UK Defence Forum

Mercedes is out of the race. It is a duel between Bushmaster and Eagle now, and i'm not at all unhappy with that. I was writing about Bushmaster being a good fit from before the programme changed name from OUVS to MRV-P...

Clearly, if it can help Type 26 being selected by Australia, even more so.

Mercator wrote: Google is your friend.

Are they UK Bushmasters though? Sure they've got the RWS, but they're missing some of the kit they've been seen with before, in particular the massive bull bars.

Timmymagic wrote:

Mercator wrote: Google is your friend.

Are they UK Bushmasters though? Sure they've got the RWS, but they're missing some of the kit they've been seen with before, in particular the massive bull bars.

Yeah they are.

I don't understand why the British Army never assesses French equipments, we have often equivalent equipments and cheaper than elsewhere, the French defence industry has a very bad image abroad ? I don't realize ?
It's not that I want to sell you anything, but apart from major common programs like the MRTT for example, there is nothing that interests you ?

Frenchie wrote:I don't understand why the British Army never assesses French equipments

I think they do. The main difference is the UK likes to go medium-heavy, France likes to go light-medium. Stuff like the VBCI, it is an excellent vehicle but I think the British Army thinks it is too light, they want something beefier such as the Boxer.

An example of the difference is how they are fulfilling their armoured reece role, the French with the light EBRC Jaguar, the British with the medium AJAX.

VBCI was assessed for FRES UV, we have Aster on the Type 45s, we used MILAN, Jaguar, Gazelle; FASGW(H)/ANL is a joint project, A400M, MRTT are too. CT40, the sights on CR2 are French. We've had various optics/optronics from the French.

Not sure I see the issue.

Is there much British equipment in use with the French, bar the joint projects?

Maybe they have a reputation (similar to the Americans) were they love to sell to their "partners", but can always find an excuse not to buy from them.

mr.fred wrote:VBCI was assessed for FRES UV, we have Aster on the Type 45s, we used MILAN, Jaguar, Gazelle; FASGW(H)/ANL is a joint project, A400M, MRTT are too. CT40, the sights on CR2 are French. We've had various optics/optronics from the French.

Not sure I see the issue.

Is there much British equipment in use with the French, bar the joint projects?

There's some Lynx in the Navy, and a few Land Rovers in the Army. That's about it in terms of British stuff. So while I do understand the sentiment, it's a little bit of a 'glass houses' situation I'm afraid, Frenchie.

Frenchie wrote:I don't understand why the British Army never assesses French equipments, we have often equivalent equipments and cheaper than elsewhere, the French defence industry has a very bad image abroad ? I don't realize ?

In recent times British troops have done exercises and evaluation with VBCI and Ceasar 8x8.

What have the French tried?

RunningStrong wrote:Ceasar 8x8.

Excellent. I thought it was with the "old" 6x6 (the latter moving to intervention bdes as the mech bdes start to get their 8x8s)

RunningStrong wrote:

Frenchie wrote:I don't understand why the British Army never assesses French equipments, we have often equivalent equipments and cheaper than elsewhere, the French defence industry has a very bad image abroad ? I don't realize ?

In recent times British troops have done exercises and evaluation with VBCI and Ceasar 8x8.

What have the French tried?

Watchkeeper. Then they thought better about it.

I don't think the British Army has gotten anywhere near the Caesar 8x8. I'm not even sure there are working examples of that yet. They have used the Caesar 6x6 of french regiments they have trained with.

I'm sorry my question is ridiculous, it's true that France does not buy a lot of British material, and that the British Army has evaluated the VBCI and several French equipment, I do not know why I asked this question . Thank you for your understanding

Frenchie wrote:I'm sorry my question is ridiculous, it's true that France does not buy a lot of British material, and that the British Army has evaluated the VBCI and several French equipment, I do not know why I asked this question . Thank you for your understanding

Don't take it to heart Frenchie, It's what we'd do... If we could

Hi Frenchie, that Nexter 8x8 (*also the Czech part in it) is awesome... when will the first ones be rolling out to the French army (after the ones for the Danes, I presume)?

Hi ACC, it is planned to buy 48 Caesar 8X8 for the two armoured brigades in 2020 to equip their two artillery regiments, and redistribute the Caesar 6X6 in the artillery regiments of Brigades Median and Light. It is an obligation because since September 2016, the French artillery has fired more than 10,000 shells in Iraq. The over-use of the 77 Caesars of the army results in 27 guns being too worn out to be re-used before heavy maintenance operations.

Frenchie wrote:French artillery has fired more than 10,000 shells in Iraq

I hope they wrote memorable places and events on every single shell

RetroSicotte wrote: There's some Lynx in the Navy, and a few Land Rovers in the Army. That's about it in terms of British stuff. So while I do understand the sentiment, it's a little bit of a 'glass houses' situation I'm afraid, Frenchie.

And regrettably from that list there aren't many items that couldn't have been bought for less, for more capability from elsewhere (MILAN and MRTT excluded). The history of UK/French defence co-operation isn't great.

A possible future development?

Like to see who is going to volunteer for the live passenger demo

Looks more like an episode of Mythbusters than serious military research.

Defence Equipment & Support wrote:#Defence Minister Guto Bebb visits Millbrook test ground to see the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle put through its paces with a demonstrations of the platform’s terrain management, ride quality and tactical mobility.

The Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is being assessed as part of the UK MOD Multi-Role Vehicle Protected (MRV-P) Programme.

Frenchie wrote: It is an obligation because since September 2016, the French artillery has fired more than 10,000 shells in Iraq. The over-use of the 77 Caesars of the army results in 27 guns being too worn out to be re-used before heavy maintenance operations.

Really ? I never knew that, the French have gunners on the ground in Iraq - well done them! I knew that the US had Arty units in action both Army and USMC but didn't realise the French had too. Shows how UK centric the media focus is over here. Anyone got any good links??

A video here:

(French) http://www.opex360.com/2017/06/09/les-a ... s-mossoul/

Pongoglo wrote:Really ? I never knew that, the French have gunners on the ground in Iraq - well done them! I knew that the US had Arty units in action both Army and USMC but didn't realise the French had too. Shows how UK centric the media focus is over here. Anyone got any good links??

A good summary of what we were doing in Iraq.

Pongoglo wrote:Shows how UK centric the media focus is over here.

Equally, one could believe that the whole war in Afghanistan was fought in Helmand... that holds 3% of the population.