(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Dec. 17, 2012)
It is the Disposal Services Authority (DSA) intention to invite expressions of interest in tendering for the Type 22 Frigates (HMS Chatham, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Cumberland and HMS Cornwall) for the following: •Further Use •Sinking for an Artificial reef •Recycling
At this stage the DSA does not require interested parties to specify which Vessel/s they wish to bid for.
It is the DSA intention to award at least one vessel to a UK Ship Recycler; this is in part to secure detailed knowledge of the UK’s capacity to recycle vessels. Any decision to award to a UK Ship Recycling company will be made in accordance with transparent and objective evaluation criteria which will be issued at the Invitation to Tender stage.
All interested parties should note that only Bidders that have completed and passed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the vessels and allowed access to view the vessel.
The vessels are moored at Portsmouth and will be sold from there.
The DSA are planning on hosting viewings 25th February - 15th March 2013.
As previously requested all bidders intending to undertake inspection of the vessels will be required to wear the correct PPE clothing i.e. steel toecap boots, high vis jackets (overalls optional). Please be assured that if you do not have steel toecap boots on arrival you will be refused access to the vessels.
Only Bidders that have received a copy of the ITT will be allowed access to inspect the vessels.
Bidders should not book travel until they have received a copy of the ITT and understood the requirements.
A copy of the PQQ can be down loaded from the bottom of this page or you can e-mail the DSA’s Commercial section requesting a copy at deslcsls-dsa-comrcl-3b@mod.uk
The closing date for returning the PQQ to the DSA and expression of interest is 17.00 GMT Wednesday 23rd January 2013.
-- HMS CUMBERLAND formally a Warship Frigate F85 was built at Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow UK in 1988 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 23rd September 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013. All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.
-- HMS CAMPBELTOWN formally a Warship Frigate F86 was built at Cammell Laird ship yard Birkenhead UK in 1987 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 7th July 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013. All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.
-- HMS CHATHAM formally a Warship Frigate F87 was built at Swan Hunters Shipbuilders in Wallsend UK in 1989, and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 20th October 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013. All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.
-- HMS CORNWALL formally a Warship, Frigate F99 was built at Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow UK in 1988 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 20th October 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013. All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Sam 3 Oct 2015 - 20:52
Citation :
16 Air Assault Brigade a ajouté 8 nouvelles photos.
British and French paratroopers have jumped into action together as part of a major training exercise to improve their ability to operate together. On Friday (2 Oct), more than 500 paratroopers from Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade and 11e Brigade Parachutiste jumped onto the STANTA training area in Norfolk. Exercise Eagles Amarante is challenging the joint force - built around 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and 1er Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes - to restore stability to a troubled region. The soldiers jumped from RAF C130 Hercules and French Armee de l'Air C160 Transall transport aircraft to capture a foothold in hostile territory. Over the coming days, extra troops and equipment will arrive on the area to build up combat power, before the joint force attacks key enemy positions. Major Christopher Prior, Second-in-Command of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment said, "We’re practicing a scenario where we go into a country that’s been destabilised through internal conflict. Working with the French allows us to figure out how we deal with the language barriers, the planning differences and the equipment differences as well." Lt Col Sebastian from 1RCP said: "We know we could be deployed at any time. Airborne troops are perfectly suited to emergency action so that’s why we prepare with exercises like this. It’s a great opportunity to work with the British Army and ensure we are ready to deploy on operations together." The two-week long exercise started on Sunday (27 Sept), with 1,800 British and French troops and 300 vehicles and helicopters converging on Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk to begin planning and organising missions. On Tuesday (29 Sept) the paratroopers mounted their first operation, a helicopter raid on Rock Barracks in Woodbridge, followed up on Thursday (1 Oct) with an aviation strike by Apache and Gazelle attack helicopters, from 4 Regiment Army Air Corps and Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre respectively. The training is designed to improve links between 16 Air Asslt Bde and 11e BP, which both provide their armies’ rapid reaction forces and are at the forefront of Franco-British military co-operation. Together they form the Interim Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (I-CJEF) which is ready to deploy at short notice on operations anywhere in the world. The partnership was validated in 2013, with Exercise Eagles Amarante part of an ongoing programme of joint training.
PHOTOS:
Photos: Cpl Andy Reddy, MoD Crown Copyright.
