Search found 556 matches

by benny14
10 Oct 2018, 15:06
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Exercise Trident Juncture
Replies: 27
Views: 2540
United Kingdom

Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Some key snippets from the exercise conference. The core of the exercise is the "NATO Response Force and within that, the 5000 person-plus Spearhead force, otherwise known as the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce." The German "Contribution of 8,500 personnel is part of the German-Ne...
by benny14
10 Oct 2018, 13:06
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Exercise Trident Juncture
Replies: 27
Views: 2540
United Kingdom

Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

2,700 UK personnel participating. Are we sending any RN or RAF assets?


Forces arrive in Rotterdam. 2,000km road trip.
by benny14
10 Oct 2018, 03:56
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Exercise Trident Juncture
Replies: 27
Views: 2540
United Kingdom

Exercise Trident Juncture

Looking forward to Trident Juncture. Most UK forces will be crossing the channel and then moving up towards Denmark before crossing over to Norway. Some units are taking the channel tunnel train to France, others are moving over to the Netherlands/Belgium by ferry. Units confirmed as taking part are...
by benny14
09 Oct 2018, 09:56
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Exercise Saif Sareea 3 (Swift Sword)
Replies: 29
Views: 2264
United Kingdom

Re: Exercise Saif Sareea 3 (Swift Sword)

nice photos. 7 MBTs, a command tent, a workshop trent, a recovery (modified) MBT... unit of deployment in dispersed ops? - or just a nice lay-out for a photo opp? Squadron HQ (One CR2, Spartan and MANN under nets), Two Troops (Four CR2 each) and the LAD section (CRARRV, FV512 Repair/FV513 Recovery ...
by benny14
30 Sep 2018, 20:46
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 26 Frigate (City Class) (RN) [News Only]
Replies: 5461
Views: 1464857
United Kingdom

Re: Type 26 Frigate (City Class) (RN) [News Only]

So if there’s no Sea Wolf why are there ‘mushrooms’? It seems improbable that BAE have fabricated new Sea Wolf VLS silos just to hold the Sea Ceptor silos upright, especially when there are much better ways of exploiting the tight packaging that cold-launch allows. Whatever the CAMM missiles are in...
by benny14
30 Sep 2018, 18:50
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 26 Frigate (City Class) (RN) [News Only]
Replies: 5461
Views: 1464857
United Kingdom

Re: Type 26 Frigate (City Class) (RN) [News Only]

jonas wrote:Does anyone know if the T26 will have to suffer those bloody horrible looking 'mushrooms' fitted for sea-ceptor.
The Type 26 has mushrooms.
arfah wrote: Not sure how Birmingham fits?
Edinburgh and London will be the next two. The last two will be English cities.
by benny14
25 Sep 2018, 20:39
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

SDL wrote:Weather related?
Too much Lightning... :lol:
by benny14
23 Sep 2018, 11:26
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

A mere coincidence? Or keeping mushrooms in the dark and (drip)feeding with... :D Our last 48 orders should be delivered by 2023, 2024 at the latest. By that date they will have negotiated the next batch of purchases to follow on. Obviously dependent on what the total planned numbers are by then an...
by benny14
23 Sep 2018, 00:47
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

SW1 wrote:If that’s what your waiting in your in for a long wait, 3 and 4 if they every happen will be way way into the 2030s
All depends on what the buy rate is after the initial 48.
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 18:23
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

2 Sqn moved from Tornado to typhoon in Aug this year and 9 Sqn converts next year. By 2019/2020 there will be 7 Typhoon and 1 F-35 squadrons. When the 3rd and 4th F-35 squadrons are formed, the two T1 Typhoon squadrons will swap over, giving us 5 Typhoon and 4 F-35 squadrons. There is talk of an 8t...
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 12:18
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Jake1992 wrote:What about when the tornadoes go out of service won't that free up personal for more squadrons ?
Of the two Tornado squadrons, one is converting to Typhoon and the other to Protector. The two Typhoon T1 squadrons will transition to F-35 in the late 2020s or 2030s.
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 11:50
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1724306
United Kingdom

