In my book that's building back to a minimum of 12 squadrons ( a number we should never have dropped from) with mass made up by a capable loyal Wingman. An RAF order of 180 Tempest will cover this and transfer all 80/90 F35B to the FAA, creating four squadron's. You're preaching to the choir! No di...

180 for the UK does sound fantasy fleets....I'd say more like 120.... The only way I can see us getting to 180 would be if the F-35 fleet is shifted entirely to the Royal Navy's budget, which would require a rather vast amount of additional funding. My thoughts would be somewhere around 100 in the ...

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/britain-japan-pay-most-fighter-project-agreed-with-italy-sources-2023-03-15/ From unnamed sources: "The cost of the project will likely be around 40% each for Japan and Britain," one of the people with knowledge of discussions told Reuters...

https://aeralis.com/2023/03/14/aeralis-announces-digital-engineering-contract-with-shinmaywa/ Innovative British Military fast-jet company AERALIS has today announced a partnership with Japanese aircraft manufacturers, ShinMaywa. Signed at DSEI Japan, the two companies will work together to establi...

The Eurofighter thread seems to be a good model to base this on. Primary focus being the UK but with discussion of the wider programme and partners.

A321 G-GBNI on the ground at San Diego International Airport, next to the Aussie VVIP MRTT... (Which has a much posher interior than Vespina).

A second source, putting the number at around twelve. The exact number of new submarines the Navy will order is still to be decided, but military chiefs are understood to want the current fleet of six subs to be roughly doubled in light of growing global threats. Though still not a publication I'd c...

As always, amused by how the Merkel government shut down the BAE-Airbus merger (before the Brexit vote) that would have guaranteed a European aerospace giant which would have been immune from Dassault's tradition of threats and bullying.

Was there not also a mention of additional AW101s? I'm guessing this is for Algeria. They've got an existing fleet of newish ASW Super Lynx that might need supplementing, rather than replacing, for their rather lofty naval ambitions. I'm might be misremembering but I think I saw one of their final ...

Was there not also a mention of additional AW101s? I'm guessing this is for Algeria. They've got an existing fleet of newish ASW Super Lynx that might need supplementing, rather than replacing, for their rather lofty naval ambitions. I'm might be misremembering but I think I saw one of their final a...

Airbus is a much larger “national” Aerospace entity in U.K. than leonardo. Yeah, let me count how many complete designs are built and tested by Airbus in the UK. Expertise in building wings is not that useful for helo's :D Well.... I can count one! ;) https://aviationweek.com/sites/default/files/st...

SW1 wrote: ↑09 Mar 2023, 08:00 Airbus is a much larger “national” Aerospace entity in U.K. than leonardo.

Well quite. Even if the Airbus Helicopters operation at Oxford is fairly modest in comparison to commercial and military fixed wing.

My point is that if your issue is that the current national supplier has problems, the solution is to address those problems not order from a new shiny sixpence foreign supplier with a totally fresh new set of problems (that you don't know about yet). And in so doing, destroy your national supplier...

Great news for Yeovil, though AW159 is not exactly selling like its predecessor.

I'd be inclined to agree but AW/Leonardo's track record of delivering promised work to Yeovil, even when UK Govt has provided substantial funding, isn't great. Always seem to end up back at Cascina Costa or Verigate... Airbus might just be a bit more hungry for the opportunity. Yep, Ajax redux. Wel...

Boeing made a point of stating that they were moving away from being a prime contractor two weeks ago. Presumably something discouraged them from pursuing that role. Whether platform, politics or something else. https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/boeing-shifts-stance-on-prime-contractor-role-f...

...and then there were three: https://twitter.com/RAeSTimR/status/1632660782637801474?t=E7azacqBGu6rz2hhjbEJVQ&s=19 Boeing and Airbus, proving that rivalry is secondary to sales. https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-03-airbus-welcomes-boeing-to-h175m-task-force-for-uk-new-mediu...

Wow. That is news. Funding won’t be an issue Orders - Typhoon and F15C replacement? The Typhoon production line was probably too much too soon but I understand they’ve been doing a bit on the component side. And Saudi-isation of support has been going on for a while They've been assembling their ow...

The Aussies, however aren't going to need Hobart Class replacements till the 2040s. That said, they have an aspiration for additional AAW platforms, so that date could be brought forward depending on additional numbers. But think about how long ago the first Arleigh Burke Flight 1 was launched (198...

Are two 220m destroyers really better than 3 or 4 150m-160m destroyers if the VLS numbers are equal? I’m not convinced. As fun as it would be to see the Royal Navy bobbing about in 21st Century battlecruisers. I think numbers are far more crucial and I'd like to see us with at least eight AAW escor...

Posting here as I believe this is relevant to the upgrade path and replacement for Type 45... https://twitter.com/CiroNappi6/status/1628330666365448192?s=20 Italy's planned replacement for the Durand de la Penne-class Class. Source in Italian: https://www.rid.it/shownews/5519 - 96 full-width cells, ...

Interesting piece in Flight Global: https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/airbus-touts-strong-demand-for-h175m-and-eyes-part-out-potential-of-uk-pumas/152104.article 1) Confirmation of the plan to build an assembly line at Broughton for UK aircraft and export If selected for NMH, Airbus Helicopte...

It wouldn’t surprise me if the T83 / DDX became another AUKUS project. With the USN's priorities for the 2030s being: NGAD (Super Hornet replacement) -> DDX -> SSN(X) I reckon the US and the UK align pretty well for timescale. The Aussies, however aren't going to need Hobart Class replacements till...

Does anyone know why 40mm mk4 was selected over Millennium Gun. BAE don't have a subsidiary that manufactures the Millennium Gun. Not sure BAE is the key we could have had more DS30 like the other escorts. My question would be why the Danish chose the Millennium Gun? Did they have some workshare? I...

Fr0sty125 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2023, 17:20 Does anyone know why 40mm mk4 was selected over Millennium Gun.

BAE don't have a subsidiary that manufactures the Millennium Gun.