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Dim 4 Oct 2015 - 17:24
Citation :
David Cameron justifie l'usage des armes nucléaires
International 16:34 04.10.2015(mis à jour 16:48 04.10.2015)
L'emploi de l'arme nucléaire peut être justifié dans certaines conditions, estime le premier ministre britannique David Cameron.
Intervenant lors du congrès du parti conservateur à Manchester, il a critiqué le leader des travaillistes Jeremy Corbyn qui avait déclaré récemment qu'il n'autoriserait pas l'emploi d'une arme atomique même si la Grande-Bretagne était elle-même menacée d'une attaque nucléaire.
Washington aurait envisagé des frappes nucléaires contre l’Afghanistan "Vous devez reconnaître qu'il existe des circonstances dans lesquelles le recours à l'arme nucléaire sera justifié", a insisté le chef du gouvernement britannique cité par la chaîne Sky News.
Le problème de modernisation du potentiel nucléaire du Royaume-Uni figurait parmi les sujets les plus discutés pendant la campagne électorale britannique de 2015. Les conservateurs, qui ont remporté les législatives, se sont engagés à maintenir le projet de construction de quatre nouveaux sous-marins nucléaires dans le cadre du programme Trident remplacement.
Les travaillistes, ainsi que le Parti national écossais, s'opposent à ce projet qui risque de coûter jusqu'à 100 milliards de livres sterlings au budget britannique, selon leurs évaluations.
Le projet Trident comprend aujourd'hui quatre submersibles nucléaires capables de porter des charges nucléaires et thermonucléaires. Il s'agit de l'élément le plus puissant et le plus onéreux des forces armées britanniques.
Gorgeous cockpit video of the last Vulcan bomber flying in formation with the Red Arrows for the last time
The last flying Vulcan Bomber, XH558, flew with the Red Arrows one last time at the Southport Air Show.
After taking part in air shows for eight years, the last flying Vulcan bomber will perform its final flights today taking part at Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon and at Shuttleworth Uncovered Air Show, which will end Old Warden Collection airshow season.
Avro Vulcan XH558 (carrying civil registration G-VLCN), is the only airworthy bomber of a fleet of 134 Vulcan V bombers operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984.
To salute the iconic plane, the Red Arrows display team performed a flypast with the mighty Cold War bomber for the last time during Southport Air Show on Sept. 19.
Squadron Leader David Montenegro, Red 1 and Team Leader of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, remarked that “It was a great honour to lead a formation flypast with the Vulcan, particularly as the aircraft type was once based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire – now home to the Red Arrows.”
In the following beautiful video, taken from the cockpit of the bomber, you can join the Vulcan aircrew who flew with the Red Arrows for the final time.
UK reveals extent of UAV losses and serious incidents
Gareth Jennings, London and Oliver Shorvon, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 04 October 2015
The United Kingdom has revealed the extent of its losses of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request received by IHS Jane's on 2 October.
The response shows that 15 UAVs of different types have been involved in incidents since April 2008, of which, seven were destroyed (Category 5); seven required major repairs before being returned to service or returned to the manufacturer (Category 4); and one was repairable in the field and returned to service (Category 1).
Of the seven Category 5 incidents, five involved the Elbit Systems Hermes 450 tactical UAV operated by the British Army; one was a Thales WK 450 Watchkeeper tactical UAV, again operated by the British Army; and one was an Insitu ScanEagle tactical UAV operated by the Royal Navy.
According to the FoI response, the Hermes 450 Category 5 losses involved tail numbers ZK506 (Afghanistan, 22 July 2012 - cause undetermined technical fault); ZK512 (Afghanistan, 3 June 2012 - cause undetermined); ZK513 (Afghanistan, 2 June 2009 - cause unspecified technical fault); ZK515 (Afghanistan, 2 October 2011 - cause unspecified technical fault); and ZK 516 (Afghanistan, 21 May 2012 - cause operator error).
The Category 5 Watchkeeper incident involved WK031 (West Wales Airport [Parc Aberporth], 16 November 2014 - cause still being investigated), while that of the ScanEagle involved 1781 (Northern Arabian Sea, 31 April 2014 - cause undetermined).
Of the seven Category 4 incidents, three involved the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAV operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF); two the Hermes 450; and two the ScanEagle.
According to the FoI response, the Reaper Category 4 incidents involved ZZ202 (Iraq, 9 April 2008 - cause not specified); ZZ202 (Afghanistan, 2 May 2010 - cause operator error); and ZZ203 (Afghanistan, 31 March 2012 - cause taxiing incident).
