Search found 870 matches

by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 21:52
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Airbus A400M Atlas (RAF)
Replies: 392
Views: 155456
United Kingdom

Re: Airbus A400M Atlas (RAF)

So an unknown quantity of A400 to be purchased sometime in the future, lets hope it is enough to replace the 14 C130j we are to lose. Exactly the sort of detail that makes it an easy cut. Can't get hauled over the coals when nobody knows how many you were going to buy. Personally I expect any order...
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 21:38
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: South Korea
Replies: 217
Views: 15403
United Kingdom

Re: South Korea

South Korea grounds F-35A fleet after belly landing https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/01/06/south-korea-grounds-f-35a-fleet-after-belly-landing/ WASHINGTON — South Korea has grounded its fleet of F-35As after one of the aircraft had to conduct an emergency belly landing Tuesday. Yonhap News Agenc...
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 21:30
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Airbus A400M Atlas (RAF)
Replies: 392
Views: 155456
United Kingdom

Re: Airbus A400M Atlas (RAF)

Make of it what you will. Would like to see the source myself. Found the source that got left out of the article (same source as the 'big RN projects' article) - Ctrl+F "Additional purchase of A400M" to find the entry. https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6491/documents/70646/def...
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 18:54
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: Invasion of Taiwan
Replies: 16
Views: 1620
United Kingdom

Re: Invasion of Taiwan

A UK CSG won't be considered much of a threat until ... We get to the point where we can (and are, at least occasionally) deploying 30+ F-35 at sea FCASW is brought into service and deployed on a meaningful number of ships The Navy acts on its Future Maritime Aviation Force Those 1000+km hypersonic ...
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 11:46
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: Invasion of Taiwan
Replies: 16
Views: 1620
United Kingdom

Re: Invasion of Taiwan

Jeez I didn’t realise that a day at sea gets more expensive after you transit the Suez canal. I guess we paid 6 billion for a harbour ornament. Small power projection? It was massive. Historians may judge it may even have tipped the power balance calculations in terms of a potential invasion of Tai...
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 08:54
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5411
Views: 1420684
United Kingdom

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

We should probably move this out of the OPV thread, we're way OT at this point
by Defiance
06 Jan 2022, 08:17
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5411
Views: 1420684
United Kingdom

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

Jeez I didn’t realise that a day at sea gets more expensive after you transit the Suez canal. I guess we paid 6 billion for a harbour ornament. Small power projection? It was massive. Historians may judge it may even have tipped the power balance calculations in terms of a potential invasion of Tai...
by Defiance
05 Jan 2022, 18:45
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Pakistan
Replies: 51
Views: 4489
United Kingdom

Re: Pakistan

How good are the new versions of the R-77? I'm not that familiar with newer Russian BVR missiles. My rudimentary understanding is the majority of R-77 variants are still outranged by AMRAAM. That might change with K-77M being developed for Su-57 which has an AESA seeker, cropped fins (binned the ol...
by Defiance
05 Jan 2022, 11:16
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5411
Views: 1420684
United Kingdom

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

I doesn’t appear to be the view of government. Indeed. Lots of the talk in the IR is certainly less assertive about China than Russia China: we will do more to adapt to China’s growing impact on many aspects of our lives as it becomes more powerful in the world. We will invest in enhanced China-fac...
by Defiance
04 Jan 2022, 16:22
Forum: Defence Elsewhere
Topic: Pakistan
Replies: 51
Views: 4489
United Kingdom

Re: Pakistan

A dual pulsed solid-propellant missile like the PL15 does not "outclass" a throttleable ramjet missile like the Meteor. Quite! They might be able to shoot at similar ranges to Meteor but Meteor will have a higher Pk at that extended range compared to PL-15. Competitive? Sure, but 'outclas...
by Defiance
04 Jan 2022, 07:00
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15445
Views: 4409971
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

JHC wrote: 03 Jan 2022, 20:18 As indeed it is....

Thank Christ
by Defiance
04 Jan 2022, 07:00
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15445
Views: 4409971
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

JHC wrote: 03 Jan 2022, 20:18
Defiance wrote: 03 Jan 2022, 19:52 tbh the idea is so batshit insane it might just be BS
As indeed it is....

