I’m not sure what you mean by additional AAW. Simply that what RN needs is another six T45 as was originally planned. Clearly that’s impossible but 6x T31 with the Iver Huitfeldt upgrades is eminently possible. A mix of CAMM and CAMM MR would give RN a Frigate with perhaps 64x quad packed CAMM and ...

I’m not sure what you mean by additional AAW. Simply that what RN needs is another six T45 as was originally planned. Clearly that’s impossible but 6x T31 with the Iver Huitfeldt upgrades is eminently possible. A mix of CAMM and CAMM MR would give RN a Frigate with perhaps 64x quad packed CAMM and ...

I am not optimistic about KSA placing a follow on order unless price is no barrier. Same thing for another RAF order. Why pay for 4G Typhoon when 5G F-35 is cheaper, especially if F-35A. The peace dividend may be a thing of the past for the UK but that does not mean it is OK to spend extra funding ...

If Type 31 were to come on line with 40 CAMM / CAMM ER and 16 NSM they would be every capable of choke point duties if we then wanted to upgrade them later we could give them Sea Fire radar and fit 16 VLS in place of the forward 40mm for 16 Aster 30 or 64 CAMM Thank god we didn't go with the BAE Sy...

I’m not sure what you mean by additional AAW. Simply that what RN needs is another six T45 as was originally planned. Clearly that’s impossible but 6x T31 with the Iver Huitfeldt upgrades is eminently possible. A mix of CAMM and CAMM MR would give RN a Frigate with perhaps 64x quad packed CAMM and ...

The beeb are suggesting it was a Patriot missile strike: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67978739 If it was a patriot system, then Russia has dropped a massive clanger of a mistake! It's possible of course that the Ukrainians risked a Patriot system by pushing it as far forward as they dare...

https://www.politico.eu/article/gaza-israel-palestina-eu-warships-to-red-sea-to-tackle-houthi-attacks/ EU commission should stick in its lane, defence is not one of them until the EU becomes a federation. Give them 10 years, then a big symbolical burning of national flags in Brussels, as the blue s...

SD67 wrote: ↑12 Jan 2024, 16:53 OMG
Are we sure this is not a parody account?

Update :
Comment from 4 years ago, latest stance is "fully supportive"

Further update, " we will throw anyone under any bus and chuck any policy needed in the bin to get elected"

Typical politician......

SW1 wrote: ↑12 Jan 2024, 10:23 PS good to see those “short ranged” typhoons going a long way!

I would have thought setting up camp in Saudi Arabia was a good plan at the moment, if Oman don't want to get involved.

Can't see the Saudis having an issue with it.....

No crews or soldiers,for Albion class or t23 or army easy solution bring back national conscription,that will solve the issue,and put a bit of backbone into the wimpy generation, starting with politicians who are forgetting what freedom takes and it's sometimes saying not nice things that get votes...

Italy have used long range aircraft over a number of years. Tornado, loaned tornado adv, typhoon and now f35a which in particular is a long range aircraft. Just out of interest how much fuel are people expecting the tempest to be able to carry? Sufficient for a ROA of 800 to1000 miles, I would surp...

Italy have used long range aircraft over a number of years. Tornado, loaned tornado adv, typhoon and now f35a which in particular is a long range aircraft. Just out of interest how much fuel are people expecting the tempest to be able to carry? Sufficient for a ROA of 800 to1000 miles, I would surp...

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/air-platforms/latest/japan-to-develop-ai-with-us-for-loyal-wingman-uavs I would have thought that loyal wingman integration would be arranged through GCAP. Cost stupidity would be for the UK and Italy to then pay all over again to do it themselves. I would vote ag...

Is there any merit in using cheap drones to destroy cheap drones? I suppose the defence drones would need a guidance system so that would up the cost but still cheaper than a traditional AAW missile. Deployed in a standard sized container onto a mission bay for extra flexibility. Interesting idea, ...

On a Type 31, a couple of Bofors not that different from those that served in WWII, and a 6 pounder won't be throwing up walls of anything. The much vaunted 3P ammo is just a better proximity fuse which is, once again, inherited from WWII. The combo will be fairly useless at AA despite Bofors/Babco...

I would love for them to receive T31's 57mm and twin 40mm gun load out as an additional ring of defence. In these days of mass drone attacks, I think T31's gun systems will become hugely appreciated. This forum has, in general, a very touching faith in the efficiency of gun based AA systems. The po...

Since the rumor that ExLS maybe going on the T26's could that mean that when the T45's go in to get CAMM fitted from 2026, that they get ExLS launchers instead of the mushroom launchers ? or maybe a combo of 6 x ExLS ( quad packed CAMM giving 24 missiles ). & 8 x mk41 that could give more optio...

MQ28 Ghost Bat? Not that I'd support that, we really need to have sovereign capability, but you could see the political attraction, and the Boeing lobby. I imagine the GCAP programme will be stretched financially to develop the fighter. I don't see the point of compromising the fighter by diverting...

Getting a solid lock on an F16 will be a very different prospect and I think the R37 would be lucky to hit a hard manoeuvring small target. Is the F16 that much of a smaller return than a Mig 29? Fighter aircraft aren't pulling hard manoeuvres all the time. The F16 has a much smaller radar cross se...

I’ve seem articles suggesting that the greater threat to Ukrainian aircraft is the MiG 31 with the R37 missiles I've always considered the Mig 31 / R37 combo as more of a force multiplier killer, i.e taking out large and slow, high flying and slow moving ELINT, AWAC and AAR assets from great range....

The range issue is a real and present one when you consider the UK and Japan, though 'slightly' more puzzling regarding Italy.... Looking into my 2040 crystal ball... Libya - failed state - massive gas reserves. A nice man from Beijing turns up offering a multi billion investment package ..... Who ...

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...

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. There real...

It will also be a sovereign capable controllable product for the user-partner countries. F-35 is notoriously bad at this, with long development and even longer weapons integration times. When you consider F35 started in the JAST programme 39 years ago and it's still 5/6 years from full weapons inte...

This is predominantly an industrial project for all the nations concerned not just Italy. This is an a/c that will replace typhoon and the F2 in service with their respective countries. It represents more than a simple replacement, GCAP represents a giant leap forward in capability. It's projected ...