UK plans to buy 20 new drones to fight Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to buy 20 new drones to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Britain is part of an international coalition of more than 60 countries, including the United States, Arab and European nations, working together to dismantle and destroy ISIL in Syria and Iraq.
"We have at the moment a drone fleet of 10 Reapers and what we are going to be doing is actually replacing that with twice as many with a new updated piece of equipment — called Protector — which will be more than doubling of our fleet to keep us safe and to give us the intelligence and information and potentially give us the capacity to hit people who are potentially planning to hit us," Cameron said in an interview with The Telegraph newspaper.
Cameron also stated he was going to enforce the process of obtaining a parliament permit for the UK operation in Syria. He added that Russia's decision to launch a military operation in Syria will not affect the UK 's intention to send its drones.
At the moment, the British government has a parliament approval for military operation against ISIL in Iraq, but no mandate for such an operation in Syria.
On Wednesday, Russia started carrying out pinpoint airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mar 6 Oct 2015 - 17:06
Citation :
Royal Air Force a ajouté 3 nouvelles photos.
The first Royal Air Force A400M Atlas Squadron worked in concert with US forces to complete load and tie-down trials with a US Army Stryker Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV).
Anassfra93 Aspirant
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mar 6 Oct 2015 - 20:32
_________________
Anassfra93 Aspirant
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 7 Oct 2015 - 18:53
Citation :
HMS Richmond trains with Indian Navy The Royal Navy frigate has been working out with the Indian Navy while operating in the Indian Ocean.
Deployed to the Middle East for six months, HMS Richmond has been training with Indian Navy Ship (INS) Betwa.
The Portsmouth based frigate visited the port of Goa, India, for a routine stop and then set out to sea in the company of frigate INS Betwa.
The purpose of the workout was to ensure the two ships were able to communicate effectively and coordinate manoeuvres in case they are required to do so when working together in a task force.
Lieutenant Commander Alexandra Pollard, HMS Richmond’s Executive Officer, said: “Conducting this type of exercise is important. As a globally deployed force, we need to demonstrate we can work closely with our allies wherever we are.”
As a globally deployed force, we need to demonstrate we can work closely with our allies wherever we are. Lieutenant Commander Alexandra Pollard INS Betwa is armed with an array of weaponry and carries up to two helicopters. Since commissioning in 2004, Betwa has been involved in operations in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
Lieutenant Thomas Loxton, HMS Richmond’s Navigating Officer said: “This was a great opportunity to work with a very competent and professional navy. Working with the Betwa was rewarding; she is a very capable ship.”
Richmond has been deployed to the Indian Ocean and surrounding region for six months.
The ship has been deployed with the Combined Maritime Forces, Combined Task Force 150, working to promote maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Middle East region. http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/07/151007-hms-richmond-trains-with-indian-navy
_________________
Anassfra93 Aspirant
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 7 Oct 2015 - 19:05
Citation :
HMS Ocean arrives in Toulon Royal Navy Fleet Flagship HMS Ocean has arrived in Toulon for final preparations ahead of Exercise Corsican Lion.
The exercise, part of the Royal Navy’s Cougar 15 deployment, provides an ideal opportunity to showcase the ship’s role as an amphibious assault ship.
Ocean carries the UK’s very high readiness Lead Commando Group, from 45 Commando Royal Marines, their vehicles and artillery, supported by helicopters from the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force.
The Merlin, Wildcat, Apache and Chinook helicopters embarked in the ship will work with the ship’s landing craft, and amphibious shipping from the French Navy, to demonstrate the flexibility and reach that amphibious forces can deliver from the sea.
The Cougar deployment demonstrates the immense flexibility and freedom of movement inherent in deploying Naval forces Rear Admiral Tony Radakin RN Rear Admiral Tony Radakin, Commander UK Maritime Forces, is also embarked in HMS Ocean together with his headquarters staff, in preparation for his future role as Commander of the NATO Response Force (Maritime) in 2016.
He said:‘The Cougar deployment demonstrates the immense flexibility and freedom of movement inherent in deploying Naval forces.
“The Cougar task group is in the Mediterranean, fully engaged simultaneously in two complementary exercises, Corsican Lion and Trident Juncture, while poised for whatever the Nation may ask of us.
