shark bait wrote:once upon a time there was going to be one at the back though.
...
Guess that went in a cost cutting effort.

It's a lot of wasted space for something that can be done pretty easily with falls and pulleys.

Another step towards the US-guided Japanese constitutional change for militarisation:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34275968

arfah wrote:Fallon - DSEI 2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/dsei-2015

Trying to cheer everyone up

Predictably personnel is a crappy footnote that might possibly be addressed after the prosperous are done prospering.

The Armchair Soldier wrote:Four of the jets carried a special centenary painted tail fin commemorating the 100th anniversary of each individual squadron with the fifth jets tail fin celebrating 40 years of the Tornado.

Awful paint jobs, beautiful aircraft

marktigger wrote:interesting a ship/small warship version would be useful

Yes. That's Sea Ceptor - CAMM(M).

bobp wrote:An increase from 5 to 20 percent of the S&T budget for disruptive technologies. Am assuming that means disrupting enemy communications.

No, it's tech-speak for propaganda (internet and local).

Not sure how you can take someone seriously as a party leader when they believe in the magical healing powers of water:

bobp wrote:I wonder too at the possibility of the digital systems and datalinks being compromised by external sources, such as various forms of jamming, or satellite interference.

Well, that's why they're autonomous, as opposed to remotely piloted.

I have pondered that for a long time and its and idea I quite fancy, its a cheap robust aircraft so jack of all trades master of none is a good description. The Indians want it and it should be exportable so it seams reasonable. However I always conclude that I would rather see that money spent on ...

under various international conventions we are "obliged" to treat casualties from the opposition yes allot depends on RoE but our treaty obligations are very clear both for wounded and shipwrecked mariners We are obliged to treat them, yes. We are not obliged to treat them aboard a PCRS. ...

marktigger wrote:there is always legalities as its a medical facility it has to treat PW casualties that opens a very interesting can of worms

The entire point of the PCRS designation was that it is not obliged to treat PoW casualties. If it does, then as you say there are issues.

marktigger wrote:a vehicle deck can also if big enough house a PCRS (primary casualty reception ship) facility though the legalities could get interesting.

There aren't any specific legal issues surrounding PCRS, in fact the designation PCRS was invented specifically to remain outside the scope of such legal issues.

You lost me. I'm certainly far from an expert on land warfare. As I understand it, what I said was: "I don't understand why people insist on calling all vegetarian food a cucumber. This one is clearly some kind of fruit." Whereupon you said: "No, you're wrong, because it's actually an...

Wrong! It is an IFV. How am I wrong? Mechanised infantry is defined as infantry that uses an APC or IFV as its primary transport and rally point. Anyway, the whole thing was misconceived and a fiasco. BUT: the consumption figures did catch my attention... simply for the reason that the M1A3 in all ...

Tiny, the third would be consumption while idling, some details here ( for a 70 t monster): http://www.gizmag.com/bae-gcv-hybrid-tank/25113/ Why do people always say tank for any kind of military ground vehicle? This isn't a tank, it's a frigging mechanised infantry vehicle. This particular idea do...

That said, the technology of electric drives offers advantages. I can think of traction control being more efficient at limiting power loss with slip differentials. Power lost from clutch to tranny to driveshaft and as you mentioned the extra components and weight. I would have thought the two prim...

The USAF is to give statements next week about cost overruns and questions about the ability of the F-35 to perform close air support.

http://defensetech.org/2015/09/11/air-f ... -aircraft/

It would also rely on both carriers being available at any given time, given one will have to carry out air control (the real job of any carrier) while the other is stripped of its role to service as a stand in assault platform. Such large and irreplaceable vessels have absolutely no right sitting ...

Now that the French government has finally managed to agree with Russia on the dissolution of the Mistral contract, Russia has another problem: what to do with the helicopters that were supposed to fly from them. The Ka-52Ks were constructed specifically to fly from a Mistral class platform. Likewis...

cockneyjock1974 wrote:sorry folks no matter how good the rivers are they will only ever free up high end ships from constabulary work and a token flag waving presence down in penguin land or monkey rock.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that they're capable of doing anything else, but those things need to be done.

Very puzzled by claims of it being "cheaper", too. Cheaper in which way? In fuel economy, at least. Youv'e watered down your claims then that it is 'Cheaper to buy, cheaper to fly and cheaper to fix . Nope. Better fuel economy implies that it's cheaper to fly. I said probably cheaper to f...

Gabriele wrote:Very puzzled by claims of it being "cheaper", too. Cheaper in which way?

In fuel economy, at least.

Don't you know that Putin keeps his 70bn in Liechtenstein; not in the EU (i.e with those pesky types that have gone along with the US sanctions). I didn't, but I don't see how relevant it is, unless you're hoping to persuade him to move his account to the City of London, which doesn't strike me as ...

That's called EFTA - European Free Trade Association. Ironically, the UK was a founding member of it, before leaving EFTA to join the the "European Common Market" (wasn't called the "European Union" back then). EFTA's current members are Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switze...

I think that in the end we'll vote to remain by a larger margin than the Scottish referendum. Once the economic scare stories start and major companies begin saying that they'll have to consider moving, it'll move the unsure folks quite decisively to remaining in the EU. Indeed. I'm amazed at the n...