I few want an effective and properly equipped Army we are going to have to accept a much smaller fighting force. The Light Role Infantry are the prime target here, but with their loss we would have to also accept that the Army will lose persistence to maintain any deployment turning it into a get i...

Absolutely fantastic news. One that everyone on this forum has been waiting for. Our Prime Minister May stated that it would be great for the UK economy, how much so?? Does anyone know how much of a percentage would be UK content given they are being built down under? Looking forward with everyone e...

But the public want spending on the NHS and Schools and don't give a damn about defence, even when body bags are being unloaded at Brize. Sure the MoD will be accused of cocking something up and causing the deaths and an officer or two will be hung out to dry but nothing will change. If we want to ...

Amazing news if this one comes in!
As ever things sound too good to be true

If you do not spend adequately on "defence", then all other expenditure is effectively wasted on "fools gold". Everybody on this forum knows that, you're preaching to the converted here. If it was up to me we would move to 3% of GDP. Wont happen while the NHS gets spending incre...

With a 40 Billion approx deficit this year and 20 billion PA promised for the NHS I can't see anything useful turning up for defence. Education/Justice and all the rest will have the begging bowl out now too. Just cant see any good news coming but hope im wrong of course.

It seems extra money is going to defence, around £7Bn over so many years, but that is to cover a 3% pay rise. Well that could be a decent start. People being the most important cog in the machine. Sorting out the manning deficit would be a huge help. That said defence really needs more cash than th...

There are also rumours about a substantial uplift in spending for the NHS and the Chancellor has previously announced plans to extend the removal of freeze on public sector pay increases. Hopefully, this might be part of a wider plan to end the austerity drive. Politically, HMG/the Conservatives/Ma...

Not alot in the article itself, there never really is.

The only real mention in the article is the 3% pay increase thats being bandied around. This of course designed to help reverse the manning crisis which is around 8000 bodies short across the three services.

Interestingly enough this mornings Times has Tobias Ellwood asking for the armed forces settlement to be moved to 2.5% of GDP. That is the recomendation to essentially keep capability levels broadly similar. That works out at 7.3 Billion per annum. It'l be very intetesting to see which way it goes. ...

Article in The Times today stateing the word is there will be NO new money for defence from the chancellor... Any new money is reported to be going for a big financial settlement for the NHS on the 70th anniversary.
Hopefully its bollocks but it doesnt sound good.

Plenty of countries row back on what they promised to do/buy. See all manner of defence programs for evidence. The world didn't stop turning then, it won't now. It'l be the last pukka work share we get from the US then. If people don't have a problem with that fine. I'm all for buying UK made kit b...

Are people so sure that backing out of the full F35 order wouldn't be such a drama? By general consensus we have got a pretty good deal out of the programme. Reneging on our promises to our most important partner would make us look like a right bunch of wankers surely. Where would we stand next time...

Has the date for the Aussie announcement been confirmed yet? The situation is that the Australian defence committee will meet next Tuesday to discuss the SEA 5000 programme. If there's a clear competition winner then the committe will be expected to automatically approve the winning design - and pe...

Has the date for the Aussie announcement been confirmed yet?

Surely America would be the best bet. The French and Germans will just be a ball ache from start to finish.

The request said 2000+ vehicles potentially. Will be fascinating to see the actual amount. First tranche would be way lower no doubt.
Hopefully see big rationalisation of vehicle fleets before to long.

Pretty depressing watching everything unfold....
We really need a great decade of investment to replace massive amounts of vehicles now. Its not easy trying to beleive the MOD will find the money though. Defence review isnt too far away now...

Tempest414 wrote:that was a good rant feel better

Those Russians are a tetchy bunch arent they haha

This is the reason I am having the Deja vu feeling with what happened with the Piranha V. I hope the lessons learned then (Or hope they were) will prevent a similar scenario, buto for this to truly work the MoD's commercial department are going have to perform at a level they have not dome so up to...

If the tender is going out right about now, does anyone know when the decision will be made?
Are any British yards likely to bid?? If they didnt bid for the Tides wouldnt it be likely they wouldnt bother with this?
It would be great if they could be competitive though, we live in hope.

Only nine of these doesn't seem like enough, how many should the UK be purchasing if the money was available? Go look at the original Nimrod MRA4 requirement. Thanks Ron, I had already done that and the Nimrod MRA4 was originally supposed to number over 20. Are the two aircraft comparable? Does an ...

Dahedd wrote:Something like this hopefully

http://defense-update.com/20171114_mq9_asw.html

Thanks

If they did use the Protectors in a network would that mean they would just use whatever sensors they have, or would they have Anti Submarine weapons integrated?? Maybe its too far down the track for any decisions to have been made of course. It would certainly increase coverage which would be a gre...

Wee bit OT. What have the Army/MoD done with the Warthogs they bought for use in Afghanistan ? Woyukd they not make a good platform for a mortar carrier/Exactor platform? Not if you either want a common vehicle with the rest of the formation, or to go by air Wee bit OT. What have the Army/MoD done ...