" Our review of the Department’s approach to forecasting costs found that not all costs are included in the Plan. At least £1.3 billion of planned costs associated with buying five general purpose frigates (Type 31e) are not included in the Equipment Plan" It was later clarified that, at ...

HMT are part of the approvals process at the investment decision points on all Category A projects. Anything Category B or below is within the MOD delegated authority, although HMT can change that from project to project and have its say. I think the delegation is about £400m on equipment from memor...

That was the Bae proposal i.e. place a contract for all 8 and they'll be delivered earlier and save at least half a billion. The funding profile won't be a secret, both in terms of committed and uncommitted lines. Bae could put a 'buy one get one free' sign up if they propose something so far outsi...

An ARM is "Anti-Radiation Missile", Spear doesn't have a radiation seeking capability. Plug it into and F35 and it can. Sure it's not true to the original, but it performs the same function and with a much more capable sensor. But as a radar operator your tactics against a LO platform wit...

they much preferred an Airbus solution ahhhhh how good it could have been....... 15 years later we're doing the same thing and paying more for the privilege. Are we not in danger of using the luxury of hindsight? As a young holdy at Kinloss in the 90s my whisky addled mind (not the best evidence ba...

Ron5 wrote:
Not unique to Bae. Implementation of an idea is always the hardest part. I assume you weren't up to the challenge?

(now I am teasing you)

Not up to the challenge? Caught me.........

Ron5 wrote:
Lucky for Bae that you turned it down then

The system they were looking for people for only existed on powerpoint with no customer, so an easy decision.

They do produce great powerpoint, its turning it into reality that tends to cause problems.

Indeed, the UK is very fortunate to have Bae with its rich heritage and its huge contribution to the UK's economy. Every country on earth would take it over in heartbeat. Of course the UK's government, the MoD and Treasury in particular, run it down at every opportunity. That's the British way. Pat...

Ron5 wrote:I guarantee you that F-35 tactics, UK or US, will not include aimlessly firing ARMs in some fire & hope they do something useful.

Can’t see where I said that? Any hints?

Bae wanted to build an Airbus based solution. Not only to get advantage of a new technology airframe but to open up a bunch of export opportunities. The MoD insisted on a Nimrod upgrade. There's not too many really dumb decisions made in UK defence that doesn't have MoD and/or Treasury fingerprints...

Depends on who we are talking about? USAF has tactics for breaching air defence zones; our tactics are constrained by having neither the ARM nor , the early innovation, a loitering such in the arsenal - the latter had to be withdrawn (my understanding) due to its short range, ie, the likelihood of ...

I get the feeling every flaw that was encountered in testing with the development aircraft has been played up to justify the politically embarrassing cancellation and every success has been quietly forgotten about. However, I maintain that once the order number started to be cut, first to 18, then ...

My point was that systems are layered so that you no longer fire a weapon at a long range radar and return for tea and medals But isn't that what an ARM does? i.e. gets shot at a long range radar so the pilot can return home for tea and crumpets? I’ve not seen them planned or used that way. Usually...

I'm a little confused then. What protection are you referring to about radars that a Spear wouldn't be able to handle on impact? My point was that systems are layered so that you no longer fire a weapon at a long range radar and return for tea and medals, if you can't get the incoming aircraft, you...

Depend on what they are protected by :angel: I can't recall ever seeing an air defence radar under armour. I never mentioned armour! A problem avoided by the F-35/SPEAR 3 combo. Once located, doesn't matter if the radar is turned off or not. ARM missiles are for aircraft that don't have F-35 level ...

Fortunately radar antennae are rather soft targets. Depend on what they are protected by :angel: I do get the desire for an ARM, but they are so dependent on an up to threat library that the performance could vary massively from system to system. Especially now export systems are often different to...

Well the MRA4 was so great that by 2008 only 9 were needed........ I imagine it is no coincidence that is the same number of P-8s being received. Don't know how long the P-8 production run will be, but it makes the path to increasing numbers easier than it would have been with the Nimrod. Welcome ba...

whoops.......
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... sc-447789/

Why the focus on CEC? I wasn't referring to the specific protocol, more the general concept. At some point the RN will have to add distributed elements to PAAMS, the sensors will already be in service, and collecting vast amounts of data, so it need to close the last step and get that data integrat...

All very important upgrades, an no money for any of them. On that list BMD and CEC upgrades are probably the most important one. Since the T45 is a single-role ship its needs to be a bloody good at the single-role. That means extending its reach using F35 and Crows-nest sensors, and finally adding ...

downsizer wrote:What have the french got to do with Op Shader?

Kronenbourg was our go to drink once we were sick of Keo. A noteworthy contribution.

I find it remarkable that a bit of inter-force banter about a name gets taken so seriously by some. Chill out, poking fun is a forces tradition, after all. Only one person is taking it seriously! Apparently even daring to utter the word ‘Pathfinder’ (ssssh) is enough to be on the receiving end of a...

jimthelad wrote:And many answers. Personally I would say call it what you wish (unless you are crab air) lol. That said the pathfinder sqn in WW2 were serious troops.

So no answers then.......

The Pathfinder is a term now reserved to the pathfinder platoon The Parachute Regiment. How do you reserve exclusive use of a word? Will I get hunted down for even saying it? Should I whisper it in future? What do I call someone who finds a path next time we’re out on the hills? Do DIFC need to ren...

If crab air starts usurping the title of 'pathfinder' then they will be getting a leather enema from the red devils! :evil: Not sure why, the RAF can rightly claim proud lineage with the term, and RAF Wyton seems to have escaped this particular ‘wrath’. Think 7 Sqn is an ex PFF unit still going, an...