Search found 5657 matches

by SW1
02 Mar 2024, 09:07
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5985
Views: 1500957
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

I don’t understand the fascination with these small amphibious support ships other than an assumption it’s possible to do it on the cheap because we’ve spent all the money elsewhere and don’t know what to do now. These small cheap flat-tops are relatively new and therefore there is bound to an exci...
by SW1
02 Mar 2024, 08:38
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Vanguard Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) (RN)
Replies: 156
Views: 82266
United Kingdom

Re: Vanguard Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) (RN)

Is this an upgrade to all the ship’s systems short of a refuel?

Surely they’re not going to attempt another refuelling after vanguard?
by SW1
02 Mar 2024, 08:31
Forum: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry
Topic: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry - News & Discussion
Replies: 86
Views: 8748
United Kingdom

Re: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry - News & Discussion

The plants in the UK and America are also heavily involved in defence programs that would not sit easily within airbus or Boeing.

I cant see airbus wanting their business jet or nacelle business either as there not on airbus products. It could become complicated.
by SW1
01 Mar 2024, 23:05
Forum: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry
Topic: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry - News & Discussion
Replies: 86
Views: 8748
United Kingdom

Re: UK Defence & Aerospace Industry - News & Discussion

Potentially quite significant news in a number of ways https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68453469 Boeing has confirmed it has begun talks aimed at buying Spirit Aerosystems. Spirit has a major operation in Northern Ireland but it is unclear if Boeing would keep that part of the business...
by SW1
01 Mar 2024, 22:08
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion
Replies: 5985
Views: 1500957
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Amphibious Capability - General Discussion

I don’t understand the fascination with these small amphibious support ships other than an assumption it’s possible to do it on the cheap because we’ve spent all the money elsewhere and don’t know what to do now. Not sure how much the claim about drones making it so difficult for amphibious operatio...
by SW1
29 Feb 2024, 16:26
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49482
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

I thought this an interesting line in the government announcement yesterday on procurement shakeup. “ On exportability, yesterday I published the next stage of our New Medium Helicopter competition – this includes a strong weighting for exports to ensure the high quality rotary work it will support ...
by SW1
29 Feb 2024, 11:57
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Thirdly, I think it’s time to stop Kipion. Having a first tier warship on singleton deployments perhaps alongside an amphibious ship in the wider region is more appropriate. I find this concept interesting, in that if we weren’t starting form where we are I would suggested this had much merit. I wo...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 20:32
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49482
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

mrclark303 wrote: 28 Feb 2024, 20:06
It has to be marinised in respect of having shipboard
compatible avionics and tie down points.

Our Merlin’s didn’t meet that requirement with all our ships……
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 20:29
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Thirdly, I think it’s time to stop Kipion. Having a first tier warship on singleton deployments perhaps alongside an amphibious ship in the wider region is more appropriate. I find this concept interesting, in that if we weren’t starting form where we are I would suggested this had much merit. I wo...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 19:13
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Thirdly, I think it’s time to stop Kipion. Having a first tier warship on singleton deployments perhaps alongside an amphibious ship in the wider region is more appropriate. I find this concept interesting, in that if we weren’t starting form where we are I would suggested this had much merit. I wo...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 18:31
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/defence-procurement-minister-oral-statement-on-the-integrated-procurement-model-28-february-2024 With your permission Mr Speaker I would like to make a statement on our plans for reform of MOD’s Acquisition system: …Nimrod …snatch land rovers. …Ajax …Crowsnest ...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 17:53
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49482
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

Heretical thought here - should we be buying ANY non-marinised helicopters from here on in? Given the pretty clear tilt to an expeditionary CONOPs. Where exactly is an Army-only helicopter going to be used? BAOR doesn't exist anymore. The USMC don't operate Blackhawk. Or Chinook. Or Apache. I'd put...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 17:40
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Repulse wrote: 28 Feb 2024, 16:50

Second, there are many good reasons to sell ships that do not meet priority requirements. The main ones being ongoing costs and crew.

If we are really allowed to do this I have one or two in mind if we can…..
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 16:38
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Would you be prepared to lose a Type 26 frigate in a minefield? No I wouldn’t, but this whole conversation is about operating off board systems in high threat environments, not to purposely sail through a minefield. They have to be relatively close and are generally the first ship thru. If you’re n...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 13:30
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Would you be prepared to lose a Type 26 frigate in a minefield? No I wouldn’t, but this whole conversation is about operating off board systems in high threat environments, not to purposely sail through a minefield. They have to be relatively close and are generally the first ship thru. If you’re n...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 12:49
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Would you be prepared to lose a Type 26 frigate in a minefield? No I wouldn’t, but this whole conversation is about operating off board systems in high threat environments, not to purposely sail through a minefield. They have to be relatively close and are generally the first ship thru. If you’re n...
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 09:31
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion
Replies: 19150
Views: 7058562
United Kingdom

Re: Current & Future Escorts - General Discussion

Would you be prepared to lose a Type 26 frigate in a minefield?
by SW1
28 Feb 2024, 08:52
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: RED SEA - Houthi attacks
Replies: 49
Views: 1641
United Kingdom

Re: RED SEA - Houthi attacks



German frigate shot down drones in the red sea
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 23:08
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion



This was filmed 8 years ago, but watching in the context of where we are today it’s probably more pertinent.
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 16:41
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49482
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

HMG must be heading for a world record in procrastination for the NMH program. Regardless of the press releases the translation is something along the lines of….”due to inflation and the fact that we want to add pre election tax cutting giveaways to next months budget we have decided to further del...
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 16:39
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

…..don’t be expecting European nato to be providing any forces to help them diplomatically or otherwise anywhere else. That’s the conundrum. Pull out of Europe and the loss of influence may never be fully recovered even by a subsequent administration. Don’t pull out of Europe and not enough mass ca...
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 16:16
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

What rest are you referring to? All US military assets in Europe. If Biden can pull out of Afghanistan, Trump can most definitely, at least partially, pull out of Europe. Euro NATO must start hedging now. I’m sure he can. His choice. But I go back to the list of where funding needs to go and if the...
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 16:03
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49482
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

So second phase of NMH officially started today. Seems like it ... ... will be bought largely off the shelf, with UK bespoke modifications keep to an absolute minimum. ... and H145 for Cyprus and Brunei will not impact total number of new helicopters required to replace Puma https://twitter.com/Gar...
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 16:01
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

The US has been asking European allies to spend what nato declares as needed for collective defence ie 2% of gdp. We do slightly more than that others much worse. We have massively subsidised the US both politically and militarily in its adventures these past 20 years so I’ll take no lectures from ...
by SW1
27 Feb 2024, 09:03
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184119
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

…..already reasonable large budget. It is true that the U.K. has maintained a larger budget than other Euro countries over a sustained period but all of European defence has been massively subsidised by the US for decades. IMO, regardless of who becomes the 47th President the US will start to imple...