UK Defence Forum

Attitude, my dear boys, attitude! Manners would be too much to ask for? Old shite tells you

" Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian group Finmeccanica which is a member of the consortium, had obtained Kuwait's signature on the agreement"

"At Typhoon’s assembly line in Warton, Lancashire, where engineers put together parts delivered from Spain, Germany and Italy, there were hopes of imminent contract extensions beyond 2018, when current orders dry up."

Moth balling the production line might give a short reprieve, but the skilled workers will soon be dispersed (or leave, even be made redundant) and thereby restarting the line will become progressively more difficult. The mere moth balling would cost money (next question: whose money, there is no such item in the MoD budgets).
- btw, this is a forward looking statement. Pls feel free to share insights, and do try to make reading this board pleasurable(over a week end morning coffee, or in fact at any time)

I've written about the joint maintenance facility for Typhoons in the Gulf (promoted/ bankrolled by the Saudis) before, so the Oman & Kuwait deals do lift the prospects for future sales. In want of such a shared facility, split buys would become disproportionately expensive (for lack of specialists even impossible) for such small airforces.

It is not looking great for the UK production line, never really liked the concept of split assembly because of issues like this.

More orders are looking a bit scarce, are the Saudis still interested now we have AESA and brimstone? Depending on how the Canadian election goes we could get some interesting from our cousins across the Atlantic.

ArmChairCivvy wrote: I've written about the joint maintenance facility for Typhoons in the Gulf (promoted/ bankrolled by the Saudis) before, so the Oman & Kuwait deals do lift the prospects for future sales. In want of such a shared facility, split buys would become disproportionately expensive (for lack of specialists even impossible) for such small airforces.

ArmChairCivvy wrote:

The Omanis aren't interested at the moment in such things, Kuwait is still early days.

http://warisboring.com/articles/airborn ... her-drone/

Just came across this, its a very novel approach that could have some utility aboard our carriers. It's certainly an approach I have never considered

So along with 1,900 new staff for our agencies and increased investment in counter-terrorism police, we will make a major new investment in a new generation of surveillance drones.

These British-designed unmanned aircraft will fly at the very edge of the earth’s atmosphere and allow us to observe our adversaries for weeks on end, providing critical intelligence for our forces. As part of our historic partnership, under the Lancaster House Treaty, we also intend to make a significant joint investment with France in developing unmanned combat air vehicles.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ls-it.html

Is that Zephyr he's talking about?

The Armchair Soldier wrote: Is that Zephyr he's talking about?

It has to be, its the only product that fits that description. Seems like a good choice for investment to me.

Also I like how he actually calls them drones, rather than some pink and fluffy PC crap.

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Janes is also reporting 138 F35b linking it to the defence review.

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Sea Taranis....?!

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SDSR fact sheet gives some more insights into the future uses of zephyr, intended to be used in both the surveillance and communication relays.

develop a high altitude long endurance surveillance and relay RPAS

Relay RPAS, expensive (and jammable, as their location is predictable) satellite comms... interesting

Here is a count for RPAS in A-stan (UK only) at about the peak. Supporting a fielded bde strength force would count as a "medium" engagement?
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... an-378493/

Compare to E. Ukraine where the air has been full of UAVs (flying at various altitudes and with various ranges) so that the observe-kill loop by indirect fires has been narrowed to 15 mins... who needs precision munitions when you can send a proper barrage at the same cost?

Looks like countering UAVs has run out of applicable shotgun sizes:
http://www.gizmag.com/100-drones-guinne ... ult-widget

However, here's the new shotgun (made in the UK, even though by a Selex sub) that will be tried in April in a joint UK/US exercise to be held in the UK:

"A full-up Falcon Shield system would combine radar, infrared and daylight cameras, microphones to detect the buzz a mini drone’s rotors make, and devices able to detect a drone’s radio signals and track them back to its operator. The system will also include an electronic attack element to allow the Falcon Shield operator to take control of an incoming drone and kill or capture it[, as in the video above.]
- THE VID CAN BE FOUND on today's breakingdefence reporting

That electronic attack ability, Williams added, “can defeat the systems in very cluttered environments such as urban environments without having an adverse effect on blue light systems that are out there, such as the police, fire services, ambulances.”

Assuming it works, of course. “The find, fix, track and identify is real right now and has been used and can be bought off the shelf as Falcon Shield,”"

Article is here: http://aviationweek.com/defense/anglo-f ... take-shape but paywalled.

All I can see is:

Anglo-French UCAV Study Begins To Take Shape
British-French UCAV could fly as wingman to manned fighters

More than 18 months have passed since Britain and France embarked on a path to develop an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) and much has been achieved, albeit mostly behind closed doors. Since the two governments signed off on the multinational two-year Future Combat Air System (FCAS) feasibility study at the Farnborough Airshow in 2014 and work began in October that year, there is now growing consensus on the planform of the aircraft, and while decisions about an engine selection remain ...

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Built in Farnborough, I had been wondering where they where built, I had concerns airbus may have shipped the technology over to France. Glad to see its still a British product, and the government showing confidence in something they invented for a change. This seems like something that could so easily have become vaporware, so kudos to the team for making it happen.

Wasn't the original rumour for 3?

MoD to Buy High-Flying Solar Planes

The UK Ministry of Defence is going to acquire some high-altitude "eternal planes".

The unmanned, solar-powered aircraft, known as Zephyrs, fly above the jet streams and will stay aloft for months on end.

Designed and built in Britain, the vehicles will carry small payloads that might consist of reconnaissance cameras or communications equipment.

The MoD is likely to buy two Zephyrs in the first instance.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35478489

Janes report put the Zephyr at £5 million a unit.

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arfah wrote:Compare that to operating a Shadow R1 or launching a satellite, etc

Yes, my thoughts exactly. If that price continues into full production it could be very disruptive.

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And its payload is....?

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