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by Gabriele
30 Jun 2020, 14:18
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

A single helicopter and a few ORCs, from a single Bay. Oh, yeah. They can really go places and do stuff.
by Gabriele
30 Jun 2020, 14:05
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

I frankly couldn't care any less about the Marines not wanting to look like army. If they have a realistic role, ok, otherwise they can disband. The Bay ships can find plenty of other use for HADR, MCM mothership and USV mothership. A forward deployed pre-landing force without a landing force has no...
by Gabriele
30 Jun 2020, 10:22
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

What the fuck even is "marine stuff".

This is a cut, and an half-arsed one which merely delays more reductions to the useless stump that remains to the following SDSR. If it comes to a cut, make it a cut that has actually one hope to help fund something.
by Gabriele
29 Jun 2020, 16:40
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic capability (MHC) (MHPC)
Replies: 957
Views: 311654
Italy

Re: Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic capability (MHC) (MHPC)

It'll also be a couple more years before the Batch 2s are all truly operational, but yes. It might be possible to do it quickly.

I just don't feel like betting on it, considering how things usually go.
by Gabriele
29 Jun 2020, 16:30
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

Let us be clear on one thing, once and for all: the LSS concept was born as a (very) poor man's LPH replacement because the current amphibious fleet's greatest weakness is the lack of aviation facilities. It was conceived with the expectation that there would be 2 LPH covering that side, which quick...
by Gabriele
29 Jun 2020, 10:25
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic capability (MHC) (MHPC)
Replies: 957
Views: 311654
Italy

Re: Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic capability (MHC) (MHPC)

Prior information notice has been published, looking for 3 sets of UUVs, launch and recovery equipment and related payloads for MCM (threshold) and hydrographic (objective) work. They must be compatible with 11 meters motorboat (so any of the ARCIMS and ALCYON classes USVs developed for the Combined...
by Gabriele
29 Jun 2020, 10:08
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

It is in no way more useable or useful, though. It is but a pale shadow of what they can do now. If there is no actual amphibious lift and capability left, the logical consequence must be the immediate disbandment of 3 Commando, the move of 29 RA and 24 RE and the Logistic Regiment and the VIKINGs t...
by Gabriele
27 Jun 2020, 14:39
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Future Littoral Strike Ships
Replies: 888
Views: 358478
Italy

Re: Future Littoral Strike Ships

Single company groups deployments on lone BAY class LSDs have been happening for years under the heading Special Purpose Task Group. A SPTG based on HMS Albion operated into the Pacific in 2018. Lyme Bay in the Med, etcetera. It is literally nothing new. What might be new is the inability to do anyt...
by Gabriele
22 May 2020, 15:39
Forum: British Army
Topic: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)
Replies: 2323
Views: 1031777
Italy

Re: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)

In theory they all have funding lines. They used to be a single mega-programme until... 2014, i think...? I wrote about it in the past, but it's been a while.
by Gabriele
22 May 2020, 15:25
Forum: British Army
Topic: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)
Replies: 2323
Views: 1031777
Italy

Re: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)

What's that- a Challenger 2 modernisation or? What we know as CR2 LEP. Same thing; the programme has had the name Armour MBT 2025 for years to go along with "Armoured Cavalry 2025" (AJAX) and "Armoured Infantry 2026" (WCSP and, in happier days, ABSV before the latter quietly van...
by Gabriele
05 May 2020, 22:53
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 45 Destroyer (Daring Class) (RN) [News Only]
Replies: 1994
Views: 554970
Italy

Re: Type 45 Destroyer (Daring Class) (RN) [News Only]

Repainting the hull just before cutting three massive holes in it to push in new diesels must feel quite... weird.
by Gabriele
30 Apr 2020, 08:49
Forum: British Army
Topic: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)
Replies: 2323
Views: 1031777
Italy

Re: FV4034 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (British Army)

Personally I expect we will retain heavy forces, but wouldn't be surprised if we reduced to one Armoured Infantry brigade's worth of Challenger and Warrior with more emphasis placed on medium forces, unmanned enablers, mobility and protection for light forces, information manoeuvre, artillery, forw...
by Gabriele
06 Apr 2020, 23:12
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper/Protector (UCAV) (RAF)
Replies: 289
Views: 132815
Italy

