RAF Poseidon - Not too long to wait?
The RAF's P-8A Poseidon fleet is now complete with the arrival earlier today of ZP809.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Crew shortages featuring today’s Sunday Times Scottish edition..
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/r...crew-bwsc6wgx7
RAF’s Poseidon sub hunter not fully operational due to lack of crew
A £2.2 billion Scottish-based fleet of aircraft intended to monitor Russian submarine movements is not fully operational because the RAF lacks crews to fly them.
The last of nine high-tech Poseidon sub-hunting jets arrived at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray in January but The Sunday Times has learnt there are only enough crews trained up to fly five of them, despite concerns about Russian submarine activity now reaching Cold War levels…..
James Heappey, the Armed Forces minister, revealed in a parliamentary written answer that only five Poseidon crews and two contingents of instructors had been trained by this January. He said that a further 16 RAF personnel began training to operate the Poseidon in March but defence sources say that they won’t be ready for action until early next year. It had originally planned that 18 crews would be trained up to operate the Poseidons.….
In a statement the RAF said: “All nine of our Poseidon aircraft are flying regularly on crew training and on operations, including Russia-facing tasks. Over the next two years the RAF will increase its annual flying rate as crew numbers build to full operating capability in 2024.”
A senior RAF source denied any of the planes were in storage. He said the RAF had decided to prioritise buying the aircraft because the US manufacturer, Boeing, offered a discount if the UK tagged on its order to a production run already under way for the US, Australia and Norway.
Covid-related issues also caused delays installing simulators at Lossiemouth to allow training to step up, said the source.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/r...crew-bwsc6wgx7
RAF’s Poseidon sub hunter not fully operational due to lack of crew
A £2.2 billion Scottish-based fleet of aircraft intended to monitor Russian submarine movements is not fully operational because the RAF lacks crews to fly them.
The last of nine high-tech Poseidon sub-hunting jets arrived at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray in January but The Sunday Times has learnt there are only enough crews trained up to fly five of them, despite concerns about Russian submarine activity now reaching Cold War levels…..
James Heappey, the Armed Forces minister, revealed in a parliamentary written answer that only five Poseidon crews and two contingents of instructors had been trained by this January. He said that a further 16 RAF personnel began training to operate the Poseidon in March but defence sources say that they won’t be ready for action until early next year. It had originally planned that 18 crews would be trained up to operate the Poseidons.….
In a statement the RAF said: “All nine of our Poseidon aircraft are flying regularly on crew training and on operations, including Russia-facing tasks. Over the next two years the RAF will increase its annual flying rate as crew numbers build to full operating capability in 2024.”
A senior RAF source denied any of the planes were in storage. He said the RAF had decided to prioritise buying the aircraft because the US manufacturer, Boeing, offered a discount if the UK tagged on its order to a production run already under way for the US, Australia and Norway.
Covid-related issues also caused delays installing simulators at Lossiemouth to allow training to step up, said the source.
Touch and go at Mildenhall
First time I saw RAf P-8 Poseidon was a few days ago doing touch and go’s at the Hall. So here is my photo of 01 ‘Pride of Moray’.
cheers
cheers
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Boeing awarded contract by USN for full-rate production of High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC).
Glide kit that allows Mk54 torpedo to be dropped by P-8A Poseidon from cruising altitude. Likley to be purchased by UK.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...from-u-s-navy/
Glide kit that allows Mk54 torpedo to be dropped by P-8A Poseidon from cruising altitude. Likley to be purchased by UK.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...from-u-s-navy/
Perhaps Boing could employ the Ukrainians to do some operational testing? There a a few subs in the Black Sea that could do with a good sinking to stop them launching cruise missiles at innocent women and children
Boeing awarded contract by USN for full-rate production of High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC).
Glide kit that allows Mk54 torpedo to be dropped by P-8A Poseidon from cruising altitude. Likley to be purchased by UK.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...from-u-s-navy/
Glide kit that allows Mk54 torpedo to be dropped by P-8A Poseidon from cruising altitude. Likley to be purchased by UK.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...from-u-s-navy/
How do you get a submarine to high-altitude I wonder.... ?
"Contact!, 3,000 yds, doppler high.... gotta shaft 'n blade"
"got 'im, 12 O'clock High.... "
"Certsub!, one of those new Z for Zeppelin babies.... "
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I am reminded of a story from the 70s of an ATC somewhere in Africa insisting a departure set a QNH which placed them several hundred feet underground.
When asked for their passing altitude after take-off the captain reportedly replied, “Six fathoms, rising”……
When asked for their passing altitude after take-off the captain reportedly replied, “Six fathoms, rising”……
The RAF is buying Mk 54 torpedoes to avoid the need for integration of Stingray onto P-8A and to maintain commonality with the USN and Norway.
