On the first one I agree. The Poles now have the Braveheart turret on their in-service platform (never mind that the gun was changed, first to Nexter's and then again, to get to where they are now.RunningStrong wrote:I think the best value for money is a comprehensive upgrade and regun of the AS90 platform, in addition to a MAN SV based platform.
The only future I can see for the light gun teams is to move to 120mm towed mortars with a range beyond what is available today.
As for the second point, I would advocate the French model, having mixed batteries. Yes, they have gone for this partly bcz of "colonial wars" where artillery operate dispersed, over vast areas and therefore all flavours need to be on the menu "there and then" when needed. As LJ puts it, these rgmnts being mainly the support for 16X and 3 Cdo would not be in conflict with that thinking, rather the opposite.
I agree; too much salami slicing has been going on. for too long.Lord Jim wrote: These five Brigades are the Army's equivalent of the Royal Navy's Carrier Strike Group and their needs need to take priority over all other parts of the Army.
- 5 bdes are being postulated; which 5?
- 2 Strike, 2 AI. 16X is so light on infantry that we would need to call in the "sailors" and add whatever 3 Cdo still retains at its bn level, in the way of them "not having gone back to sea" but retained their heavy weapons. There we have it (incidentally includes half of the Bde of Gurkhas ) and instead of building new formations, getting the kit and getting it right.