42 Commando, for now, retains its heavy weapons, mortars included, and can deploy as part of the brigade if really needed. 47 Commando has taken over the boats and the existing raiding squadron as well as the boat / landing craft training squadron and the deployable boat support base package, plus t...

By the way can someone remind me of the timetable for the UK's AH-64E rebuild programme and when we will receive the first ones back? Apache Block 3 fleet numbers have been given by the MOD as 10 in 2020, followed by 12 more in 2021, 12 in 2022, 12 in 2023 and the balance in 2024 for the total of 5...

May some much needed cleansing begin! I'd like to have an opposition party which does not feel like an IRA cell ready to wreck the country.

First deployment of HMSQE is 2021, so is there any news on when HMS QE is leaving port before then ? It will deploy in home waters at least a couple of times in 2020, for more rotary wing trials (LPH role) and then for pre-deployment workup with the Strike Group and F-35s, including USMC ones. When...

Bushmaster is for Group 2, and its only rival left running is the GD Eagle 6x6.

Always amuses me to see the centauro labelled a tank killer. Yeah right. At least it has the hitting power. The British Army is calling "medium armour" the AJAX Scout, without any change to the vehicle. I'd rather be in the Cavalry regiment with the 120/45 smoothbores and SPIKE LR missile...

With a 2 km reach, the CG guided round is a lot more than "just" an NLAW...

The UK RWS 'fleet' is almost entirely Kongsberg. Again, we're heavily invested in that interface already so we would need to accept a bespoke solution for Boxer which doesn't make sense in my mind. Almost entirely if you don't count in Thales SWARMLITE and Leonardo ENFORCER. There are quite a few o...

The UK RWS 'fleet' is almost entirely Kongsberg. Again, we're heavily invested in that interface already so we would need to accept a bespoke solution for Boxer which doesn't make sense in my mind. Almost entirely if you don't count in Thales SWARMLITE and Leonardo ENFORCER. There are quite a few o...

I would love that. I very much struggle to believe, but i'd love that.

I suppose Sentinel would go for sure in that scenario, though. No ifs, no buts. Given a few AAS pods on P-8, it wouldn't be a bad deal at all, though. In fact, where should i sign for it to happen...?

Obviously, unlike the Germans, he couldn't provide any indication of when the AESA will happen, and on how many aircraft...

Perhaps also an explanation to why the number of helos carried on the latest batch of tankers has gone lower in priorities You must be thinking of the Forts, actually. And we don't really know how many helos would be on the new Solid Support Ships. I think 2-3 Merlin spaces will still be in the req...

To be honest it looks like a bit of an act of desperation, if the conformals could have been made to work they would have gone down that route as it would have opened up potential sales of conformal tanks to users with Tranche 3 Typhoons. Absolutely. If Conformals were feasible, they would be the N...

It is now clear that tests have demonstrated some unexpected, huge problem with Conformals and we will never see them adopted. https://twitter.com/GarethJennings3/status/1194253773549510656 Let me get this straight: in ECR images they are effectively proposing to make "wet" the innermost p...

IX(B) and 12 are the Sqns in question. 12 working with the Qataris. I don't think 12 uses the Tranche 1s though, does it...? Since the Qataris are obviously getting the latest standard machines, it would seem pretty awkward. I'm guessing that the Tranche 1s are used in Coningsby by whoever is train...

98 systems. I've seen a 135 thrown around as well, but i think until 4 regiments are the ambition, 98 are more than enough. And also more than challenging enough from a financial / programme schedule perspective. Also, there are studies / design work ongoing for a "super lightweight gun" f...

Well the Royal Artillery has lost one of its three AS-90 equipped Regiments (26 Regiment) and has had its GMLRS brought together into a single Regiment. So these three Regiments are going to have to provide Artillery support in future to the Army's Two Armoured Infantry and two Mechanised Brigades....

They already requested and obtained the authorization for 16 at MH-47G (minus AAR probe) months ago; and last year they have paid some money for early procurement activities. They are unlikely to be additional, however. More like a replacement for the oldest airframes, while bringing in new capabili...

But once on deck it is probably because of safety considerations. I remember reading that one of the considerations for putting an F-35, with internal weapon bays, on a carrier / LHD / what-have-you was how to effectively fight a fire into the aircraft, and having a way to spray up into the bays was...

Which is what the US Army is putting absolute top priority on.

The British Army is, instead, putting priority on the idea that if you disperse 38 tons wheeled APCs armed like SAXONs in tiny platoon groups, you are going to put the enemy in an existential crisis...

Lack of good ideas and common sense? In part. But there also seems to be an institutionalized dread of actually getting into contracts. Programs, all of them, drag on and on and on for forever and i honestly can't understand why. Nor what, exactly, has been done with the budget in the last few year...

The Equipment Budget for Land in the 10 year plan is larger than the combat air one and just a billion or two short of the ships one, actually. And i believe CAMM and Apache expenditure is outside that (Complex Weapons and Helicopters respectively), while most of the LeTacCis is also under another b...

When will the trials of F35s on the Prince of Wales start, will she undergo two sets of trials as the Queen Elizabeth has and, if so, will both sets of trials happen in the US? The last thing i read said DT-4, with Prince of Wales, would happen in 2021. Which would make it a busy and interesting ca...

I read that already last year they operated up to Sea State 7 during Westlant 18.

17 Sqn has been constantly mentioned too. Wonder if some of their 3 instrumented jets are coming over from Edwards. Considering the particular role of 17 Sqn, don't think their involvment is limited to personnel only. Unless they use other instrumented jets from the East coast part of the Integrated...