Search found 363 matches

by Phil Sayers
18 Feb 2024, 17:42
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

No idea how representative or otherwise the image is but is it just me or does it look like France have asked MBDA to dust-off some of their Spear concepts and turn them into a powered drone?

by Phil Sayers
18 Feb 2024, 17:29
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19146
Views: 7052980

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

The problem with using Cyprus as a naval base is that if Egypt wanted to prevent something we intended to do further east they could refuse warship transit of the Suez Canal.
by Phil Sayers
10 Feb 2024, 13:16
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947262

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Worth making the point that both Ukraine and NATO do consider it very important to get manned Western fast jets in the skies over Ukraine - even though that will be using old aircraft in a high threat environment. They could have gone a different route by deciding to instead spend the money and time...
by Phil Sayers
15 Jan 2024, 18:49
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

Jdam wrote: 15 Jan 2024, 17:11 Has an AEW aircraft ever been shot down? (before today)
Yes - North Korea downed a USN AEW aircraft in the late 60s. I can't think of any other instance though:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_EC-1 ... n_incident
by Phil Sayers
12 Jan 2024, 19:49
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5409
Views: 1418356

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

If / when Mk 41 is added to T31, I'd be amazed if it is 32 cells. Probably 16, maybe 8 IMO.
by Phil Sayers
11 Jan 2024, 13:14
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Caribbean
Replies: 94
Views: 9794

Re: Caribbean

Personally, I do not see much chance of Venezuela proceeding with an invasion because they will be conscious that it could easily end up with war against both the US and Brazil. If however we are thinking that there is a realistic possibility and it is something we should be seeking to deter ourselv...
by Phil Sayers
10 Jan 2024, 19:34
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19146
Views: 7052980

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

How close did the targets get before being engaged with the T45’s guns? 30mm and Phalanx? CAMM would definitely be preferable surely. Another validation of the 57mm/40mm fit on the T31. Probably but not necessarily. If 'guns' means the 4.5 inch it could be said to be a validation of having a longer...
by Phil Sayers
08 Jan 2024, 00:21
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)
Replies: 2803
Views: 762614

Re: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)

The thing about Turkey is that objectively the rest of the major players in NATO have been a worse ally to them than they have been to NATO. The root cause of much of the World's current problems with a belligerent Russia, Iran, China etc can be traced back to the lack of stomach to oust the Assad r...
by Phil Sayers
07 Jan 2024, 14:08
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5841
Views: 1495561

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

If the government are scrabbling around for potential options should the Houthis just shrug-off airstrikes and continue attacking commercial shipping even after the Gaza fighting ends, then RM / SF commando raids on the Yemeni coast would come into consideration. May well be rejected as too dangero...
by Phil Sayers
07 Jan 2024, 13:07
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5841
Views: 1495561

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

Yes, I am bias to believe what I want to be true, yet in all honesty I trust Gabriele more than Tabloids with some of the dumbest defence reporters touting up un-sourced rumors. https://twitter.com/Gabriel64869839/status/1743730050472493189 If the government are scrabbling around for potential opti...
by Phil Sayers
04 Jan 2024, 18:19
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: USA Armed Forces
Replies: 2088
Views: 108378

Re: USA Armed Forces

I think there is no doubt whatsoever that if we had Sentinel still in service it would be massively tasked at the moment conducting sorties over Eastern Europe and latterly also in the Eastern Med. As we would be extensively using it right now it clearly did have real value notwithstanding that othe...
by Phil Sayers
03 Jan 2024, 19:00
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Middle East
Replies: 81
Views: 5214

Re: Middle East

For my money there is no chance of the Houthis heeding this warning (in fact they might escalate their attacks as a show of defiance) and therefore strikes by the US, UK and possibly France (although they are a puzzling absence from the signatories) are likely imminent: https://twitter.com/NationalI...
by Phil Sayers
01 Jan 2024, 13:22
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

Ukraine's naval drones are now coming equipped with their own MLRS. Just firing from range at the naval base as per the video is likely going to be little more than nuisance fire (which does have value mind) unless they get lucky but if they were to approach a vessel at sea they could get close enou...
by Phil Sayers
30 Dec 2023, 15:39
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Indian Armed Forces
Replies: 342
Views: 21595

