71 total fleet 3×12 aircraft front line Squadrons 1+8 aircraft OCU +3 trials. Either it should be 74 in total with 17 Squadron included or 71 without it, for 3 frontline and OCU squadron. Also OCU squadron will probably have more than just 8 planes. I believe 8 is the stated number for the OCU, it'...

I'm afraid these days it would be little more than a re-enforced Commando, perhaps squeezed to two Commands at a push?? How long that could these days be supported way up in frosty north is debatable.... Exactly my point. The U.K. wants to lead in the JEF region but the vehicles and kit of the Brit...

Is that not what all the exercises last year and this is about Not on the scale required If the Army had to deploy 1 or 2 Brigades north of the Arctic circle and sustain that deployment through an Arctic winter how would that go? The simple fact is that the British Army isn’t equipped to do it. I'm...

I would imagine that upgrades to the Tranche 1 airframes to bring them up to the latest spec will take a long while, so three squadrons max plus ocu. Well, the maintenance fleet should theoretically be big enough to absorb that. Once 12 are upgraded to block4 they will re-equip a squadron, who in t...

They are, but they haven't got this far with a replacement rifle programme since the procurement of the original M16 in the 1960's. Not strictly true, the SCAR - L did get issued to the Rangers (before getting dumped), it's still got a bit of a lead over the M7 True, but not ordered in serious quan...

Update on delivery schedule plus serials... https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1772213965914812589?s=20 Just to note UK based F-35 fleet is 30 aircraft, not 31 as per the tweet, as 1 aircraft has been added to the Test Fleet at Edwards AFB (ZM165/BK-31). Not sure how long that would be for, it ...

I think the proof of the pudding will come when US troops field the M7 and it's equally important optics, the attainable accuracy will come as as a most unpleasant surprise to their opposition, extremely accurate fire and rounds that will blast straight through most body armour. I certainly wouldn'...

If they get all 250,000... Or if they don't cancel the contract... Remember, they are quite good at changing their minds... They are, but they haven't got this far with a replacement rifle programme since the procurement of the original M16 in the 1960's. I suspect there will be an order for 250,00...

I think the proof of the pudding will come when US troops field the M7 and it's equally important optics, the attainable accuracy will come as as a most unpleasant surprise to their opposition, extremely accurate fire and rounds that will blast straight through most body armour. I certainly wouldn'...

The US Army Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, initiated in 2004 as the the Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition program, with the aim of a major reduction in soldiers' carrying loads, thereby allowing new and more equipment, drones etc reducing logistical strain, and increasing ...

The US Army Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, initiated in 2004 as the the Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition program, with the aim of a major reduction in soldiers' carrying loads, thereby allowing new and more equipment, drones etc reducing logistical strain, and increasing ...

This book maybe of interest on transport aircraft topics https://www.crecy.co.uk/on-atlas-shoulder On Atlas' Shoulders: RAF Transport Aircraft Projects Since 1945 The coanda effect is used to aid lift by inservice aircraft today namely c17. An excellent book with some very unexpected aircraft that ...

avbucc_6.png Here's the aircraft that should have been developed post TSR2, the Blackburn P150. It was a realistic project, a long range strike aircraft using the Buccaneer as a starting point, stretching it, applying area ruling and using the already developed Spey with reheat combination from the...

Jensy wrote: ↑25 Mar 2024, 17:58 On the subject of TSR-2 the RAeS had a fantastic series of lectures on the topic about eight months ago (July 2023): https://www.youtube.com/@Aerosociety/videos

I would love to have attended these having watched the excellent videos.

Re the AW681, I seem to recall that Lockheed offered a Hercules based project, with a UK designed STOL wing and RR Tyne engines. It would have given C130J levels of performance 30 years earlier. Lockeed understood the UK's excellence in Wing design even then, a really doable trans Atlantic project t...

avbucc_6.png Here's the aircraft that should have been developed post TSR2, the Blackburn P150. It was a realistic project, a long range strike aircraft using the Buccaneer as a starting point, stretching it, applying area ruling and using the already developed Spey with reheat combination from the...

So, rather than polluting other threads with misty eyed dreams about lost or cancelled projects and 'missed opportunities', I thought I'd go ahead and create a thread... [mods - hope this is OK?] Do you dream of gigantic, angular, variable geometry triangles from Barnes Wallis; rocket powered inter...

F35B is effectively a modern take on P1154 the Admiralty wanted 60 years ago Pretty sure the Admiralty wanted the Phantom. I would. I think you're right Ron, the Phantom was always the first choice of Navy. The P1154 was a politically forced solution, in reality it was a technological 'reach' to fa...

The question that people are really asking is do you want the political construct that goes with such a joint program. It really has little to do with the airframe requirement that’s just a smokescreen. A useful smokescreen in my opinion. Making GCAP carrier capable is very alluring, were it not fo...

We could see FCAS being more Tomcat size in which case it’s not hugely off the F22 or what we expect GCAP to be, and this gets me thinking with how long the QEs are expected to be in service and how this could see changes to CATOBAR at some point could we see down the line a carrier variant of GCAP...

Well with project Arkroyal for the QEC class carriers - i would love to see a CATOBAR GCAP ! but with money so tight, i cant really see it unless there is a major advantage over the F35 & lots more money invested in defence ! but in the 2040's when they start plannig for carrier replacement for...

Didn’t the Joint Harrier Force have 70 a/c with 4 front-line squadrons, each with 9 a/c? Would be sensible IMO to copy that model - allows for one FAA squadron to be regularly deployed on the active carrier in a hybrid LHA role, and another RAF one to be deployed also on the carrier or land base, s...

How would having more sqn with fewer aircraft mean more pilots? Problem with creating more Sqns is it requires more people, where do all these people come from? You seem to be a bod in the know how low does it take to turn a jet around for line maintenance Line maintenance? I take that to mean betw...

Possibly the first genuine potential contender to replace the GPMG, That would be an appalling choice to replace the GPMG, the size and bulk of the gun and ammunition rules it out as a light MG, even if the gun itself is a similar weight. Given improvements in fire control on AFVs, a round somewher...

How would having more sqn with fewer aircraft mean more pilots? Problem with creating more Sqns is it requires more people, where do all these people come from? You seem to be a bod in the know how low does it take to turn a jet around for line maintenance Line maintenance? I take that to mean betw...