It could therefore also buy the HAAWC kits.
It could therefore also buy the HAAWC kits.
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USN P8’s are now getting the ability to launch Torpedoes from cruise heights i.e up near 30,000 feet
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...151069.article
https://militaryleak.com/2022/11/23/...boeings-haawc/
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...151069.article
https://militaryleak.com/2022/11/23/...boeings-haawc/
USN P8’s are now getting the ability to launch Torpedoes from cruise heights i.e up near 30,000 feet
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...151069.article
https://militaryleak.com/2022/11/23/...boeings-haawc/
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...151069.article
https://militaryleak.com/2022/11/23/...boeings-haawc/
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Indeed. The Lindholme was dropped across wind, and down wind of the survivoprs, so that they drifted onto the floating rope. They could then pull in the rope to get the canister.
From the video, it looks as if they dropped the canister upwind of the survivors. Perhaps it is meant to act as a sea anchor while the floats carry the rope towards them. Can anyone enlighten us?
From the video, it looks as if they dropped the canister upwind of the survivors. Perhaps it is meant to act as a sea anchor while the floats carry the rope towards them. Can anyone enlighten us?
0200 Sea State 10 - crew said they were going to abandon - so dropped Lindholme gear.
Good shot with line going across superstructure!
Crew then decided NOT to abandon- Amazingly ship stayed afloat and crew were rescued next day!!
FEB. 12, 1982
The British coast guard said the Belgian cargo ship Potomac described conditions at the scene 480 miles northeast of the Azores, as 'horrendous' with 50-foot seas whipped by gale force winds.The Victory, with a predominantly Greek crew, was carrying 22,000 tons of molasses from Florida to Liverpool when 'ferocious seas battered her and split her in two,' coast guard spokesman Arthur Redford said at the Falmouth rescue center. The first Mayday was sent shortly after midnight.
Nineteen crew members -- without lifejackets or life rafts -- managed to escape to the stern section with its massive bridge superstructure, but two suffered unknown injuries. One crewman later slipped into the water and was presumed drowned.
No rescuer caught sight of the 13 men who dropped into a liferaft when the bow section split off in the raging seas.Only the stern section remained afloat all day but it continued to list as it grew dark.
U.S. Air Force paramedics stationed in England were sent to the scene of the Victory breakup, 840 miles west-southwest of Land's End, in a bid to rescue the 18 seamen clinging to the Victory's stern section.
A Royal Air Force Nimrod plane dropped eight liferafts to the survivors, but the pilot warned the ship might sink before rescuers arrived.
NIMROD MR2 XV244 crew 3 from 42 squadron St Mawgan
We were also the first Nimrod crew ‘on scene’ during the Fastnet race drama on 14 August 1979.
A 'ferocious' Atlantic gale split an aging Greek tanker...
FALMOUTH, England -- A 'ferocious' Atlantic gale split an aging Greek tanker loaded with molasses in half today and hampered efforts to rescue 18 men, two of them injured, clinging to the sinking vessel without lifejackets. Fourteen crewmen were missing and feared dead.Three ships and U.S. and British military planes rushed to aid the 12,487-ton tanker, Victory. But heavy seas and winds gusting to 80 mph prevented any rescue attempt -- even by U.S. Air Force paramedics trying to parachute in with medical supplies.The British coast guard said the Belgian cargo ship Potomac described conditions at the scene 480 miles northeast of the Azores, as 'horrendous' with 50-foot seas whipped by gale force winds.The Victory, with a predominantly Greek crew, was carrying 22,000 tons of molasses from Florida to Liverpool when 'ferocious seas battered her and split her in two,' coast guard spokesman Arthur Redford said at the Falmouth rescue center. The first Mayday was sent shortly after midnight.
Nineteen crew members -- without lifejackets or life rafts -- managed to escape to the stern section with its massive bridge superstructure, but two suffered unknown injuries. One crewman later slipped into the water and was presumed drowned.
No rescuer caught sight of the 13 men who dropped into a liferaft when the bow section split off in the raging seas.Only the stern section remained afloat all day but it continued to list as it grew dark.
U.S. Air Force paramedics stationed in England were sent to the scene of the Victory breakup, 840 miles west-southwest of Land's End, in a bid to rescue the 18 seamen clinging to the Victory's stern section.
A Royal Air Force Nimrod plane dropped eight liferafts to the survivors, but the pilot warned the ship might sink before rescuers arrived.
NIMROD MR2 XV244 crew 3 from 42 squadron St Mawgan
We were also the first Nimrod crew ‘on scene’ during the Fastnet race drama on 14 August 1979.
Last edited by mahogany bob; 10th Feb 2023 at 08:27. Reason: Addition