I also believe the Fencer sale is a hoax. 28th december is the "dia de los inocentes" in the spanish speaking world - their equivalent to april fools day.

Having said that, i have absolutely no doubt that The Soviets were providing satellite intelligence to the Argentine Air Force during the war, and there is also the Invincible torpedo incident from the 5th May that has yet to be fully explained. I have spoken to eye witness of this, and they were pretty sure the saw a torpedo wake, and Brillants sonar operator was very convinced by what he heard......no argentine subs were in the vicinity of the CBG at the time.

As I commented in an earlier post....

Surely the point of a hoax is for it to be funny, no? Where's the joke in this?

So why is the post entitled "Baghdad glazed". Or have they renamed Buenos Aires!

LJ :cool:

We don't exactly have a stellar record of such high jinx, not since '67 anyway.

1) It pokes fun at the British by boasting about a new and powerful ally
2) creates disinformation which has to be considered at high level - possibly divert funds
3) keeps on-message about retaking the Malvinas (and forgetting domestic issues).
4) Ingratiates yourself to your new powerful best friend by creating mischief for the British in retaliation for their meddling over Ukraine

What could be funnier? :E

On the subject of the Falklands, when the Sea Kings are retired next year, will anything replace them? I'd imagine CSAR would be beneficial considering the potential of it actually being required, or will it just get privatised as well?

They fooled parts of the British media (including Jane's) so whoever started it probably had a larf.

Humour is in the eye and ear of the beholder. Some people think clowns are funny and some think they are creepy, and Russell Brand has made squillions allegedly being funny. So, just because you don't find it funny doesn't mean it's not a hoax, or that you have no sense of humour.

would you buy a used airplane...
 

The Argentinians did not have much luck when buying a used cruiser from the Americans, even if it had a good pedigree from surviving Pearl Harbour..... maybe they threw away the lucky rabbit foot.
History is littered with large countries selling arms to small countries, then charging exorbitant prices for spare parts. Given the Russian need for currency of any sort, wonder how much it would take to keep Fencers airworthy!!
Rules of war... don't mess with the Balkan countries, do not try land assaults on Moscow, and do not buy anything from the Russians except Kalashnikovs

Including all civil airfields? I don't think so.

The UK media is reporting that the MOD is to hold a review of Falklands defence on the back of these reports. Not sure how that means they have been 'fooled'.

They're being replaced by Bristows aircraft. The FI SAR requirement forms part of the newly, completely civilianised, SAR contract being let by the DfT, administered by the MCA and won by Bristows. Military SAR in the FI and the UK is due to end in 2017 (I think).

Wrt CSAR, the UK has no CSAR capability (as discussed many times on this forum) although it has 'dabbled' in the past.

Sun.

Sorry Sun

You've got that completely wrong. The FI SAR requirement will be nothing to do with MCA/Bristow. The contract to replace the MPA SAR Sea Kings was recently won by BIH, due to start in 2016.

Inputshaft,

Apologies, I made an assumption based on partial knowledge. You are of course right, thanks for the correction.

I guess my main point stands though, it's being civilianised.

Sun.

No problem.

There's an ongoing confusion about this because there actually IS a Bristow SAR cab heading down there at this very time. But it's part of a short-term oil exploration contract that Bristow has for the next year or so. It will be there specifically to support the offshore operation, in simple terms due to expanded range and payload requirements, with no overland commitment, then removed with the rest of the operation at the end of 2015.

Inputshaft

melmoth,
Like you, I'm not sure how funny this is - considering that both the Ruskies and Argies are fiscal basket-cases.

Remember "birds of a feather......"!

Just changed the original a little.

Streetwise Professor: Will Bomb for Food

Russia is leasing 12 SU-24 swing wing Fencer fighter-bomber aircraft to Argentina. Argentina is paying with . . . food, specifically beef and wheat. The 1970s-era SU-24 was, um, very similar to the US’s 1960s-era F-111, which the US retired in 1996. (Seriously: look at pictures of the Soviet SU-24 and the American F-111 and it’s hard to tell the difference.)

The UK is unsettled by the transaction, because the jets could threaten the Falklands. And of course Argentina is in such great shape that it can easily afford a few wars of choice. After all, the last one went so, so well.

But look at it this way. If Argentina prevails this time over an emaciated British military, it will conquer islands with 500,000 sheep. Just think of how many weapons the Argentines will be able to lease from Russia in exchange for all that lamb, hogged, mutton and wool. Chile, look out!

I have another suggested trade between the two countries. They should just exchange their currencies. That way, each can obtain more varied wallpaper.

So no, Russia is not isolated. It is a fully paid member of the Drowning Men’s Club, whose desperate members grab onto one another for dear life as they go under once, twice, and yet again. Look at its economic and political allies, such as they are. Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Syria. Decrepit losers, every one. Hell, even Belarus is looking for ways to escape the embrace of a drowning Russia.

This deal is so revealing. Russia, once the world’s breadbasket, can’t feed itself. But what does it have to trade? Decrepit military equipment from another era, and a derivative design largely lifted from the evil Americans at that. When “Will Bomb For Food” is only a slightly exaggerated characterization of a country’s comparative advantage, it says everything you need to know about Russia’s economy 23 years after the end of the Soviet Union and 15 years after the advent of Putinism.

Fantasy.

Marco just had a few much-too-warm beers and woke up remembering that he had to turn some article in before New Years Eve... so he came up with this.

Argentina is a british enemy, Russia used to be one and it appears like it´s coming back for more... 2 +2 = 4.

It always pays off well when you face "the Axis of Evil", whatever countries you choose to include in them.

Does anyone one disccuss that the real saviour of the Royak Navy was Galtieri?

Cheers!!

Helicopter for rig support may be there for a while - I think they have quite a number of wells planned and Sea Lion development is underway

Another question is will they reinstate the regular bi-weekly Gatwick- Mt Pleasant charter for the oil field trash changeout?

Norwegian rig so the boys will expect a regular (and short) shift aboard