Thank Christ
by Defiance
03 Jan 2022, 19:52
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15445
Views: 4409971
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

tbh the idea is so batshit insane it might just be BS
by Defiance
02 Jan 2022, 19:42
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion
Replies: 15445
Views: 4409971
United Kingdom

Re: Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

That makes zero sense, lets forget the fact there already is a catapult version of the F-35 which should be able to work on the French carrier, the F-35 is able to operate on America-class, which has no ramp so why cant the F-35B work on the French flat top with out modification !?!? F-35B still ha...
by Defiance
26 Dec 2021, 20:14
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184070
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

[...] global trend to be "anti-UK"[...] Boggles the mind. The whole world has conspired to pick on the poor UK right? You know.. At some point you need to consider the possibility that the UK is the problem. I mean, come on! Now it's "fog in the channel AND in the atlantic"? Rea...
by Defiance
25 Dec 2021, 09:30
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 951073
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

The MBDA setup has developed some very gd programs like aster, meteor, caam, storm shadow we should be encouraging more co operation on such things not less. Very much agree here. MBDA is a useful organisation to pursue both national developments as well as international ones. Does it have some iss...
by Defiance
14 Dec 2021, 08:24
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: River Class (OPV) (RN)
Replies: 5411
Views: 1420684
United Kingdom

Re: River Class (OPV) (RN)

If the government strategic direction is to decarbonise and to largely remove the use of fossil fuels over the next 10 years or so the the Middle East is strategically irrelevant for the uk over a similar time period so why would you be planning ship procurement around it? That's a bit hyperbolic. ...
by Defiance
10 Dec 2021, 08:41
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: General UK Defence Discussion
Replies: 1842
Views: 184070
United Kingdom

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

It seems Macron is starting to turn the table onto the UK about the submarine deal Macron said that on defence, Britain had pushed for the Aukus security pact between Britain, Australia and the US that prompted Australia to cancel a contract with France to buy submarines. The cancellation of the su...
by Defiance
10 Dec 2021, 08:36
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)
Replies: 175
Views: 82856
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)

They do, both the JCM and JAGM were designed to be used by Fast Air...JAGM integration on platforms is still in the distant future though. They did, but the USN and USMC abandoned the program in 2012 to pursue SDB II in its place. They only rejoined JAGM after the program was gutted and reorganised...
by Defiance
09 Dec 2021, 11:10
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)
Replies: 175
Views: 82856
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)

I think when most people are talking about the US not purchasing Brimstone its mainly regarding its deployment from Fast Air....something that Hellfire and JAGM still can't do... That only matters if the US has a requirement for a Hellfire-class weapon to be deployed by fast air. SDB II coming onli...
by Defiance
09 Dec 2021, 08:32
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)
Replies: 175
Views: 82856
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)

I thought that's what Brimstone is - a development of Hellfire. Hellfire and Brimstone That's my point. Lockheed developed a brilliant missile they've exported far and wide for years, all of a sudden they're supposed to just roll over and let a European manufacturer become the lead provider to the ...
by Defiance
07 Dec 2021, 18:40
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)
Replies: 175
Views: 82856
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)

And maybe that deal plays into the US rejection of Brimstone e.g. you didn't allow us to complete for that requirement so we're not going to let you compete for ours. Tit for tat. Eh, I can forgive them for that. Considering how many Hellfire have been fired off in the last 40-ish years the US, or ...
by Defiance
07 Dec 2021, 11:53
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: Invasion of Taiwan
Replies: 16
Views: 1620
United Kingdom

Re: Invasion of Taiwan

Maybe the PLA might take a further leaf out of Russia's book. Not just in the timing of their assault but bitting off small sections of Taiwanese land first. So the Kinmen Islands being equivalent to Russian occupation of Crimea. The West might not be happy about it once their attention had reverte...
by Defiance
06 Dec 2021, 13:22
Forum: Conflicts
Topic: Invasion of Taiwan
Replies: 16
Views: 1620
United Kingdom

Re: Invasion of Taiwan

Ukraine /Poland/Baltic States and Taiwan at the same time is a given at this point. Yay for two front wars. Definitely in future, but not with the current Russian tensions. There's been no buildup and winter is a shit season to cross the Taiwan strait, they commonly see sea state 7 conditions and h...
by Defiance
05 Dec 2021, 20:04
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)
Replies: 175
Views: 82856
United Kingdom

Re: MBDA Brimstone Missile (RAF)

RunningStrong wrote: 05 Dec 2021, 19:19 Some sources put the guidance kit at just $25,000.
Not bad really.