General UK Defence Discussion

For everything else UK defence-related that doesn't fit into any of the sections above.
SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

And we where always told it was the navy that kept choke points open


topman
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by topman »

I see there's another report out about the state of single living accommodation in the MoD. Usual stuff, over promised under delivered. Too many people living in rubbish accommodation.

A report into the wider defence estate would be no doubt the same, leaking workshops and offices.
I now Air command have allocated billions to new buildings I wonder if the money will stay in that pile.
One of the popular areas to take money from when equipment projects are late.
Also one of the reasons so many camps supposed to close have been delayed, eg Halton and Henlow are years late closing.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »


SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

Covers everything from Ajax, to frigates to subs to procurement reforms to boxer upgrades and on

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Ind ... 5741b61143

Also a hint that there maybe some resistance from across the pond to integrate meteor on the f35.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »






SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

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Lord Jim
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by Lord Jim »

This will be interesting to see how it develops.

topman
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by topman »

SW1 wrote:
I've read the intro, pretty light on detail. I'm not sure what practical difference it'll make. Seems to be a regrouping and some vague description about retrading being easier. We'll see what happens.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cd94 ... f314c16de0

Britain’s special forces will take on a new covert mission against China and Russia as they shift their focus to countering “big state adversaries”, a senior military chief has revealed.

Brigadier Mark Totten said that the SAS and SBS would have more time and assets for “higher risk” counterstate tasks requiring more detail, planning and specialist expertise. The Royal Marines will take over the units’ traditional roles.

Army sources said special forces might be given “politically treacherous” tasks such as training the navies of countries near the South China Sea to better defend against Chinese hostility.

Totten is in charge of a 4,000-strong “future commando force” of Royal Marines who will “burden-share” with Britain’s elite units. They will base themselves in small numbers around the world carrying out counterterrorism operations, deterring mercenaries and responding to crises.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

https://www.joint-forces.com/uk-news/45 ... ce-force-4

Royal Navy News Release, 17 July 2021: Drone swarms support Commando Forces trials in a first for the UK’s armed forces.

Drones dived, sailed and flew together in a swarm in a first for the UK’s armed forces during experimental exercises with the Royal Marines. An array of autonomous systems operated underwater, on the water, in the sky and over land to help Royal Marines Commandos as they carried out training raids on a number of complex ‘adversary’ positions – such as missile and radar installations – in Cumbria and Dorset.

The uncrewed systems were used on missions at the Electronic Warfare Tactics facility at RAF Spadeadam on the border with Northumberland and off the south coast in training areas around Lulworth Cove and the Defence BattleLab.

J. Tattersall

Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by J. Tattersall »

Interesting article. But it does seem a bit of a mish mash of stuff, and The Times no longer has a particular reputation for accuracy.

Lord Jim
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by Lord Jim »

Until we use Drones in this way in an exercise where the OPFOR is deliberately trying to disable them by jamming or other means using state of the art equipment, I would say we are further off deploying them than many would like us to believe in actual combat ops.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

Given the exercise locations they may have already tested such things not that they’ll tell us.

Lord Jim
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by Lord Jim »

You could be right but that may take place after they have got the Drones up and running as they would like first.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

U.K. deploying 16 air assault to evacuate afghan embassy


SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

A lot of people working seriously hard this weekend


oscar the grouch
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by oscar the grouch »

Disgusted, once again, many lives lost for nothing.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/p ... han-defeat

There is anxiety in Whitehall about an Afghanistan inquiry. But this inquiry will not be like the 12-volume Chilcot report on UK involvement in Iraq. Nobody is alleging malign intent but there is a need to learn the lessons of failure and to rectify deficiencies before the UK next intervenes overseas, as it surely will.

The recent notion that the War on Terror is over and has been replaced by threats from state actors is both misleading and dangerous. Events in both Afghanistan and Mali demonstrate that the threat from Islamist extremism is far from over. Furthermore, Russia and China have learned from observing the West fail against the asymmetric threats posed by determined insurgencies. Russia’s actions in the Donbas, Syria and Libya and China’s in Hong Kong and the Himalayas have been informed by Iraq and Afghanistan.

SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

I hope this is seared into the minds of all political classes for a long time



I hope also that all those who have been to or affected by Afghanistan are getting all the help they can at present it must be very difficult to process. Those there now have been given a desperate job to do it will be hard to process

dmereifield
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by dmereifield »

SW1 wrote:I hope this is seared into the minds of all political classes for a long time



I hope also that all those who have been to or affected by Afghanistan are getting all the help they can at present it must be very difficult to process. Those there now have been given a desperate job to do it will be hard to process
Sadly it won't be, and sadly they won't be. Many will have been hung out to dry. A tragedy

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SKB
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

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SW1
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SW1 »

You most definitely cant have these on sale and return but I’m sure they’ll be open to easy terms

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... e_2021.pdf

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SKB
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by SKB »

Why Are Submarines Black?

(Not What You Think) 18th February 2021
If you have previously heard of explanations on why submarines are black, well, you need to watch this video. It's not what you think!
Hmm.... :problem:
(Wikipedia) In early 2006, HMS Torbay (S90) was the participant in an experiment in the use of colour schemes to reduce the visibility of submarines from the air. The standard black paint of Royal Navy submarines was replaced by a carefully selected shade of blue. This was the result of research that found that black was the worst possible colour for a submarine attempting to avoid detection from the air. This change is in part the result of the changing nature of Royal Navy commitments since the end of the Cold War, with Navy operations moving from the murky waters of the North Atlantic to the clearer waters of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Image
Image
^ HMS Torbay (S90) at periscope depth when she was painted blue for trials

Torbay's blue didn't stay long. She reverted back to her original black and was eventually payed off in 2017.

Caribbean
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by Caribbean »

The Daily Mail is reporting that there will be "huge cuts" to the Army, particularly the infantry
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -axed.html

Pinch of salt and all that
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

dmereifield
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Re: General UK Defence Discussion

Post by dmereifield »

Caribbean wrote:The Daily Mail is reporting that there will be "huge cuts" to the Army, particularly the infantry
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -axed.html

Pinch of salt and all that
The Army is in such a mess. How do they sort it out without huge additional funding (which isn't forthcoming) and without having to wait 20 years?

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