Re: Indian Armed Forces

It was about 1000 km's from the nearest part of Iran that is well outside line of sight control systems and to hit a moving target would need to be controlled from another platform like a P-3 MPA or a ship within 150 km's Ah - my mistake as I thought the incident was less than half that distance fr...
by Phil Sayers
30 Dec 2023, 15:07
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Indian Armed Forces
Replies: 342
Views: 21595

Re: Indian Armed Forces

If the drone came from Iran what was controlling it as at that range it would be out of line of sight They currently have a spy ship sailing in the Red Sea which is presumably co-ordinating the Houthi attacks (and what a terrible shame it would be if that ship sunk following explosions that look re...
by Phil Sayers
30 Dec 2023, 14:33
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: AW159 Wildcat Helicopter (RN & AAC)
Replies: 488
Views: 210941

Re: AW159 Wildcat Helicopter (RN & AAC)

If this means that the AAC Wildcats will now be receiving sufficient information to locate and target enemy vehicles from a variety of sources dotted around the battlefield, it makes it even more of a no-brainer to acquire the RN's pylons and Martlet / APKWS.
by Phil Sayers
30 Dec 2023, 14:26
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Indian Armed Forces
Replies: 342
Views: 21595

Re: Indian Armed Forces

The daft thing is that the Houthis have been 'loud and proud' in claiming responsibility for their acts of piracy.
by Phil Sayers
29 Dec 2023, 12:41
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

Likewise, has anyone seen any information / informed speculation regarding which weapons will be provided with the F-16s? Presumably, older-model AMRAAMs for air-to-air stuff but what about ground attack? Obviously, hundreds of JASSMs would be a huge-game changer whereas limiting supplies to things ...
by Phil Sayers
27 Dec 2023, 14:09
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19146
Views: 7052980

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

This sort of thing gets me thinking that there would probably be a huge market for an extremely basic SAM; perhaps a development of Martlet if ship sensors are sufficient to provide terminal guidance at say ten miles range against simple drones without the missile needing its own radar.
by Phil Sayers
27 Dec 2023, 13:31
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

Interesting that Ukraine seems to have adopted a strategy of prioritising landing ships as targets over e.g frigates firing cruise missiles. Makes perfect sense I suppose as chipping away at Russia's ability to logistically support its troops at the front will have more of a direct impact at the fro...
by Phil Sayers
17 Dec 2023, 13:48
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19146
Views: 7052980

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Apparently this is in the works: https://twitter.com/haltman/status/1736085909789946147 I'd guess our contribution will be something like keeping an escort in the Red Sea for the next three months or until the danger passes (whichever is sooner) in addition to the Kipion deployment. I also wonder wh...
by Phil Sayers
12 Dec 2023, 19:19
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]
Replies: 8467
Views: 2140255

Re: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]

Conventional NGFS is dead. Multiple cheap drones (surface and aerial) are the new threat. This is oft-stated but I am far from convinced. Israel is using naval gunnery (albeit small-calibre) right now and the last times any RN vessel fired their weapons in anger (Libya in 2011 and Iraq in 2003) it ...
by Phil Sayers
11 Dec 2023, 19:05
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84765

Re: The war in Ukraine

The Vikings might be very useful in crossing from the Kherson city area to the bridgehead (minus any bridges still standing....) on the other side of the river. Right now Ukraine is somewhat constrained by an inability to 'safely' ferry significant numbers of troops across and then those troops lack...
by Phil Sayers
07 Dec 2023, 21:17
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19146
Views: 7052980

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

The Royal Navy is going to be a Navy with 2 fleets, the 'carrier group' fleet, and the 'everything else' fleet. The T31 fills out the 'everything else' fleet, and more importantly it's cheap, making it the only realistic option for an extra batch. This reality is exactly why I think consideration s...
by Phil Sayers
07 Dec 2023, 19:16
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Caribbean
Replies: 94
Views: 9794

Re: Caribbean

As much as Maduro obviously is an idiot hell-bent of diverting domestic attention away from his disastrous economic policies and dictatorial rule, I do not think he is so much an idiot that he does not appreciate that proceeding with an invasion of Guyana carries a not-insignificant risk of his own ...