“The Anglo-French amphibious task group in Corsican Lion is the quintessence of flexibility and reach of Naval forces, delivering security at sea while providing the Government choice in executing its strategy.’ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/07/151007-ocean-arrives-in-toulon
_________________
Anassfra93 Aspirant
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 7 Oct 2015 - 23:59
Citation :
Royal Navy divers feel the heat during NATO exercise in Iceland A team of Royal Navy Clearance Divers have blasted their way through a highly-charged NATO exercise in Iceland – demonstrating their explosive expertise.
The team of 12 bomb disposal operatives from Southern Diving Group joined around 200 Tri-Service colleagues from 14 NATO and Partner for Peace nations to take part in Exercise Northern Challenge in Keflavik.
A two week exercise in its 14th year of operation, it provided 22 teams with a variety of challenges both in land and maritime environments, with each task increasing in difficulty to test the operators and their teams.
The Commanding Officer of Southern Diving Group, Lieutenant Commander Al Nekrews QGM was also chosen as the CO of the Multi-National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Co-ordination Cell for the exercise due to his extensive knowledge of maritime and land bomb disposal operations.
He said: “Exercise Northern Challenge takes these multi-national teams and brings them together for a realistic threat-based scenario which develops rapidly on land and in the water.
"Iceland is an excellent place to train as we can use live weapons and explosives; so it is an opportunity to make the training as realistic as possible.”
The Royal Navy are capable of operating at land and in the maritime environment, but our niche capability is the underwater EOD capability. Lt Cdr Nekrews The teams all had to work to the NATO doctrine while ensuring they also kept to their own national Standard Operating Procedures.
In the Royal Navy team’s case this means that once the two IED Disposal Operators – Petty Officer Sam ‘Nobby’ Clark and Chief Petty Officer Simon Crew – have decided how they will tackle the device, they must radio through to Lt Cdr Nekrews to get his approval.
CPO Crew said: “We have a strict set of procedures that we have learned from historical bomb disposal operations in Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan so many of the teams here look to us in order to learn from our experiences.
"We have a very stringent process – and one of these is to call into the CO to describe exactly what we are seeing and our plan to disable it.”
One of the main aims of the exercise is to ensure that the operators and their teams focus on retaining the device – or parts of it – for forensic testing. The idea is to target the bomb makers directly – a tactic that proved successful on Op Herrick, resulting in a number of high profile arrests.
Teams have to bag their evidence and bring it to a lab at the headquarters where a Danish forensic expert examines the parts to report back his findings to the main briefing each morning.
Here the teams receive feedback from the previous day’s activities and are then given their tasks for the day – usually with one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
“A team of over 30 people coordinate the exercise and prioritise the tasks – acting as the tasking authority for the teams,” said Lt Cdr Nekrews.
“We also provide a national point of contact who is a subject matter expert and understands each country’s Standard Operating Procedures.
”The exercise is not only testing for the |ED Disposal Operators but also the rest of the diving team from Southern Diving Group who are usually split between Portsmouth and Plymouth bases and cover land and maritime bomb disposal operations in the UK.
“The Royal Navy are capable of operating at land and in the maritime environment, but our niche capability is the underwater EOD capability,” added Lt Cdr Nekrews.
As such all of the Royal Navy’s tasks for the exercise involved the maritime environment with scenarios including a boat rigged up with an IED on board, a limpet mine attached to a coastguard vessel and a suicide diver with explosives attached to his air cylinders.
PO Andrew ‘Snowy’ Davies of the Danish Navy – a former RN diver – was one of the exercise assessors. He said: “On land there are a lot of actions you can take to ensure that you never have to expose an operator to an explosive device by using the robots for example, but in the maritime environment, and particularly in these scenarios, someone must be sent in to observe and disable it.
“This can be a very long, slow operation because these devices are designed to be unpredictable. Plus here in Iceland the conditions mean that the operators and the team are all very cold and wet and yet they must keep on going – it is extremely challenging for them.”
As the scenarios became more complex the teams were then made aware that the bombmakers were targeting the operators by observing them disabling their previous devices and learning the procedures.
Another lesson learnt from Afghanistan – the operators also had to be aware of this, and ensure that they adapted their strategy to avoid further risk to their lives while all the time assessed by the exercise staff.
Captain Florian Hanol of the German EOD Operations Company, said this was the second year he had attended Ex Northern Challenge.
“This is a really good opportunity to meet everyone working in the same field and to share experience and see how the different teams operate,” he said.
