... if you can give us the merits and drawbacks, factual and not perceived let's hear them. Well, the merits of the P1 over the P8 are going to be: cheaper to buy, cheaper to fly, probably more reliable and therefore cheaper to fix, and can do MAD without a horrible and even more expensive kludge. ...

Kraff wrote:If this is the final version.... Holy...

Nice!

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rfa-lyme-bay-arrives-in-dominica-to-provide-humanitarian-relief Bravo Zulu Indeed. It's almost as if the weather planned it - Lyme Bay was just in Montserrat doing HADR exercises as part of her APT(N) deployment. Couldn't have lined it up better. Sorry if that sou...

I wonder what the RNZN ensign would look like then if they do change the flag, or whether they would just fly the national flag.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/isr/2015/08/24/falkland-ground-based-air-defenses-get-radar-boost/32259481/ Saab confirms order of Giraffe Ground Based Radars - 24 Aug 2015. Also, upgrades to a common standard for the Giraffe systems already in service. ThinkDefence won't like th...

raven111 wrote:You mean This badge?

As far as I can tell that's a diver's insignia.

That's the one. Thank you for your help.

marktigger wrote:yes however their courses and tracks can be plotted if they are emitting any form of telemetry signal!

Correct. However you now need 500 expensive missiles instead of one to destroy them.

If its Emitting any form of signals ESM can track it so how do you propose transmitting the data to a P8 or to a ground station without transmitting it? If you use the P8 for ISTAR then it still needs to datalink to a ground station so you have exactly the same problem. However there is only one P8...

On paper the P1 looks the better MPA (4 engines, and designed as an MPA from the outset and being offered at a very low price ). However the P8 can also fulfil ISTAR The future of ISTAR is in drones (multiple, cheap, redundant, ubiquitous) not a super-expensive central hub that screams to be knocke...

The S.O.S.A.S upgrade The U.S.N. had access to the Secret submarine ops equipment fitted to Royal Air force craft. Two vessels were transferred to the Gibraltar Squadron when 1102 Marine Craft Unit Closed in August 1985. I suspect the present craft no longer have this capability. As each ship/subma...

On paper the P1 looks the better MPA (4 engines, and designed as an MPA from the outset and being offered at a very low price ). However the P8 can also fulfil ISTAR The future of ISTAR is in drones (multiple, cheap, redundant, ubiquitous) not a super-expensive central hub that screams to be knocke...

Hi,

I'm trying to find out what a badge is. It was awarded by the Marine Nationale after a maritime operation, possibly special ops. It is an anchor with two seahorses facing inwards, and wings. Does anyone know what it is?

More reportage here. Something really needs to happen.

Yes I agree more Typhoons would be desirable, when I was in the RAF in the seventies, we had lightnings, Phantoms, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Canberras and a couple of Squadrons of Vulcans. Add to that the Harrier Force both land and sea versions. Towards the time when I left the Tornadoes were coming in...

The French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) started qualification trials of the Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) with the latest addition to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) fleet: the head of FREMM Frigate class Aquitaine delivered in November 2012 by DCNS. Worth noting...

I would have thought the questions regarding the suitability of the P8s at low level is based on the fact that the wing and engines are (obviously) designed to operate at higher altitudes; that it's more a case of compromised efficiency rather than anything related to 'stability'. That is exactly a...

Doesn't say if there is any modular CBRN protection, I guess that will remain completely separate?

The US Navy is looking at 3D printing materials in order to print ship components. This would lower the cost of production, but more importantly allow needed replacement ship and aircraft parts to be printed while on deployment at sea.

RetroSicotte wrote:France hasn't been striking in Syria.

s/France/USA/

Even if we did deploy more aircraft to Syria, it would likely make very difference. That's not to say we shouldn't do it - we should absolutely do it! But we have to be realistic: France and Canada and so forth have already been operating in Syria against Daesh with relatively little success overall...

The Armchair Soldier wrote:I had no idea helicopters could fly backwards (as seen at 1:27)

Oh yes. And sideways.

Has anyone suggested offshore wind turbines? I would suggest that the best solution there would be to build a CSP solar thermal plant in Morocco. http://solar-trap.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Screen-Shot-2013-10-15-at-11.28.42-PM.png Pay Morocco for the land, the rent on the cables etc with the ...

seaspear wrote:would Taiwan be a possible customer for the T26 and perhaps some tranche one Eurofighters

That would be pretty hard since with have no diplomatic arrangements with or national acknowledgement of ROC sovereignty and the UK position has always been that the future of Taiwan be decided peacefully.

I think it's fairly clear to all concerned that simply scooping up migrants is a firefighting tactic rather than a strategy. Unfortunately the only two strategic solutions that seem to be available are (1) dismantling the people-smuggler networks and operations, which is very difficult if not imposs...

I know Puma isn't an army asset it and chinook should be and should always have been. That would be duplication of resources, which is wasteful and expensive. We need to get out of the mentality of exclusive ownership of capabilities, it's increasingly out of kilter with the most efficient and effe...