wargame_insomniac wrote: ↑26 Jul 2022, 21:37
be increased firstly to cover what UK has sent to Ukraine, and secondly to boost stocks of munitions. We should nt be robbing one to pay for the other IMO.
You are quite right, and we have been doing that for a long time; the share of kit is @ 42% (thereabouts) and rising
- militaries structured on pros (and only small-ish reserves) should deviate from the budgeting 'best practice' borrowed from the civvy street, and instead budget in three categories: kit (icluding support & upgrading), manpower and readiness. The third category means that the small forces are ready - and this category (munitions, major exercices etc) is the one we have been quietly 'robbing' over many years
wargame_insomniac wrote: ↑26 Jul 2022, 21:37
we do need to take on board the lessons from both Russian and Ukranian side about having higher stock levels of ALL munitions.
Quite
tomuk wrote: ↑26 Jul 2022, 22:28
The first line escorts ie T26/T45/T83 should be free to carry out their primary roles of AAW and ASW.
The range of what is likely coming after the 'interim' will not interfere much with that freedom
Dobbo wrote: ↑27 Jul 2022, 00:35
there seems to be a belated recognition it is required.
Yes. But are we going to spend the 'interim' third of a £ bn on NSM?
- the good: they are applicable to land attack, too
- the bad: there will be few sets (back to what we have been doing with CIWS... now you see it, now you don't. Constatnt switching between ships)
- the ugly: don't they come in box launchers? JSM can be in a VLS
Dobbo wrote: ↑27 Jul 2022, 00:35
simple - fit a common VLS that can take a range of inventory munitions and the opponent should never know exactly what mix of weapons you have onboard.
Yep. But how much of our sovereign capability in missile design - talking about the future - would be flushed down the toilet with too abrupt a change. We only just signed with France and Italy for an improved ABM missile - sovereignty can be shared... but if you have NONE of it, then ?
Dobbo wrote: ↑27 Jul 2022, 00:35
the interim SSM.
What's the latest? Been a bit sporadic with my follow up since March. Is there a decision and a time table? (could well be in the comments on the dedicated thread, if so, sorry to be asking)
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)