“The German team have been doing really well – this is the first time that the team has worked together so I am very pleased with the result.” http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/07/151007-royal-navy-divers-feel-the-heat-during-nato-exercise-in-iceland
_________________
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 8 Oct 2015 - 16:02
Anassfra93 Aspirant
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 8 Oct 2015 - 21:11
Citation :
It's HMS Wetminster as frigate floats after 11 months being high and dry The waters lap the hull of Britain’s ‘capital ship’ for the first time in 11 months as HMS Westminster passes a milestone in a major overhaul.
Since November last year, the frigate has been sitting on blocks in the recently-refurbished No.15 dock in Portsmouth Naval Base while engineers from BAE Systems worked on her hull and machinery systems – including applying ‘go faster’ paint (it’s less easy for marine life to stick to it, reducing friction and resistance).
With the outer work on and below the waterline done, the engineers gradually opened the sluices in a day-long operation to flood the dock and refloat the Type 23 frigate.
Throughout the revamp, which will help keep Westminster on the front line until the replacement Type 26 ships enter service next decade, the frigate has retained a core ship’s company which is now gradually growing to prepare the warship for trials and ultimately her return to duties next year.
The ship is now afloat which sets the context for the intensive training programme ahead Lt Cdr Tim Ciaravella RN “Now the ‘flood up’ has been completed, the full ‘set to work’ phase will begin – the ship’s company can start taking responsibility for Westminster’s equipment in preparation for moving onboard,” said Lt Cdr Tim Ciaravella, the frigate’s Senior Naval Officer.
“The ship is now afloat which sets the context for the intensive training programme ahead and is a significant milestone in this joint venture between the Royal Navy and BAE.”
Among the improvements and enhancements to the 23-year-old frigate are a revamped command system and the new 3D Artisan radar which is quickly becoming the standard ‘eyes’ of the Fleet. http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/08/151008-westminster-floats-after-11-months
_________________
augusta General de Division
messages : 8293 Inscrit le : 18/08/2010 Localisation : canada Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 9 Oct 2015 - 11:10
Citation :
UK plans to deploy troops on long-term basis in the Baltic states
Britain plans to join Germany and the US in the long-term deployment of its troops in the Baltic states to allegedly contain a threat they claimed emanates from Russia. London is due to deploy its troops in the Baltic region on a long-term basis, mirroring US and German plans; the goal is to strengthen NATO's eastern borders and "deter Russian aggression," according to British newspaper The Financial Times.
The Financial Times reported that British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon will announce the decision at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels later on Thursday. The length of the UK troop deployment has yet to be defined, but it will be implemented on a rotational basis.
An unnamed official told the newspaper that a single company or about 100 troops will be deployed in the Baltic region in the near future.
The size of such a limited contingent may be attributed to the fact that the previous UK Parliament called for reducing the number of British troops stationed abroad.
Another source familiar with the text of Fallon's speech said that the Defense Minister will also touch upon the issue of scaling up Britain's current training mission for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Right now, about 75 British military trainers are stationed in western Ukraine, where they work with a total of 1,600 Ukrainian troops, according to the Financial Times.
The UK's deployment will reportedly be part of the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training Initiative, which was agreed upon by the US and Germany in June 2015.
The purpose is to expand training as well as command-and-control drills between the US, Germany and their Eastern European allies.
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 9 Oct 2015 - 19:07
Citation :
2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment - The Poachers
A 'Lincolnshire' Company and members of D 'Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire' Company are deployed to the Falklands as the Roulement Infantry Company. They are taking part in patrols across both East and West Falklands as well as conducting live firing. In October they will take part in Exercise Cape Bayonet. This will involve the entire Company conducting live fire attacks with mortars and .50 machine guns providing supporting fire.
PHOTOS:
augusta General de Division
messages : 8293 Inscrit le : 18/08/2010 Localisation : canada Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Sam 10 Oct 2015 - 10:46
Citation :
Construction begins on last of three River-class Bath 2 OPVs for the Royal Navy
Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Navy International 08 October 2015
Construction has begun on the last of three new River-class Batch 2 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the UK Royal Navy (RN).
The first steel for what will become HMS Trent was cut at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard on 7 October, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The first and second vessels, Forth and Medway are scheduled to be delivered in 2017, followed by Trent in 2018.
The vessels are being purchased, at a cost of GBP348 million, in order to maintain UK shipbuilding activity - and are expected to lead to the early decommissioning of the three original River-class vessels.
