Problem is they'll take manpower with them, and some crucial equipment. Always gonna hurt. Always. I don't think people who voted for this to happen even gave a brief thought to how devastating the infrastructure costs would be to both Scotland and the rest of the UK.

I think much of the question needs to rest on "How many low end vessels do we need to cover those requirements?" Then ask, once that number is met, how many proper escorts can be afforded? Just to offer a different direction on the thoughtline. Rather than thinking top down, think requirem...

That is going to be one of the decisions they will have to take and a standard weapon for Astute Type 26,31,45 Typhoon,Lightning II P8 Merlin Well, thus far we've seen (including in development concepts) LRASM: - Mk41 capable - Canister Capable - F-35 Capable - P-8 likely NSM: - Mk41 capable - Cani...

Cutlass basded on the photo has a 5 inch gun, 12x CAMM and nothing else. Going by Khareef class weaponry, it could also mount 8x Harpoons and 2x 30mm guns. Tonnage wise, Khareef is about 2,660. With the extra size here, it's probably about a 3,000 tonne warship we're looking at. But then, which ASMs...

Wouldn't happen. SNP has promised they will "maintain the base for employment" by turning it into the main Scottish fleet base. The SNP voters then immediately went "NOTHING TO LOSE!" and believed them. So they want rid of them and SNP has their "plan" to fool them. Jus...

Well, BMT certainly hasn't advertised any standout acoustic stealth, and "25+" is pretty meh for a "first rate" escort. Remember how horrified people were at the Type 26's "26+" reduction? When larger ships from decades ago can hit "30+". I have no issues with...

Only when the PPA is on 'roids, of course. The majority of the PPAs will be in a stripped down configuration, of one sort or another. Still impressive, but not exactly much different to what BMT claims the Venator will offer. Personally, i don't at all think that the Venator design would lack for c...

I don't see any fault with the Venator concept at all, to be honest with you. It's main drawback at this stage is that it is indeed only a concept. A Venator, as presented, should be a broad equal of anything that our European colleagues are churning out in their own pursuit of a light/lighter frig...

If it's like the Khareef, based on that ship and what we see here it's likely to be rolling with: 1x Mk45 Mod4 12x CAMM 8x ASM 2x 30mm So...pretty meh. Up-gunned OPV at most. Which is basically what it is. Venator still seems the clear option and even thats not perfect. Remember this thing is replac...

Well, consider that the basically unarmed low level OPV version of it cost what, £350m for 3?

Granted, that had Clyde price hikes for political blackmail, but still.

This is perhaps the biggest disaster of a design I've ever seen for the UK. Come on Babcock and BMT I guess?

What a load of utter bollocks.

Exactly what everyone was fearing. They make an OPV and just call it a frigate to spin the name alone with no care for capability.

I'll keep saying this again and again because it's utterly true. Checkbox military strikes again!

Those prices may not match up in terms of what they provide though.

What does this do that a Hawk doesn't, though?

It's a curious pick.

VBCI is an interesting one to have that sort of quantity. Especially given it also carries 6-8 men, meanwhile Ajax still has this mystical black hole where the troops used to go in the chassis' IFV origins that no-one's quite figured out the use for yet. Heck, it even still has the door in the back....

Question, do we know how many rounds the Ajax and Warrior can carry with the CT40? Think Defence seems to have the older, much smaller Warrior test turrets at around 42-68 depending on manned or unmanned, but the new one is clearly a lot bigger. Ajax's turret is flippin' massive. Anyone got any sour...

If you don't support though, then it's throwing it away for sure.

The great thing is though, SNP are gonna push for it even if Faslane wasn't there. It's just a convinient way to get the "no nukes" brigade on board.

The tech has already proven itself beyond a shadow of a doubt in Israel.

Honestly, I can't think what armour development the UK has done since electric was cancelled for being impractical. Dorchester certainly hasn't been touched in almost 20 years now.

Not CAMM?

There's a surprise. I always thought Chile was a shoe in.

Portsmouth has already been closed down and they haven't built a complete complex ship there in a long long time. It would be doable, but it'd be bloody expensive. How many frigates are we willing to lose to pay for it? And to pay for moving the entire deterrent base to somewhere when no alternative...

That petition won't cause another EU referendum, however what it might do is help push the inevitable Scottish referendum to be a 60% minimum requirement for the changing option, in that case "Yes", to win, as referendums always should be. 2014 and 2016 are fantastic examples of why 50/50 ...

Btw, Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t have the power to call a referendum; only the UK Parliament does. She likes to pretend she's Prime Minister or President of Scotland, but she is only really just a regional governor with the title of 'First Minister'. Irrelevant. If she wants to call one, she can call o...

here is a thought, maybe we have never been united as we once thought we are, even N Ireland agreed with Scotland either way I can't see a future for the current structure of the UK What a load of nonsense. Stop trying to justify a single issue by swamping an entire country under the rug with gener...

It's that what really confuses me in a way. The country was split almost exactly 50/50. Effectively as many people didn't want it as many did. This is why referendums need to be 60/40, to prove an absolute majority wish something. This "go 50/50" stuff is a lot of nonsense, because it crea...

If they don't give them tghe ref, then support and drive to have one will only get worse because then the SNP will have a clearcut "THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING US TO CHOOSE" approach. And as to your bit about winning, again you're citing facts. Irrelevant when dealing with nats. I'm sorry if I so...

They had a majority, then this election they didn't have a majority. In real terms, that is a decline. And you genuinely have no idea how much money you're talking about when you think you can just rebase like that randomly. Also that you're still ignoring all the other points I brought up. Like I s...