|
So far so good
Brilliant news regarding the P8s, and the number 9 isn't bad. A sound decision along with the two AD typhoon squadrons. Rough numbers but with 150 per tiffie squadron and what, 400 for the P8s, where the people come from and when will be interesting. Devil in the detail I venture.
Good news so far for the light blue |
F-35
How many are we buying then?
|
138. from the Chancellors lips...
|
So where do we imagine the two new Tiffy Squadrons will go then?
In my heart of hearts, I wsh it was Leuchars, but my head insists it will be Leeming.:sad: FB:) |
Dave: "Bigger Navy, bigger Air Force, better equipped Army".
Difficult to see haow this can be achieved 'quickly', given the lead in time for personnel - and eqipment, for that matter. Anyhoo, statement at 15:30. |
Guess if the rumours of x9 P8's going to Lossie are true, then my guess is that will be 15(R) Sqn disbanding and the training of Tonka aircrew being subsumed as a training flight within one of the Marham Sqns. Would free up plenty of real estate capable of accomodating the P8's.
|
would you have a link to the announcement ?
|
|
Something about "Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday but never jam today ..." :*
|
Wokkafans, Thank you for the link.
|
Guess if the rumours of x9 P8's going to Lossie are true, then my guess is that will be 15(R) Sqn disbanding and the training of Tonka aircrew being subsumed as a training flight within one of the Marham Sqns. Would free up plenty of real estate capable of accomodating the P8's. What will be interesting is how tightly they can squeeze any more Typhoon squadrons in at Lossie, as Coningsby is pretty full already and I can't see a third Typhoon base being a cost-effective option. We would then have seven front-line squadrons at Lossie with another independence referendum to come if "Leave" wins the EU referendum. Not to mention the possibility of higher income tax rates in Scotland for the lucky individuals posted up to what will be truly a mega-base. Interesting times ahead. |
when you consider that Tornado retires in 2019, Can see two new Tiffie sqn's being split between Conz & Los but then personnel accomodation could be a major issue. Maybe the Leeming rumour has some merit with HAS sites and accomodation available.....and there is the other rumour of "Tatty Ton" getting some Tranche 1 Tiffies. |
Tatty Ton?:confused:
FB:) |
|
when you consider that Tornado retires in 2019, Not necessarily - wouldnt be surprised if there's an extension to Tornado OSD as it is the Platform of choice (necessity!) at the minute with Typhoon not being fully capable. |
Would a motto (Tatty Ton's) translating as "Never stir up a hornet's nest" be propitious for Middle East operations ????
Good one for an F-18 Sqn tho' :ok: |
I think this is going to be a live broadcast
Parliamentlive.tv - House of Commons |
P8s to Lossiemouth. :)
|
PM confirming number of F-35s and stating there will be an additional planned squadron. Number plate?
P-8s confirmed going to LM. Going to be crowded. RN are going to get 13 frigates - but only 8 will be T36, remaining will be lighter multi-purpose and cheaper. Presumably back down to size of former classes an suitable for use on Caribbean station and other flag flying deployments. |
Interesting snippet about HALE drones, something along the lines of "edge of atmosphere... days of endurance... british design...".
(Assuming I heard correctly, it's not appearing on the BBC 'highlights' box - yet) |
Press release
PM pledges £178 billion investment in defence kit
From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, The Rt Hon David Cameron MP and Ministry of Defence First published:23 November 2015 The Prime Minister will announce a £178 billion investment in defence equipment and support over the next decade . £12 billion uplift in equipment budget
The Prime Minister will announce a £178 billion investment in defence equipment and support over the next decade when he unveils the government’s 5 year National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security review in the House of Commons later today. The £12 billion uplift in funding will be focused on investments that will help to ensure the UK can respond to diverse threats in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world. These will include: Aircraft Nine new Boeing P8 maritime patrol aircraft for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare will increase further the protection of our nuclear deterrent and our new aircraft carriers. These roles require an aircraft that can carry torpedoes, as well as being fitted with a broad range of sensors, including radar and sonobuoys, which are operated from the rear of the cabin by a team of specialists. These aircraft will also provide maritime search and rescue and surveillance capabilities over land. Typhoon We will be extending the life of our multirole Typhoon for 10 extra years through to 2040, meaning we will be able to create 2 additional squadrons. This will give us a total of frontline 7 squadrons, consisting of around 12 aircraft per squadron. We will also invest in their ground attack capability and fit them with a new active electronically scanned array radar to ensure they can continue to operate in hostile environments in the future. Strike brigades We will create 2 new ‘strike brigades’ by 2025 to be rapidly deployable, able to self-deploy thousands of kilometres, and with a much lower logistic footprint. They will use the new Ajax family (previously known as Scout) range of vehicles, comprising 6 variants and almost 600 armoured vehicles. The Prime Minister is expected to make further announcements later today as he sets out the government’s comprehensive approach to national security, including boosting its soft power and focusing aid on fragile states and regions to tackle the root causes of conflict. Writing in the foreword to the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Prime Minister says: Our national security depends on our economic security, and vice versa. So the first step in our National Security Strategy is to ensure our economy is, and remains, strong. …..Over the last 5 years we have taken the difficult decisions