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Dim 11 Oct 2015 - 22:04
Citation :
British Army Photographers
Cpl Timothy Jones gives his acounts what it was like on a recent trip to Croatia for EXERCISE SAVA STAR with 4 MERCIAN.
PHOTOS:
Soldiers, Snakes and Stars. My time in Croatia with 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment.
I have recently come back from EXERCISE SAVA STAR 15 with 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment, the reserve element of The Mercians. It was a 2 week exercise with the first week comprising of training and the second with either a patrol based exercise or a Potential Junior NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) cadre course. I was only there for the latter part of the exercise.
I flew from London Heathrow to Zagreb. I was picked up at Zagreb and it was a good 1.45 to get to the training area. Once there, I was introduced to my bunk bed in the tent. As I was not going out till the morning I prepped all my gear for the next few days.
The first morning I was tasked to go to the PJNCO harbour area (a military term for a occupied secure area where the troops were staying) and take a few shots of what was going on and to grab some portraits. After waiting over an hour for our lift to arrive we set off into the training area. It was dusty as hell and sitting in the back of a open top Landrover was not the best situation for the camera kit.
I spent about an hour there and moved back to the camp we were staying at. Our next timing was at 1600 for the section attack part of the patrols course. The patrols course had been working with the Croatian Army for the last few days so they would be taking part in the section attacks as well. I had the Coy Adjutant with me and he thought he knew where he was going. After about 30 mins of trekking through forest and dusty tracks we heard shots being fired. We both started running towards the sound. After another 5 minutes of running we caught up with the action. I left the Adj behind and I got stuck in with the sections attacking the enemy positions. They had 4 enemy positions to attack ranging from small bunkers to full on machine gun posts. I got myself stuck in with the guys and followed the lead sections as they worked their way through the enemy positions. This was all in 36°C heat as well...
After about 2 hours it had all finished. We made our way back to the truck heading back in the direction we came from using the out of date map that we had. Some of the training area was still a live minefield so we had to be careful where we went. Once back at camp it was back to the tent to dump the images from today on the hard drives then get my head down as I was to be up at 0200 for the final attack of the PJNCO course. This is where the Infrared camera came out.
It didn't take long for the sun to rise so out came the D800, I had to push the ISO pretty high at first so I could keep the shutter high enough to keep up with the action. I only took the one lens (14-24mm) with me as I wanted to get pictures that felt like you were there with them. I could either get really close up and personnel or step back and get a shot that immersed you in the scene.
As this part of the exercise closed to an end I saw a few guys crowding round the side of a building. I want over to see what it was all about, there was a snake next to the building. There was a Croatian soldier with them and I asked him what kind of snake it was, he said it was a Horned Viper and it could kill you in about ten hours from its bite. Naturally I took a photo of it. When I got a bit too close it showed its fangs and went to strike at the camera I pretty much sh*t myself and left it alone.
Once we cleared out of that area I was off to a massive viewing platform for the usual group photos on top of the mountain.
I enjoyed the exercise and loved getting involved with all the action. It's the kind of photography I like doing. Croatia is a lovely country and I am already planning on going there on holiday. Images below-
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
11 October 2015
A Puma HC.2 seen supporting the NATO Operation 'Resolute Support' mission in Afghanistan. One such helicopter was lost in an apparent landing accident on 11 October. Source: Train Advise Assist Command-East
A UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Westland/Aerospatiale SA 330E Puma HC.2 medium transport helicopter crashed in Kabul on 11 October, killing five of the 10 personnel on board.
The helicopter, which was one of a detachment of three newly upgraded Puma HC.2s that are supporting the NATO training mission in Afghanistan, crashed while attempting to land at the headquarters of the Operation 'Resolute Support' mission (the UK contribution to which is named Operation 'Toral').
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Puma was not brought down by insurgent activity but an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause. Unsubstantiated media reports indicate that it may have struck an aerostat. Beyond two RAF crewmembers, the nationalities of the deceased have not been disclosed.
The three Puma HC.2 helicopters (crewed by personnel from 33 Squadron and 230 Squadron from RAF Benson) began their Afghan detachment in March, taking over from the RAF's Boeing Chinooks that had been flying in support of the Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA) and Afghan Security Ministries in Kabul since late 2014.
