Search found 19 matches

by ThreeHeadedLion
05 Jan 2024, 11:09
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Middle East
Replies: 81
Views: 5216
United Kingdom

Re: Middle East

I think US and UK unilaterally attacking the Houthis is a strategic mistake, in particular how it may appear to the moderate states in the Arab World - countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain should be our natural allies in the region. Otherwise we risk them being ...
by ThreeHeadedLion
31 Dec 2023, 16:41
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

I would have thought it was a capability that would make both Israel and the US rather nervous to be honest. The QME is legally binding. Either Americans provide Israel with their own latest and greatest or they prevent the Saudi procurement if they/Israelis perceive GCAP to be superior. Hey - What...
by ThreeHeadedLion
29 Dec 2023, 23:20
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

mrclark303 wrote: 29 Dec 2023, 14:44 I would have thought it was a capability that would make both Israel and the US rather nervous to be honest.
The QME is legally binding. Either Americans provide Israel with their own latest and greatest or they prevent the Saudi procurement if they/Israelis perceive GCAP to be superior.
by ThreeHeadedLion
29 Dec 2023, 22:40
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Indian Armed Forces
Replies: 342
Views: 21599
United Kingdom

Re: Indian Armed Forces

India to send P8 aircraft and 3 destroyers to patrol against supposed Houthi attacks in Indian Ocean / Gulf of Aden. Not clear exactly what area they will be covering and whether working alone or as part of a multinational Maritime Task Force. But it is a start in getting one of the main non-aligne...
by ThreeHeadedLion
05 Sep 2023, 02:39
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)
Replies: 2803
Views: 762642
United Kingdom

Re: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)

I think India will likely go for a second batch of Rafael, it makes the most sense. That said, there is no sense whatsoever in Indian procurement, they will ( and do) order batches of competing designs to the same job. It's an insane way of spending your defence buck.... Let Germany pull their hair...
by ThreeHeadedLion
05 Sep 2023, 01:46
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)
Replies: 2803
Views: 762642
United Kingdom

Re: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)

Just my own humble opinion but I don't think I india would every buy from the UK a major jet fighter,they have a historical dislike of the UK brand in my own opinion,think that's why maybe Germany was leading the negotiations for India ,think India will go with Rafael again,think France got that on...
by ThreeHeadedLion
25 Aug 2023, 14:26
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

It's a longshot in the extreme, but this is another consideration for whether you'd want Gulf States involved with something as crucial and sensitive as GCAP development: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/24/business/saudi-arabia-brics-invitation-intl/index.html No point holding this against the Saud...
by ThreeHeadedLion
19 Jun 2023, 10:37
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

If GCAP needs an engine designed to produce around 30.000 ibs thrust, it would be a great fall back for the TAI KAAN, should Turkey fail to secure a co-developer to help it design, develop and build its own engine. But there would be a big problem with supplying Turkey with the GCAP engine: Turkey ...
by ThreeHeadedLion
17 Jun 2023, 15:11
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Judging by the, probably conservative, estimations of what NGAD is going to cost State-side I think we need to accept that GCAP will be considerably more expensive than F35 or Typhoon. Maybe even multitudes higher, As such, a cheaper platform that makes use of, expensively developed, GCAP elements ...
by ThreeHeadedLion
02 Apr 2023, 12:36
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Would India be allowed the F35? LM is dangling F35 in front of India and it seems the Indian govt is signaling LM to dangle a bit more. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-tries-woo-india-away-russia-with-display-f-35s-bombers-2023-02-17/ IMO India should have gotten on to the US ...
by ThreeHeadedLion
02 Apr 2023, 12:26
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)
Replies: 2803
Views: 762642
United Kingdom

Re: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)

With China doing $90 billion trade with Saudi every year largely oil and chemicals and relations with Saudi and Washington being frosty I don’t really know if they can or indeed if they want to be won back. It is very unlikely that the Saudi relationship can be fully repaired to the extent it was a...
by ThreeHeadedLion
19 Mar 2023, 16:38
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

By the time GCAP moves to induction stage, India will have a defense budget of over $250 billion. Any one who is not clinically insane would want to be a part of that. Especially given the potential for a huge order to replace the Su30 and the Mig29 fleets. The big challenge is making a sale off th...
by ThreeHeadedLion
05 Mar 2023, 23:04
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

In particular I see India as a possible buyer because I can see its 5G AMCA project never reaching its Mk2 stage due to lack of a suitable engine being available. The plan is for the IAF to receive 40 underpowered AMCA Mk1 (98kN engines instead of the 110kN the design requires), to be followed by 8...
by ThreeHeadedLion
08 Jan 2023, 13:03
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

I too - follow Indian Military aviation very closely - and they will pursue AMCA no matter what. That willl never get cancelled - no matter what. For the engine - they will use off the shelf like their Tejas if they cannot build an engine. India is a "nightmare industrial partner" where t...
by ThreeHeadedLion
08 Jan 2023, 12:52
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4029
Views: 947335
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Spitfire, I absolutely agree that India should have totally condemned the Russian invasion, filling their boots with Russian oil and gas was disgraceful behaviour, effectively underpinning the Russian economy and fanning the flames of war, along with China. From a UK context Ron, Saudi Arabia is go...
by ThreeHeadedLion
25 Jul 2022, 23:57
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Indian Armed Forces
Replies: 342
Views: 21599
United Kingdom

Re: Indian Armed Forces

i read on twitter a F18 took off from an indian ski jump with 2 harpoons this month, cant link it, anybody know if it was a full fuel load etc....thanks It flew with half tank of fuel and 1.4 ton payload - 2 harpoons and two AAMs, from what I have read. F18 took off from an indian ski jump with 2 h...
by ThreeHeadedLion
25 Jul 2022, 23:22
Forum: Political Discussions
Topic: Brexit - The UK's EU Referendum & Withdrawal
Replies: 4600
Views: 117286
United Kingdom

Re: Brexit - The UK's EU Referendum & Withdrawal

If he was so keen to keep ARM in the UK, why did he sell it to Softbank. I would really have liked to keep my ARM shares, but the sale was forced, so I had no option. I made some money, yes, but I would have preferred to have kept my investments long-term. The buy out price was rather generous. I h...
by ThreeHeadedLion
02 Mar 2022, 22:07
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: The war in Ukraine
Replies: 1156
Views: 84779
United Kingdom

Re: The war in Ukraine

Yes he is in a corner, but as I asked the other day are western eu countries still buying the gas still supplying the Gucci must haves, it rumoured to be in the 700m dollars a day range, I’ve heard a lot about sanctions on banks ect but has the money and gas actually stopped flowing. While he is in...
by ThreeHeadedLion
02 Mar 2022, 14:03
Forum: UK Defence Forum
Topic: Introduction Thread
Replies: 75
Views: 5692
United Kingdom

Re: Introduction Thread

Hey everyone. British Indian guy here currently living in India for last several years. Registered a while back but never got around to posting on here. Guess better late than never... Keen observer of defense and geopolitics for last decade or so and of late defense technologies as well. Mostly loo...