needed to bring down our deficit and restore our economy to strength. In 2010, the total black hole in the defence budget alone was bigger than the entire defence budget in that year. Now it is back in balance. By sticking to our long-term economic plan, Britain has become the fastest growing major advanced economy in the world for the last 2 years. Our renewed economic security means we can afford to invest further in our national security. This is vital at a time when the threats to our country are growing. From the rise of ISIL and greater instability in the Middle East, to the crisis in Ukraine, the threat of cyber attacks and the risk of pandemics, the world is more dangerous and uncertain today than 5 years ago. So while every government must choose how to spend the money it has available, every penny of which is hard-earned by taxpayers, this government has taken a clear decision to invest in our security and safeguard our prosperity. As a result, the United Kingdom is the only major country in the world today which is simultaneously going to meet the NATO target of spending 2% of our GDP on defence and the UN target of spending 0.7% of our GNI on development, while also increasing investment in our security and intelligence agencies and in counter-terrorism. At its [the strategy] heart is an understanding that we cannot choose between conventional defences against state-based threats and the need to counter threats that do not recognise national borders. Today we face both and we must respond to both. So over the course of this Parliament our priorities are to deter state-based threats, tackle terrorism, remain a world leader in cyber security and ensure we have the capability to respond rapidly to crises as they emerge. …. Our armed forces, our police and our security and intelligence agencies put their lives on the line every day. Their service is an inspiration to us all and they are the pride of our nation. Through this National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review we will back them and use our hard-earned economic strength to support our armed forces, and to give those in our police and our security and intelligence agencies who fight terrorism the resources they need to help keep our country safe. |
Willard, from last month...
High-Altitude Drones Last month, Steve Whitby, an executive at the french aerospace giant Airbus Defence and Space, briefed reporters with some exciting news. Airbus, he said, had entered into a deal with the British Ministry of Defense, which would buy three of the company’s Zephyr solar-powered, high-altitude, long-endurance drones. However, shortly after news sites began reporting on the news, both the British MoD and Airbus claimed that no such deal had been made. “We would like to clarify our position following the recent media briefing: We have ambitions, and are expecting to secure contracts for Zephyr in the near future,” a spokesperson for the British MoD told Defense News........ Zephyr Solar-Powered HALE UAV, United Kingdom The Zephyr family of solar-electric-powered unmanned air vehicles is being developed by QinetiQ in the UK with the UK Ministry of Defence, under a jointly funded programme......... |
Yeah, went down to QinetiQ at Farnborough a few years ago, Nov '09 in fact, and saw bits of (one of) the prototypes and a few videos. Missed that article, had other (family) stuff to attend to, didn't realise it had been sold to Airbus Defence and Space in early '13 either.
Hope investment is forthcoming, it's an exciting and important capability to develop, a nod to the future, rather than merely the present. |
|
Willard, here's the real one....
|
It's a shame 'we' couldn't have fully developed it in-house. Still, I shouldn't be too negative I s'pose.
|
The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy delivers our nuclear deterrent, projects our maritime power and provides world-class amphibious forces. As part of Joint Force 2025, we will have: Two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. These will enter service from 2018, transforming the Royal Navy’s ability to project our influence overseas. They will form the core of our maritime task group, with one available at all times. We will increase the number of F35 Lightning aircraft we are buying in the early 2020s to ensure that we make best use of this world-leading capability, and we will buy three new logistic ships to support the fleet, in addition to the four tankers that will enter service from 2016. Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates, Astute Class submarines and Mine Countermeasure Vessels. We will maintain one of the most capable anti-submarine fleets in the world with the introduction of eight advanced Type 26 Global Combat Ships, which will start to replace our current Type 23 frigates in their anti-submarine role. We will maintain our fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers. We will also launch a concept study and then design and build a new class of lighter, flexible general purpose frigates so that by the 2030s we can further increase the total number of frigates and destroyers. These general purpose frigates are also likely to offer increased export potential. We will buy two further new Offshore Patrol Vessels, increasing the Royal Navy’s ability to defend UK interests at home and abroad. Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade who are trained and equipped to provide specialist amphibious and Arctic warfare capabilities. We will enhance a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to support this amphibious capability |
The Army
