Yes, I think we could and I wish we would, For example by having 10 Type 26s, and building under licence at another yard (camil Laird, Harland and Wolfs, Appledore) a Dutch or Danish frigate and opv design. Yes I really it then becomes hi/lo mix. But some continental ships seem to be better armed t...

could we get more for our money if the competition was opened up? so Appledore, the dutch,the spannish, the germans , Australians, the americans even the Koreans could bid and it wasn't BaE intimidation deciding what is built? I'm not a huge fan of using the RFA ships as pseudo frigates but do thin...

Why Birkenhead and why and English Yard? This is meant to be a united Kingdom of 4 countries but it seams only 2 of them count? Why not invest in Belfast and Queens Island? If we're considering the prospect of Scottish Independence as a reason to diversify shipbuilding away from the Clyde, Northern...

I would harldly call Appledore a complex warship builder, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be if Babcock was willing to put in the finance, and the government had the balls to break the stranglehold BAE has on the industry. I think that is what I am trying to get at, BAE has all its eggs in o...

I would harldly call Appledore a complex warship builder,

All the more reason to have more than one provider, so shipbuilding no harm in Camel Lairds building Holland class under license to improve their skill base, or for BAE to diversify shipbuilding to more than just the Clyde. Maybe even to have Gripen as well as Eurofoghter and F35? Also we need to mo...

The ongoing migration crisis is a challenge to UK forgein policy, the need to engae constructively with mainland Europe on this, and target the overseas aid budget on helping southern europe provide adequate processing and housing centres for refugees. Dealing with the instability in the middle east...

Why not just assume it as 12 as posted, I am sure that the that number has been posted in good faith, so lets take jumthelad at his word.

I'll tell you how it is, real quick: if you have the will to spend serious money, you can discard both P-8 and P-1 and make a british MPA. But since money definitely is a problem, now and in the longer term, crucially, the purchase will be made on the basis of which product can provide the most cap...

A good article on those 200 words http://www.defencesynergia.co.uk/a-wise-head/

The Queen Elizabeth are impressive looking large ships, and have the space to be serious aircraft carriers. But without adequate numbers and a dedicated airwing which is numerically relevent, then she is just a glorified Invincible. Since the previous Invincible was a Battle Cruiser and that was a f...

Are we not committed as a tier 1 partner in the F35 programme to buy at least 100??? So I would have thought that counts against having the excellent Gripen in addition to Typhoon for the RAF, I can't see having 100 just for carrier sue as justifiable unless we build to LHDs that are F35B capable th...

On basing a future MPA I would have though Waddington is the front runner ( all ISTAR assets together) , with Culdrose second (all ASW assets together), and Leeming 3rd (under used and a desire to keep it as a possible northern QRA if Scotland goes independent.), Scampton a poor 4th. On forward basi...

Given that the F35B is not ideal as a Tornado replacement, surely a more logical approach would be: 48 F35 B RN only giving 2 front line squadrons of 15 and 10 for a joint OCU with the RAF. 48 F35C RAF only giving 2 front line squadrons of 15 and 10 for a joint OCU with the RN. Then if during refit ...

It could mean only 12 Type 26 are going to be ordered, or that the Type 23s will run a little longer while Type 26 deliberations are underway, or an outside chance with Argyll being refitted, that she is in better condition than expected and just maybe there will be more than 13 Type 26s?????

It looks like the P1 and P8 are both in serious contention, it will be interesting to see if the P1 is the preferred option, and what impact that would have on sentinel and other ISTAR assets. The P8 is the easy option, but how low are the Japanese willing to offer the P1 in order to get a signific...

Sorry, yes it is aT26 thread. I guess what I am trying to articulate and not very well, is one major problem in the T26 programme is that we only have one shipbuilder which only has one surface ship yard. It means there is no competition and BAE holds the trump cards, in terms of politics. It would ...

Also it just makes sense not to put all our shipbuilding eggs in the River Clyde Basket, it would be better still if we had an additional ship builder to BAE. Don't we have all our Sub building eggs at Barrow? Yes, it wouldn't be a bad thing if with help, from the Swedes to build ssks under license

Also it just makes sense not to put all our shipbuilding eggs in the River Clyde Basket, it would be better still if we had an additional ship builder to BAE.

ON Independence, the SNP have been talking about another referendum if they do well in next years Scottish elections, so I haven't been in a coma and the SNP intend to bring the issue up again.

Possible at SDSR2015????

Will BAE build a second frigate factory at Barrow just in case Scotland goes Independent?
Will the number of Type 26s be 13 or slightly more say 16/17???
What price a small order of Swedish SSKs for the RN?

It looks like the P1 and P8 are both in serious contention, it will be interesting to see if the P1 is the preferred option, and what impact that would have on sentinel and other ISTAR assets. The P8 is the easy option, but how low are the Japanese willing to offer the P1 in order to get a significa...

We know so little about the universe, stunning photo

. Spuriously could it also mean RN might be the operator rather than RAF ?? The RAF have staff with other countries using MPA, the Navy doesn't have any staff training for it (that I know of) so the chance of the navy getting it are slim. Could it not just be that we're keeping Japan on the hook to...

Is it still likely that between 2-8 of the orphan hm1s will be converted to Hm2 standard?