way. But yes we are off topic Ok, maybe I am obsessed with the NHS. Wonder why that could be. The point is that the N in NHS stands for National,...

Jake1992 wrote:rude twat

reign it in. If you don’t like being called out for being dumb, stop being dumb. Secondly who said the staff have to come from the NHS ? We have a thriving privet health sector along with large organisation like doctors with out boarders where with the right pay and incentives staff could be drawn ...

The role I’d want the HADR vessel to do is HADR globally, medical aid to poorer nations ( like the US hospital ships ) and provided a large high end medical capability to the UK when needed. The bays can only do part of this. I would look to have a pair of these not just one and as we’ve seen with ...