4.48 The Army delivers a modern, capable and sophisticated force able to fight independently or alongside our allies, train international partners and contribute to the UK’s resilience. As part of Joint Force 2025, we will have: A war-fighting division optimised for high intensity combat operations. The division will draw on two armoured infantry brigades and two new Strike Brigades to deliver a deployed division of three brigades. We will establish these two Strike Brigades to be able to deploy rapidly over long distances using the new Ajax armoured vehicles and new mechanised infantry vehicles. They will double the number of brigades ready for operations. With these, and 16 Air Assault Brigade’s very high readiness forces, we will improve our ability to respond to all likely threats. Upgraded Apache attack and RAF Chinook support helicopters, and Warrior armoured fighting vehicles. We will extend the life of our Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Two innovative brigades comprising a mix of Regulars and specialist capabilities from the Reserves able to contribute to our strategic communications, tackle hybrid warfare and deliver better battlefield intelligence. • A number of infantry battalions reconfigured to provide an increased contributions to countering terrorism and building stability overseas. They will conduct defence engagement and capacity building, providing training, assistance, advice andmentoring to our partners. |
The Royal Air Force
4.49 The Royal Air Force defends our airspace, projects our air power globally and provides vital intelligence to support operations including counter-terrorism. We will continue to operate Tornado combat aircraft until they are replaced by Typhoon. As part of Joint Force 2025, we will have: • Typhoon and F35 Lightning aircraft, which will ensure that the Royal Air Force can continue to deal with evolving threats. We will establish an additional F35 Lightning squadron and two additional Typhoon squadrons. We will invest further in Typhoon’s capabilities, including ground attack and a new Active Electronically Scanned Array radar to ensure that we can continue to operate it until at least 2040. We will maintain our plan to buy 138 F35 Lightning aircraft over the life of the programme. Complex weapons, including Stormshadow and Brimstone missiles, which offer unrivalled precision. We will continue to invest further in new precision weapons to sustain our battle-winning capabilities. More than 20 new Protector armed remotely piloted aircraft, more than doubling the number of the Reaper aircraft which they replace. Upgraded aircraft to gather intelligence and detect and track targets, both on the ground and in the air. Sentinel will be extended in service into the next decade; Shadow until at least 2030; and Sentry and Rivet Joint until 2035. Nine new Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft to increase further the protection of our nuclear deterrent and our new aircraft carriers. These aircraft will be based in Scotland and will also have an overland surveillance capability. A recapitalised air transport fleet to enable our Armed Forces to intervene globally at speed. By 2016, we will have 14 Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft. Our 22 new A400M Atlas heavy-lift aircraft will enhance our global reach, alongside our eight C17 aircraft. We will upgrade and extend the life of our C130J aircraft, allowing them to support a range of operations until 2030. A recapitalised Command Support Air Transport fleet to replace the current aircraft as they reach the end of their life. This will increase their operational utility and ensure we are able to continue to transport the Royal Family and senior Ministers cost-effectively. We will also adapt one of our existing Voyager aircraft so that, as well as its primary air tanking role, it can transport senior Ministers securely, delivering better value for money than the current use of charter aircraft. The aircraft would also be available to the Royal Family. We will invest in the next generation of combat aircraft technology, in partnership with our defence aerospace industry and our closest allies. We are working with the US to build and support the F35 Lightning. We will work with France to develop our Unmanned Combat Air System programme, and collaborate on complex weapons. |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 9189293)
PM confirming number of F-35s and stating there will be an additional planned squadron. Number plate?
|
Blimey
When I started this thread with the tidbit of two new Typhoon Sqns I didn't actually expect us to get them. And more!
A proper F35 buy and P8 as well?! Even the world weary denizens of this forum must surely find it difficult to whinge today? I realise it doesn't compare in some people's minds to a bygone era (and we should never make the mistake of comparing ourselves to the USA) but with the kit we're getting we will still have a military to be proud of. BV:ok: |
With 2 more Typhoon sqns (7) Lossie is definitely going to be chocca. How about a cunning solution of P-8s to Lossie, Typhoon back to Leuchars (afld open anyway) and SCOTS DG out of Leuchars to Edinburgh (1SCOTS just vacated Redford Bks, social scene and hunting better for cavalry in Edin/Borders). Everyone a winner.
|
P-8s to be "in service" by 2020.
Is that first aircraft delivery, IOC or FOC? |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 9189386)
P-8s to be "in service" by 2020.
Is that first aircraft delivery, IOC or FOC? First 3 aircraft in service "by the end of this parliament", said call me Dave. |
Typhoon needs to be as far north as it can get, as does P-8 - F-35 doesn't, it already going to Marham, so would it not be a clever plan to split F-35 between Marham and the about-to-be vacated Mildenhall?
|
Does buying the P8 open the door for Wedgetail as a replacement for E3?
|
Having just spent a week in DC I can share their intent to operate a full squadron of F35s plus MV-22s off the QEs in certain parts of the world. 9 month deployments with a UK CTG are back. Outstanding news.
|
KPax,
No. In the SDSR document the new OSD for Sentry is clearly stated as 2035. |
Can someone explain where the 2 extra Typhoon Sqn appear from?
I was assuming they will be new builds - tranche 3b but I have heard references to keeping tranche 1 going - so are the 2 Sqns just not retiring these older aircraft? How many new aircraft will be built? Many Thanks TR |
typerated,
You have answered your own question! Previous plans to retire the Tranche 1 have been axed. Now to be refitted and retained alongside existing Tranche 2 and new build Tranche3B. |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 02:21. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.