The UK depends on the US to manufacture and maintain the missiles, so it's unlikely that we would decide to strike a target proscribed by the US in any case since they would withhold the missiles in the future. But could we if we wanted to? Or, more to the point, could the US prevent a Trident missi...

OK, I checked and I am wrong in that blimps can also be self propelled, apparently what makes it a blimp is that it has no rigid structure (not its size as some have suggested). Sorry about that. Sorry to jump into this conversation but I feel the need to push back on this point a bit. Airships can ...

Not my posts but some it up better than I could The Herc can carry 20t and the C17 closer to 50t. You don't have to suck it to the ground and/or burn precious gas keeping it on the ground. No need for a mast like the 10 tonner. They can both land on rough strips and get there at 2x and 3x the speed...

As I understand it they have had to raise over £1 million from crowdfunding and are still short and looking for sponsors.

An inter-service CBRN forum has held its first meeting in Saumur. As a result of these talks there has been some speculation that France will introduce a new bioscience trade or corps as has been done in Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoVEz36_ohQ Video footage of the forum here: https://www...

...the carriers are far from the most expensive things in the budget. As far as I'm aware they are the fourth most expensive single item in the budget: Typhoon and Typhoon Future Capability Programme (£18 billion) - 40 aircraft Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) (£11.4 billion) - 14 aircraft A...

The UK needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up, formulate a plan, and stick to it for more than just a few months. I completely agree with you, regarding the Tranche 1s as well (we could have contributed to a joint Rafale programme in exchange for a good deal on a much more mature plat...

You seriously believe the United Kingdom cannot afford aircraft carriers? Well, it seems that the United Kingdom cannot afford both the aircraft carriers and a full complement of aircraft to fly from them. Or all of the Astutes. Or possibly all of the Type 26s. Or maritime patrol aircraft. Or all t...

shark bait wrote:It also gives the uk a huge status symbol which I don't think can be underestimated.

Alternatively they will see a middle-aged man with an expensive fast car and will still smirk at the fact that he lives with his mum because he couldn't afford his own flat with the car repayments.

Ocean has done well, but what can you do with ocean that you cant to with one of the carriers? Retain £2.8 billion to spend on other necessary things that will otherwise be cut. Surely carrier strike and and our amphibious capabilities go hand in hand when it comes to power projection? Not at all. ...

SDL wrote:Navy reservist Penny Mordaunt is the first female Armed Forces Minister in the Tory cabinet reshuffle.

Sigh. Well, at least she might have some relevant experience, despite the fact she uses her looks rather than her brain to get ahead, which is not helpful these days.

Coincidentally I recently attended an open day for Hybrid Air Vehicles at Cardington to look at the Airlander project. The materials technology is very impressive. However it would be a lot less expensive to run if they used hydrogen instead of helium. As it is with helium, I can see the cost advan...

The actual employment of sea-based power projection continues to be a spectacular success. Having an unpopular war in the case of 2003 does not diminish the toolset it offers HMG (everything from a sledgehammer in the case of that campaign, to something far more subtle in the case of West Africa an...

Ocean is a success story. If instead of throwing money at CVF we had built another Ocean and/or Albion class, we could have afforded to build all the Astutes and GCS and still have had plenty left over for ASW patrol and all the things that are going to be feeling the pinch. We don't need power proj...

If you're right, then I think the way forward is probably going to be ACTUV and/or some kind of cheap UUV or USV deployed Sonar 2087. It's all got to come down to cost, and flying a bunch of conventionally powered aircraft over the kinds of distances required is expensive.

How about from an airship? Coincidentally I recently attended an open day for Hybrid Air Vehicles at Cardington to look at the Airlander project. The materials technology is very impressive. However it would be a lot less expensive to run if they used hydrogen instead of helium. As it is with heliu...

Gabriele wrote:I don't think the Zephyr could work that way.

It's launched from ground level so it clearly has the punch to be able to gain the altitude? Battery full - dive - sweep - climb - recharge.

I knew I had read somewhere that in ref to the expendable MAD drones, they would be cheap at $5000 per batch of 100. Do you think that this is a realistic price as it does seem extremely cheap. They are not only cheap to manufacture, they are also extremely cheap to run. I really like the idea of p...

In 2010 everyone was very candid about the need for defence cuts, at least this time we have a conservative majority that is saying they wont cut. That has got to count for something. They won't cut overall spending, probably. But that just means they will continue their current plan of spending ba...

Sea Ceptor (crap name) is not yet in service on Type 23s AFAIK, it's supposed to replace Sea Wolf next year. Looks like a very good thing from all reports.

Poor old Rebecca. I know her and she's actually fairly sensible in comparison to some of the more out there Green pacifists. She has done a lot of work with RUSI, so she has a vague idea how to negotiate, unlike a number of the Anti-War Coalition and ex-Greenham Common lot who want peace but have no...