Re: General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper/Protector (UCAV) (RAF)

31 is no typo; but it does not necessarily mean 39 won't also get Protector. 2 squadrons for 10 Reaper (now less than 10), suggest that 31 Sqn won't be alone either.
by Gabriele
02 Apr 2020, 14:18
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: Joint Helicopter Force
Replies: 145
Views: 70939
Italy

Re: Joint Helicopter Force

The AW169 is to be produced in significant numbers as Italy as selected it as its tri-service (plus police units to boot) light helicopter, mirroring France's approach with the H-160. It will be available in good military configurations, and the italian army has specifically requested to replace the...
by Gabriele
01 Apr 2020, 19:32
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: Joint Helicopter Force
Replies: 145
Views: 70939
Italy

Re: Joint Helicopter Force

Please welcome 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, officially formed today. Finally, after years of hesitations, the restructuring of helicopter elements has started.

Image

And no, in case you are wondering, it is NOT an April's fools.
by Gabriele
24 Mar 2020, 10:56
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1724018
Italy

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

Not all of the B squadrons are 16 strong. 5 of them were already of the 10-aircraft type. On the other hand, all 9 of the 16 jet squadrons are planned to be B units.
by Gabriele
24 Mar 2020, 09:33
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1724018
Italy

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

Mark has gotten it wrong. Only 9 out of 18 USMC squadrons are 16 jets units; the other squadrons already are 10-strong.
by Gabriele
28 Jan 2020, 17:47
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19147
Views: 7056445
Italy

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Drumbeat is a horrendous way to make ships though. All it means is you get less ships, for more cost, over a longer period. It completely erases the efficiency gained from subsequent builds.
That is the British drumbeat. Drumbeat makes perfect sense, if you set it to a timeline that makes sense.
by Gabriele
23 Jan 2020, 10:02
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1724018
Italy

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

It's the symbol of the "Lightning Force" as a whole and the only marking we are going to see on the F-35s bar special colors perhaps appearing in special occasions.
by Gabriele
18 Jan 2020, 20:24
Forum: British Army
Topic: Foxhound Protected Vehicle
Replies: 290
Views: 110894
Italy

Re: Foxhound Protected Vehicle

Foxhound was not built to the same requirement being filled by JLTV. For a long time the MRV(P) requirement specifically excluded Foxhound missions. I know. The point is that, despite it being born out of an urgent requirement, it came through a competition that had Supacat filing her design in. Th...
by Gabriele
18 Jan 2020, 16:13
Forum: British Army
Topic: Foxhound Protected Vehicle
Replies: 290
Views: 110894
Italy

Re: Foxhound Protected Vehicle

Was it truly without a contest...? It is... a complex case. MRV-P got where it is today after dragging its feet for years as OUVS. Between having operated Panther (so having a decent idea of how the Iveco Lince is), having run a competition for the requirement eventually fullfilled by Foxhound and h...
by Gabriele
12 Jan 2020, 14:59
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5411
Views: 1420197
Italy

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

The other two are already back in action. Severn is the last one to be re-activated.
by Gabriele
01 Jan 2020, 14:19
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5979
Views: 1500249
Italy

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

Lima Coy - Joint Personnel Recovery Juliet Coy - opposed boarding team ("green" teams of Royal Marines do the "difficult" boardings [i think it's technically called Level 3, but i might not be up to date, while "blue" RN teams can do on their own where the risk is lowe...
by Gabriele
29 Dec 2019, 21:33
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5979
Views: 1500249
Italy

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

42 commando - our template for a raiding commando - is there any margin for keeping a four company structure, just revised to making them unified rather than two+two? 42 Commando is not the template for a raiding commando, but literally a permanent "other tasks" unit. It took up all the v...
by Gabriele
28 Dec 2019, 20:35
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5979
Views: 1500249
Italy

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

The Commando has already reorganized and the companies have taken up their specific roles. They are outside the normal rotation of units for the Lead Commando Group role, but the plan is to keep the ability to get into the field as a Commando if needed.