What we know about the FCF is that 8 x LSU's of 250 troops will be built around the 8 companies of 40 & 45 Cdo they have been trilling new light vehicles like Polstar plus not long back a 200 million program was set out for a new CIC All of which could change tomorrow. It comes across as ideas ...

As discussed previously.

https://www.ga-asi.com/ga-asi-mojave-st ... -operation

Theory becoming practice. Looks like a ski ramp and 200m deck would be required for take off with a full payload.

But the RN is looking to increase the number of escorts by 5 and Aux ships by 2 if they get them under a Sunak or Labour gov is a different thing but the will is there All good increases but they won’t take effect much before the mid 2030’s if at all. The 2020’s will be a lost decade for RN unless ...

that was SDR10, which was always a temporary decision to get past austerity osborne and his need to share the pain. as soon as they had opportunity they immediately chinned off any foolish idea of selling the second carrier, and sensibly decided to bring it into service. Thats not my point. My prin...

Repulse wrote: ↑03 Aug 2023, 16:52 I’m not saying we should operate both independently now, it’s more about always having one ready…

THAT is the important part.

One CVF always available.

CASD always operational and at sea.

After that the rest is up for discussion.

The Royal Navy does not and won’t have two air groups to generate two carrier strike groups so it’s a bit foolish to build a fleet around that to be honest. It also won’t have the logistics capacity to support two groups for another 10 years Apologies for duplicating your points, I was typing…..slo...

It is, and it's worth the cost. Easy to say, harder to justify. RN now has no dedicated vessel for 6000+ Marines. How long that continues is an open question. Even a decade ago that would have been an absolute disaster. Now it’s worth the cost. The UK does not have enough active F35b to fully utili...

Having two carrier groups is what the Navy has been working towards for years, and it is still a realistic goal. No, when the escort fleet was scaled back in SDSR 2010 it was only supposed to support one CVF and one LPD. See here: FCCBF971-DAAC-450B-B50B-61D0EBBAFB66.jpeg 28BB20AE-072C-4776-94D6-C9...

The LPDs are very resource intensive to operate, which is why they get so little time at sea. Could the same argument not be made for the CVFs? The MRSS needs to be the opposite of the LPDs. The amphibious version of the River class that can maintain lots of days at sea…. The Bays can do that now? ...

I've got a sneaky feeling the new labour defence leader when gets in is going to scrap a carrier and yes maybe a lpd and justify it by saying build more army equipment and a increase in troop numbers ,mark my words, they think the carriers a white elephants ,yet another politician without a clue To...

FCF is becoming a joke This is what happens when a capability is torn up without a clear forward direction of travel due to slashed budgets. The complete destruction of the strength in depth of the fleet to enable two active CVFs is becoming apparent even to casual observers now. It’s a national em...

Not a good look - the first thing the RN needs to learn is living within its means. The whole suggestion of 6 MRSS just looks like a bad joke, let’s start by getting two LPDs active. Difficult to fully understand the delay when Bulwark was supposed to have been maintained in a much better state of ...

Unbelievable.

A LPD gap of at least a year!

https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy- ... available/

new guy wrote: ↑02 Aug 2023, 01:16 I don't quite understand. T31 is to fulfil the T23GP, and the rivers do a different thing, as they are now. T31 won't replace them.

Two T31’s are due to replace the two RB2’s in the Indo Pacific around 2028.

You just have spent more money as the waves are laid up and crew less. How many of the T31s will have crews? All five or just four? If two T31s are sent to the Indo Pacific and one maintains Kipion how many operational T31’s will be WoS? Bit pointless having the waves coupled with the rivers as the...

My point is, without spending more money could more be achieved in the Indo Pacific with, for example, a Wave and two RB2’s rather than two T31s. I would suggest it could as two Wildcats could be embarked on the Wave and the RB2s have ample speed and endurance for general maritime patrol. The Wave ...

However it is only flag flying, so don't need to go too over the top with it. Agree, let’s not overdo it, but let’s not underdo it either - they’ve done more than just fly the flag. Given the huge percentage increase in cost from RB2 to T31 what will the practical difference actually be when operat...

SW1 wrote: ↑31 Jul 2023, 07:43 Couple of things….

A lot has changed since 2005 and the infrastructure point is a good one.

The main question is, after lessons learnt in Ukraine, what now and how fast should it be procured?

Watchkeeper in the spotlight https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/07/31/army-watchkeeper-drone-crash-ukraine-diy-uavs/ Is it still fit for purpose or already obsolete? Watchkeeper drone on the runway Beneath the balmy November sun of New Mexico, the British soldiers were happy. They were about ...

dmereifield wrote: ↑28 Jul 2023, 07:58 The MoD will be fitted for but not with a Secretary of State

Considering who is likely to replace him, would anyone notice the difference?

Although it will get zero fanfare this could be a pretty important development.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new- ... ommunities

Moved across. I was reading a RUSI paper….. Thank you, interesting read. Who knows at this point what this newly proposed rapid reaction force will look like and how it will differ from 16AAB but what I am suggesting does not involve CH3, AJAX, Boxer or Warrior. I am proposing a highly lethal blocki...

…that is why NATO is needing strong armoured reaction force, to prevent Russians to fortify territory they occupy, and take it back as soon as possible. I agree that an armoured rapid reaction force is important but due to the distances involved how quickly could it reliably be deployed and would i...

I feel with the manpower and money that we face at this time 3 divisions is maybe a step to far. Perhaps but it should be the ambition. What is the ambition for 2.5% GDP? If the Army, RAF and RN can’t clearly illustrate that then why would HMT even consider it. If £55bn to £60bn per annum can’t del...

As said, the ludicrous levels of cuts is daily mainstream news now. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/22/uk-is-not-getting-enough-bang-for-its-defence-buck/ The comparison with Poland isn’t going away anytime soon. The UK is not getting enough bang for its defence buck. Let’s learn from Polan...