Re: F-35B Lightning II (RN & RAF)

ArmChairCivvy wrote:when again was the IOD for Spear3 going to be?
I think its 2025.
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 11:36
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Speaking as a ex RAF officer I feel the navy should be given 80 F-35 Bs which should be laid out in 6 Squadrons of 10 aircraft with the RAF getting 80 aircraft laid out as they see fit there should be a joint OCU and deep maintenance unit at Marham which each service will fund and operate. For me t...
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 09:44
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Seems that in littoral manoeuvre the emphasis (when there is more infantry, for more extensive ops) in force protection shifts to CASEVAC, with Chinooks... they can, of course, be used for other things, too The littoral maneuver package I have saw includes... 9 x Merlin ASW (820 NAS), 5 x Merlin AE...
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 08:27
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

I agree this is fantasy as for now, but as a defense collaboration, this will be an interesting idea? AAR capability will dramatically improve the interdiction operation of F35B ? While getting V-22s is important, I don't think we can afford to get rid of Apaches. They have a very important role in...
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 06:13
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

2: Carrier Strike crew number is similar to ship's company. But, is ship's Coy itself is 680 or 733? It looks as if "ship's Coy" is only ~40% of the total accommodation. If the latter is 1600, ship's Coy will be ~640. I guess the graph is not so "exact" HMS QEs originally stated...
by benny14
22 Sep 2018, 00:16
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

They did say flight trials would be the "third week of September" didn't they? Well, Saturday 22nd September is the final day of that third week. But there was the delay caused by Hurricane Florence, so I would guess next week ? It says he is there for "under" a week. So it woul...
by benny14
21 Sep 2018, 23:37
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

The carrier was designed to be capable of an initial 24 hour surge of 108 sorties (36 × 3), with a sustained rate of 72 sorties per day (36 × 2). Everything was designed around these sortie rates and an aircraft load of 36 F35b and 4 Merlin AEW. Was wondering something. This RN graphics seems to su...
by benny14
21 Sep 2018, 18:40
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Zero chance there are no UK jets onboard, I would say 6-8. I don't see the USMC committing a whole squadron, and certainly not for the whole tour, 4-8 with a couple helicopters and/or ospreys added on. There's seems to be a general assumption that deploying an F-35 squadron onto a carrier is the sam...
by benny14
21 Sep 2018, 09:29
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

- 2015: 8 Super Etendards, 18 Rafale = 31-34 in total as "a larger than normal air wing" - 2016: 24 Rafale + For me, if CVF deploys with 24 F35B, 13 Merlin, and a few Wildcat, it is great enough. Merlin is not small. Something to note here, in 2015 they had two Rafale squadrons, whereas b...
by benny14
20 Sep 2018, 23:22
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Really I thought the initial plan was for 12 and then that changed to 24 due to bad media coverage? Still 12, although that means next to nothing. The airgroup will be dictated by what is needed and available, not a fixed number. Why on earth would the RN ask for a carrier that can operate at least...
by benny14
20 Sep 2018, 19:20
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

Is that 40 F35s or 40 aircraft over all ? If it's 40 over all I call bull as the RN would never design a carrier to operate 36 F35s but only plan on 4 helos to cover ASW AEW and GP let alone adding AAR and COD carrier Because the normal plan is for 24 F-35s and helicopters. 36 F-35s is in the extre...
by benny14
20 Sep 2018, 18:50
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

The standard peace time load out is over 40 aircraft that has been put out by the RN The capatain of QE said during an interview that the she could operate 70 aircraft at her max. He said carry, not operate. 40 is the wartime load. When you go on wiki for the PoW it states that standard load is 40,...
by benny14
19 Sep 2018, 22:20
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15444
Views: 4409566
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

For me if money was there the QEs could be loaded out as such: 42 x F35B 6 x F35B ( electronic warfare upgrade ) 5 x EV-22 for AEW 2 x V-22 for AAR 2 x V-22 for COD 9 x Merlin ASW 4 x GP aircraft Dam... The current assumption for Ford's airwing is around ~70 aircraft. You want to overload QE with 7...