Search found 1468 matches

by mr.fred
05 Jun 2023, 18:15
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49395
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

I simply don't buy into the view of UK manufacturing draws expenditure back into UK coffers, (it might do), but those coffers are separate from the MOD budget, so your defence budget buys you less and less and the military continue to contract in an ever decreasing death spiral.... If the MoD budge...
by mr.fred
26 May 2023, 10:46
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: AW101 Merlin Helicopter (RN)
Replies: 513
Views: 273113
United Kingdom

Re: AW101 Merlin Helicopter (RN)

Forced onto the Army by a government happy to hamstring the armed forces to keep the Wasteland factory going at any cost... A sort of tail wagging the dog insanity! It's an excellent Naval helicopter to be fair, but even then they haven't funded the dipping sonar for the RN, so even there it's been...
by mr.fred
17 May 2023, 20:20
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Track noise seems less rattly than previously, and you can hear traffic noise over the engine at points.
by mr.fred
15 May 2023, 19:26
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

You've read the same think defense article everyone else has. Yet I draw vastly different conclusions from it than you do. It was more expensive because BAE proposed building a new turret and submitted a realistic price for it. But BAE would have had little to no non-recurring expenses LM with no e...
by mr.fred
14 May 2023, 17:14
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Storm Shadow Missile (RAF)
Replies: 78
Views: 26212
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Storm Shadow Missile (RAF)

mrclark303 wrote: 14 May 2023, 11:49 It's a curious one, is it really possible to set up the digital bus and avionics interface, develop hard points and trial it that fast???
If you are able to make it with restricted functionality and without full safety checks, probably.
by mr.fred
14 May 2023, 17:11
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

BAE had already received certification on their manned and unmanned turrets and had decades of experience working with warrior, when they said the turret needed replaced while it was a more expensive option it was significantly less risky. If that is remotely true, how in the world would it have be...
by mr.fred
13 May 2023, 14:22
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

BB85 wrote: 13 May 2023, 14:16 Ah yes, so it was. An even more bizarre decision.
How so?
by mr.fred
09 May 2023, 11:34
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Yes, but would that have been “transformational”? Compared to where we are now? Very much so. More even than that if we'd kept up with the upgrade path. would there be anything in sending a Warrior to John Cockerill to see if they could fit a 3030 turret to it and if so how easily it could be done....
by mr.fred
09 May 2023, 10:48
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

I bet we end up with "Warrior 2000" by default Taken literally, with the redesigned hull, more powerful engine and dual-axis stabilised turret mounting a Mk44 chaingun, that would be a pretty good option. Doubt it will happen though. With hindsight, it would have been the better option, w...
by mr.fred
08 May 2023, 17:53
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ground Based Air Defence
Replies: 685
Views: 190994
United Kingdom

Re: Ground Based Air Defence

Would point out at the Battle of Agincourt that particular 'dumb argument' was spectacularly successful, the arrows costing pennies won out over the French medieval knights hugely expensive armour Equally, the cost ratio wasn't exactly a factor in the outcome of that particular battle. In any case,...
by mr.fred
07 May 2023, 15:39
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ground Based Air Defence
Replies: 685
Views: 190994
United Kingdom

Re: Ground Based Air Defence

IFV's have always had a secondary anti-air capability with autocannons against helos in particular. But...its not really trained, the ammo was not ideal, turrets didn't have high enough slew rate or elevation, appropriate sensors not mounted etc. With CTA40mm we finally had a good gun for the job, ...
by mr.fred
06 May 2023, 12:10
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ground Based Air Defence
Replies: 685
Views: 190994
United Kingdom

Re: Ground Based Air Defence

Been saying for years that every IFV has to have a secondary robust AD capability, with the emphasis on robust... But what do you mean by robust? All the ingredients are there....modern autocannon with programmable ammunition, cheaper missiles coupled with automatic guidance from fire control syste...
by mr.fred
05 May 2023, 20:24
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

