I suppose when you only have about a brigades worth of engineering logistics and artillery’s available you can always group it into a divisional structure and make it look good by claiming it can support more than one brigade. If the headcount is remaining at 73K until they lose about 1/3 of the cav...

Aircraft numbers aren’t the issue, who’s going to maintain and fly them if more are leaving than joining. Comparing numbers with other Europe countries is nice an all but how many can they actually use. Between NATO and shader we have maintained a significant number of typhoons on operations this pa...

2003 vibes trust me I’m Tony.

If you were asking for an alternative to tempest… Push Tempest as far as it will go but it’s the money that will ensure success or failure. As long as the entire defence budget doesn’t start to disappear into a Tempest black hole then great. Is Tempest and AUKUS just too ambitious to run simultaneo...

In relation to tempest that would be like saying we will stop building nuclear submarines and compensate by building offshore patrol vessels. But is Tempest realistic for the UK? Let’s hope so. As a Tempest backup I was talking about a next-gen drone. Medium attitude and long endurance marinised ST...

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/Japan-s-new-jet-fighter-alliance-pushes-limits-of-defense-policy The GCAP is the flagship project of the government's increasingly proactive defense policy, part of a broader effort to transform Japan's pacifist legacy in the face of an increasingly t...

Moving because it’s not really relevant to the other thread but if you had something like global hawk or possibly zephyr in the future mounting an ISR payload would it need to be able to land on a ship at all? I think so for many reasons but for example, if it where to be truly multi purpose it may...

Could we see a AAW radar ship with say just 16 ABM's on it with the inner ring carried by other escorts What about a ring even further out? This is where the MALE drones could be crucial IMO. Having 24/7 OTH ISTAR is of paramount importance for the CSG. Much more useful than a crowsnest type system...

I would only say this is tweet is coming from a channel/person/organisation that if you have been around long enough started as “save the RN”. Who at the beginning was very vocal in wanting the RAF disbanded and used its media presence to cheerlead that line of thinking. So amplifying stories around...

If FADS is going to be as revolutionary as it sounds how basic could the T83 become? Are the beam dimensions and/or propulsion systems of the T45, T26 or T31 suitable? Could the T83 and T32 use the same hull? Obviously as the hull dimensions start to enlarge damage control becomes more difficult wi...

Just continue building the hulls you already have in production it will be cheaper in the long run. I generally agree this should the the starting objective for the project, but shouldn't cling on to the idea too tightly if the size a power requirements start to diverge. This could work if the lean...

Just continue building the hulls you already have in production it will be cheaper in the long run. Yes and no. If the T45 replacement just needs to be a basic hull form with zero regard for acoustic optimisation and a CODAD propulsion system building more T26 will not be the cheapest option. Witho...

And from Japan https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/09/21/japan/jet-fighter-project-hq-uk/ The headquarters will be in Britain, but for the sake of balance, someone from Japan could head it," said one of the sources, all of whom asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the iss...

The type 45 was last built 15 years ago it will be more than 25 years when the start the next one do all the sub systems that went into it still exist does all the tooling that supports it’s build? Would there be anyone left who actually built the last one? I don’t think given its issue you can cla...

T45 have so far spent a proportion of their lives tied up alongside, they could easily carry on for decades yet if progressively modified and upgraded. Normally I would be highly resistant to such a move but it actually helps the Govan drum beat if 30 years is the target rather than 25years. From a...

Very interesting, especially this part. In this sense, the RN is not seeking a replacement for Type 45 as such, but an upgrade to its capabilities. Intriguing. LIFEX for T45? Not a problem due to light use of the T45’s. Govan would need a third batch of T26 to maintain the drum beat. They never lea...

Repulse wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023, 17:44

SW1 wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023, 15:43 …it just a discussion.

Completely agree with the thrust of your point, but would only point out that this is a discussion thread

Yep just meant that my priorities are not important to the discussion as it’s really what’s the government’s priority.

The RN can have a carrier group or a couple of amphibious oriented groups it can’t resource both and do all the other more important stuff. What’s the priority? That’s the main point. If RN really believes that CEPP is the future then is the 3rd Flat top more important than 6x MRSS? Are multiple LH...

SD67 wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023, 15:05 Wouldn't the position of the intake be problematic, it looks like a giant hoover

Not necessarily jet engine intakes have a very wide suck area regardless of their position.

Why everyone is FOD in the brain around them. I would think the road will of been swept before they use it

The RN can have a carrier group or a couple of amphibious oriented groups it can’t resource both and do all the other more important stuff. What’s the priority? That’s the main point. If RN really believes that CEPP is the future then is the 3rd Flat top more important than 6x MRSS? Are multiple LH...

https://x.com/ukdefencefin/status/17044 ... SrZTkNlgBA

Typhoon road operations

First ever RAF Typhoon operating from a Finnish road strip. Thanks to Karelia Air Command for sharing your expertise. RAF Agile Combat Employment in action.

shark bait wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023, 13:18 I don't think the MOD could make it much clearer;
t31.png

Yea exactly the program cost is 2b. But the contract with Babcock is for the delivery of the the ship to mod is 1.25b. The program is more than the delivery of the ship

~£270m for a T31 plus GFE is not expensive anywhere in the world. It’s a real success story. More made up numbers. The defence equipment plan 2022 to 2032 has the T31 "Expected cost to completion" = £1986 million so the above figure is a 32% discount on the actual price. (and that's befor...

For a little context, the equipment plan gives the Navy about £1.5 Billion each year to buy new things with, of which £1.2 Billion is allocated to ships. In the early 30s that has to be spread between of T26 build, T83 design, MCM replacement, T32, an ice patrol ship, strategic sea lift, fleet supp...