UK Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

HMS Astute

Junior Member
UK to launch laser competition

LONDON — Britain’s Defence Ministry will boost its investment in laser research and is preparing to launch a competition that could lead to a technology demonstrator, according to officials.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the research arm of the MoD, said it plans to kick off a competition this year to appoint a contractor to lead work on directed energy weapons (DEW).

“This four-year project aims to understand what potential there is for high energy laser technology to be used in future military capabilities,” an MoD spokeswoman said.

The work could result in the construction of a development system capable of being test fired, the spokeswoman said.

“The project aims to assess a number of sub-systems that will potentially be incorporated into a working developmental system for testing,” she said. “We intend to conduct outdoor testing at a range, but exact details are yet to be determined.”

MBDA, Lockheed Martin UK, Qinetiq, Thales UK, Raytheon UK and others could figure among the bidders for the contract.

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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
That was huge strategic and economic mistake
This was, IMHO, absolute liberal-minded mush think.

The US is using the parts from these aircraft to keep our own Harriers flying more cheaply. And the US will use its Harrier fleet until they are all replaced by JSFs. Not prematurely strip its LHDs and LHAs of fixed wing aircraft.

If the UK had simply kept these aircraft until the JSFs came on, and then replaced them as they stood up squadrons, they would have had enough to immediately begin fixed wing operations off of their new carriers, and not suffered a lapse of over seven years with no naval fixed wing capability.

Colossal tribute to short-sightedness and stupidity.

UK Harrier jump jets languish in US boneyard in Arizona,

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UK Harrier jump jets on their last flight in 2010.

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Scratch

Captain
No that would not be a good idea to have a air centric LHD.

With my statement I actually had the RN in mind, not the french. My understanding is that HMS Ocean is now the only real LHD / LHA in the Royal Navy. At least a second vessel of a similar type (Mistral) would be smart, IMO. Relying on Ocean alone for the next years is a bit of a gamble.
And then I hope the RN doesn't decomission her once the QE & PoW arrive.
With retiring the Harriers and the carrier early, I guess they though it's a good savings package. It's just a risky option, IMO. Hopefully they can put something aside to invest those savings later down the road. And with that I mean not just retrain aircrews for carrier ops. But I have a feeling the whole thing was just bogus.
But yeah, now down to 4 carriers in europe, 3 smaller S/VTOL and 1 proper is sad.
 

HMS Astute

Junior Member
But yeah, now down to 4 carriers in europe, 3 smaller S/VTOL and 1 proper is sad.

And only 8x out of 109x Eurofighters in German Air Force are fully operational which is sad. All the NATO countries in Europe need to step up and spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. Germany needs to spend more and it should consider to operate at least one or two assault ships.
 

Scratch

Captain
I think there was / is(?) the idea floating around we might pay for another Rotterdam class LPD and have the dutch operate it while we use it when required. Well, with (mainly) a dutch crew, I guess.
Also the Brits somehow managed to make their EFs air-ground capable more or less on their own and did so in a rather short time frame, and we're still waiting for the company to do so.
Right now we're at 1,2% of GDP, that means there's €22B left to spend per year, ... oh sweet dreams ... ^^
 

HMS Astute

Junior Member
I think there was / is(?) the idea floating around we might pay for another Rotterdam class LPD and have the dutch operate it while we use it when required. Well, with (mainly) a dutch crew, I guess.
Also the Brits somehow managed to make their EFs air-ground capable more or less on their own and did so in a rather short time frame, and we're still waiting for the company to do so.
Right now we're at 1,2% of GDP, that means there's €22B left to spend per year, ... oh sweet dreams ... ^^

I really wish the French would cancel 2nd Mistral class and sell that to Germany. It is ridiculous seeing a NATO member is selling it's military technology to a country like Russia. Regarding with Typhoon, UK is already going ahead and working on the new AESA radar, Brimstone II and Meteor missiles etc. Not sure other European partners are willing to spend additional money on these plans.
 
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Scratch

Captain
I guess the big blow to the Eurofighter program in the long run came about 5 years ago when the 4 base nations wanted to reduce the numbers they buy, wich lead to splitting the Tranche 3 into an A & B batch.
Only 3A has been comitted to, B was always on the backburner, but it doesn't look like anyone, besides the UK maybe, is really comitted anymore, wich is a shame.
Meteor will come for all nations AFAIK. The Taurus / Storm Shadow integration is well underway for all nations, as well as some kind of PGMs. The AESA was something put back for later 3B development and a possible retrofit to older models as well as future exports. As you wrote in an aerlier post, the RAF seems to go ahead with AESA develoment for a "UK unique" requirement now, wich seems to indicate it's not something the other participants are willing to invest in as of now.
The Tranche 3 fuselage is now also able to mount CFTs. I'm not sure about plans for a targeting pod with the different nations.
There's really some nice potential left in the jet.

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Scratch

Captain
The RAFs first A400M made it's maiden flight yesterday in Spain.

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RAF's first A400M Atlas completes maiden flight
By: Beth Stevenson - London
Source: Flightglobal.com

The UK Royal Air Force has moved one step closer to receiving its first Airbus Defence & Space A400M Atlas airlifter, after the aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight in Spain on 30 August.

Aircraft MSN15 was piloted by British test pilot Ed Strongman. The aircraft took off from Seville at 14:25 local time, returning 5h 5min later.

“It was very satisfying to conduct this first flight of the first A400M for the Royal Air Force,” Strongman says. “I have no doubt its combination of true tactical capability with strategic range will be an enormous contributor to future air mobility in the RAF.”

The RAF has 22 A400Ms on order, with the first expected to be available for delivery by the end of September, Airbus says. Four examples are expected to be handed over this year, with the last accepted in mid-2018. The UK’s Atlas fleet will be based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. ...

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Equation

Lieutenant General
I found this on the BBC and it's interesting.

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The Russian Yak-130 is being marketed as a light strike fighter as well as a training aircraft

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The Chinese JF-17 is a supersonic fighter plane with a price tag the same as the slower Scorpion
 
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