I wasn't aware Warrior ever had ERA. Found a Janes article from a little while back. Referred to as WRAP 2 https://defense-update.com/20080918_britichurgentoperationalrequest-2.html#.ZFVWqS_MKgQ The ERA was fitted in Iraq but taken off for Afghanistan; https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9a/2c/95/9a2c9555a8e...
by mr.fred
05 May 2023, 11:31
Forum: British Army
Topic: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 1041
Views: 318540
United Kingdom

Re: Warrior Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

RunningStrong wrote: 05 May 2023, 11:09 New armour on Warrior?
Looks like TES fit, but without the ERA fitted
by mr.fred
14 Apr 2023, 13:41
Forum: British Army
Topic: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)
Replies: 2802
Views: 714849
United Kingdom

Re: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)

sol wrote: 14 Apr 2023, 12:59 Do you think the British Army ordered 62 Recce / FSV variants without reason?
Yes?
by mr.fred
14 Apr 2023, 08:39
Forum: British Army
Topic: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)
Replies: 2802
Views: 714849
United Kingdom

Re: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)

https://questions-statements.parliament ... 6-04/10208

As for lighter and cheaper vehicles, wasn’t that what MIV was supposed to be in the first place?
I’ve never been convinced that Boxer was the right answer.
by mr.fred
13 Apr 2023, 20:49
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1724193
United Kingdom

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

I'm always dismayed about how much difficulty people seem to have with just-in-time and similar philosophies. The problems described in the article is nothing to do with just-in-time. In that system you hold sufficient stocks to cover your needs until your supply chain can furnish more, then you wor...
by mr.fred
10 Apr 2023, 13:13
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950675
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

mrclark303 wrote: 10 Apr 2023, 12:08 my enemies, enemy is my friend, they are fighting a proxy war against Iran.
I prefer the version that goes:
The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy; no more, no less.
Iraq was fighting directly against Iran.

On the other hand, we have more leverage on the side we are providing support to.
by mr.fred
09 Apr 2023, 08:20
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

A) I don’t have a fantasy fleet Sure you do; it's the fleet of RBSL re-engineered Ajax rather than the more common CV90, but still... D) Getting back to the key point - as of now No Vehicles Have Been Accepted. ( the 20 are training only). “ 90% completion “ is like “90% legality. “ Ordering bespok...
by mr.fred
07 Apr 2023, 20:05
Forum: British Army
Topic: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)
Replies: 2802
Views: 714849
United Kingdom

Re: Boxer / Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)

sol wrote: 07 Apr 2023, 19:35 Wonder when the Army requested 1400 or around that number, did they already planned/expected that Boxer RCH 155 will replace AS-90.
I think that once they've got all the HQs fitted out with them, they'll need something for the infantry.
by mr.fred
06 Apr 2023, 17:39
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

My view - let's just skip to the rebuild stage now. ie stop wasting time. Hand an Ajax prototype over to RBSL and say "What do we need to do to fix this". RBSL being the new H&K. Transfer the WIP to Telford. We don't need two centres of medium / heavy AFV production. I rather think yo...
by mr.fred
05 Apr 2023, 19:23
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

SD67 wrote: 05 Apr 2023, 16:16 If the fixes don't wrk
Hasn't there has been a review indicating that the fixes have worked and this is what has allowed testing and trials to continue and progress?
by mr.fred
05 Apr 2023, 10:48
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

I have no experience on the compensation arrangements of the U.K M.O.D , but it appears to operate on fixed tables it does not appear to provide the opportunity to sue directly the manufacturer of dangerous plant as per class action? Nor I, but the information is there for you to read. I haven't sp...
by mr.fred
04 Apr 2023, 19:31
Forum: British Army
Topic: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)
Replies: 2432
Views: 526544
United Kingdom

Re: Ajax Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

U.K armed forces due to a recent change can sue for medical mal practice , can they sue for actual injury for poorly designed workplaces that cause injury that in civilian workplaces have legislation covering this , compensation sounds great but have a read through a table of maims that covers what...