We also need to take into account that Brimstone will be used by land vehicles in the overwatch role so the extra 2500 to 3000 could have been dished out to the brigades 500 each Correct. The order would have needed an extra production line set up as well. MBDA already have the capability to produc...

Absolute insanity. This decision is so wrongheaded it requires urgent explanation as to why the Industrial strategy for UKPLC was circumvented in this way. If there is a plausible explanation why not share it with the taxpayers? They will claim risks around integration, particularly now the whole '...

SD67 wrote: ↑23 Oct 2023, 23:16 Don't rationalise

They, France, came from 10 down and won

Too many unproductive people on the payroll here

Luckily for Tempest those unproductive people will all be on the other side....

new guy wrote: ↑23 Oct 2023, 22:43 We could have gotten 15,000 brimstone for that price.
This is MoD vileness embodied.

Brimstone isn't that cheap....

It would have been 6,000 missiles instead of 3,000....

What happens when you don’t pony up the £70m to integrate brimstone you sign up to a $1 billion dollar order for munitions from America. Industrial strategy in action. https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/Press%20Release%20-%20UK%2022-68%20CN_0.pdf WASHINGTON, October 23, 2023 - The State D...

Poiuytrewq wrote: ↑18 Oct 2023, 12:41 Getting closer.

See my post on the FCASW thread...the anti-shipping part might not arrive until 2034...

wargame_insomniac wrote: ↑19 Oct 2023, 19:01 I guess Land Attack Cruise Missiles are simpler in that their target does nt move!!
Be interesting to see how this now 3-way development of the two missiles works out.

Thats the thing...I wouldn't be surprised if it had some moving target capability with its dual seeker...and data link.

Interesting snippet in post 2 from the Italians. Land attack FCASW is expected in 2028. The anti-ship variant is not expected until 2034. How this plays out is anyones guess...Land Attack must mean the subsonic, stealthy version. But what do they mean by anti-ship? Do they mean purely the supersonic...

Of course history suggests that any aircraft that tries to do everything often doesn't at much but if it comes to fruition it could be interesting. PGM's, podded recon and EW solutions and modern avionics completely changed that paradigm. A single platform can be a superb fighter, bomber, recon and...

It's all moving in the right direction...

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air- ... ce-budget/

I wonder if the future cruise (Low observable, subsonic) is going to be a product improved storm shadow. I cant see how else they will get it in service by 2028. In short no. It may lean on the Storm Shadow MLU work and components in terms of the new datalink, GPS denied navigation and other minor ...

bobp wrote: ↑16 Oct 2023, 10:14 USMC continue to test the F35B weapon loads SRVL yet to come.

https://x.com/HMSPWLS/status/1713642313946194187?s=20

Interesting that there was a JDAM being wheeled over as well...

A lot of clarification from Jon Hawkes on CR2/3 power upgrades.

Looks like it will be 1200hp for the foreseeable...

Spitfire9 wrote: ↑15 Oct 2023, 00:40 Is the Typhoon deal with Qatar in jeopardy after the killing of a large number of people in the south of Israel? Hamas is a proscribed organisation in the UK and elsewhere. Qatar is said to finance Hamas.

They're almost all delivered.

Yes I'm wondering what France is thinking Frankly, and with respect, as a Brit who has spent the last 17 years in Belgium, France and Germany I have to intervene here and just point out how much those in the UK still misunderstand their neighbours even after everything that has happened and make th...

sol wrote: ↑11 Oct 2023, 10:04 CR3 new driver digital periscope

https://www.forces.net/technology/windo ... -periscope

That appears to be a cracking piece of kit.

https://twitter.com/COMUKCSG/status/1712008981776941428 This will be at the Swedish air weapons range at Vidsel in Northern Sweden. UK has been making increasing use of it in recent years as its one of the few ranges in Europe where live aircraft bombs can be dropped. The UK only has the small Garv...

https://twitter.com/Gabriel64869839/status/1704256850089165026 Nothing that new but nice to know. The wait for Block 4 is painful considering what we have in the works for it. Lucky we got some of our stuff in the block 3F software. Actually the whole thread is fairly new, and a lot bears repeating...

Was just reading this from Tusa. Something that caught my eye: [...] a sidebar chat with an MoD official: the next batch of 24 F-35s for the UK is on hold – the funding is needed elsewhere, and Tempest will get some of it. I suspect this might be the same official who said it was a good idea that w...

On an entirely unrelated topic. Curious when F-35B production is expected to end/be mothballed? Production of the B variant will likely continue on to at least 2035. The USMC still have a lot to be delivered, the UK has additional orders that will be in soon. Add in Japanese, Spanish and potentiall...

definitely. fits into a container / POD so quite small. Excellent. Couple of those on a frigate to supplement the Wildcat/Merlin They appear to be quiet good equipment. They don't exist yet Just a concept. But they pack in an ISO container, can carry sonobuoys or a dipping sonar, Razer, Sea Venom, ...

Exactly - if the order is not placed this year what is the point? Roll it into Tempest. I really do wonder what the French are thinking when they watch this melodrama Also - I suspect if we were France the entire Boxer program would have been cancelled by now You know we were part of the original c...

It's approaching that time of year when another delivery happens... Should be another flying shortly (BK-35/ZM169). Probably delivered together in late October/early November based on previous delivery cycles. The only question is if BK-31 which has been at Edwards AFB also comes over at the same ti...

Given how many have been fired off in Ukraine it shows how many didn't have the mid life upgrades I take MBDA is busy with other weapons right now? The SPEAR 4 MLU is still underway. Only around half of the stockpile were planned to get the MLU. MBDA are busy finishing that off. Plus other users St...

National News UK article suggests that RAF maybe planning to buy the Israeli Rampage missile to replace Storm Shadows sent to Ukraine https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/06/30/uk-targets-israeli-rampage-missiles-to-replace-storm-shadows-sent-to-ukraine/ So that's two interim solution...