An infographic showing specifications for the Puma HC.2 helicopter. (IHS)
The HC.2 platforms have been upgraded with more powerful engines and an enhanced cockpit, as well as other improvements. The RAF is set to receive 24 upgraded Puma HC.2 platforms, with the last unit due for delivery before the end of the year. It is not clear if this lost platform will be replaced.
augusta General de Division
messages : 8293 Inscrit le : 18/08/2010 Localisation : canada Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
messages : 547 Inscrit le : 20/07/2010 Localisation : CVN Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 14 Oct 2015 - 18:50
Citation :
Commando fliers receive upgraded Merlins
On a very wet day in Somerset, the first of seven next-generation Merlins which will carry Royal Marines into battle arrives at its new home.
This is Merlin iMk3 – ‘i’ for interim – better suited to supporting the green berets on amphibious operations than the ‘basic’ Mk3.
The Merlin is taking over from the venerable Sea King as the workhorse of the Commando Helicopter Force.
A big step forward from its predecessor (it’s 30 years more modern), battlefield Merlin Mk3 – which has been transferred to the Fleet Air Arm from the RAF – prefers operations over land than sea, whereas the Royal Marines operate in both environments.
Today marks another key milestone in the history of the Commando Helicopter Force. Lt Cdr Ben McGreal RN The iMk3 plugs the gap between the Sea King bowing out of service at the end of March and the arrival of the ‘fully marinised’ Merlin Mk4 in late 2017, when the first of 25 fourth-generation helicopters join the force at their base in Yeovilton.
The interim model features a folding main rotor head, strengthened undercarriage and communications upgrades – but outwardly looks pretty much the same as a normal Mk3.
The Mk4 goes further – enhanced avionics suite, automatic folding main rotor head and folding tail, making it perfect for operations at sea.
For the time being, however, the iMk3, delivered by the Merlin’s constructor AgustaWestland in Yeovil, fills the Sea King’s boots quite nicely.
“Today marks another key milestone in the history of the Commando Helicopter Force.
"With more iMk3s due to arrive soon, we’ll be well on our way to delivering real capability to our primary customer – the Royal Marines,” said Lt Cdr Ben McGreal, 846 Naval Air Squadron’s Merlin Flight Commander.
“It’s also not often that you can say that you’re the first to fly a new type of aircraft in the Royal Navy, so today is a very special day.” http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/14/151014-commando-fliers-receive-upgraded-merlins
_________________
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 15 Oct 2015 - 18:25
Citation :
La RAF dit adieu à la mission SAR
Dans Actualité Défense, Actualité Hélicoptères militaires Publié le 15/10/2015 à 12h47, par Emmanuel Huberdeau
Ca y est, c'est bel et bien terminé. La Royal Air Force n'effectuera plus de missions de sauvetage (Search & Rescue : SAR). Une cérémonie s'est déroulé ce mois ci pour marquer officiellement le passage de témoin à la Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Cette dernière a externalisé la mission SAR à la société privée Bristow Helicopters Ltd.
Depuis plus de 30 ans, les Sea King peints en jaune de la RAF étaient chargés du sauvetage en mer au Royaume-Uni. La dernière mission SAR de la RAF s'est déroulée le 4 octobre 2015. Pour autant certains équipages de l'armée de l'Air britanniques vont continuer à s'entrainer aux missions de sauvetage afin de pouvoir participer aux opérations de sauvetage des équipages de la RAF déployés aux îles Malouines.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd a pris progressivement à son compte les missions de sauvetage à partir du 1er avril. En six, mois, la société anglaise annonce avoir participé à près de 400 missions. Actuellement cinq bases sont opérationnelles. D'ici juillet 2017, cinq autres bases seront activées. Pour la mission SAR au Royaume-Uni, Bristow opère des Sikorsky S-92 et des AgustaWestland AW189.
Ca y est, c'est bel et bien terminé. La Royal Air Force n'effectuera plus de missions de sauvetage (Search & Rescue : SAR). Une cérémonie s'est déroulé ce mois ci pour marquer officiellement le passage de témoin à la Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Cette dernière a externalisé la mission SAR à la société privée Bristow Helicopters Ltd.
Depuis plus de 30 ans, les Sea King peints en jaune de la RAF étaient chargés du sauvetage en mer au Royaume-Uni. La dernière mission SAR de la RAF s'est déroulée le 4 octobre 2015. Pour autant certains équipages de l'armée de l'Air britanniques vont continuer à s'entrainer aux missions de sauvetage afin de pouvoir participer aux opérations de sauvetage des équipages de la RAF déployés aux îles Malouines.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd a pris progressivement à son compte les missions de sauvetage à partir du 1er avril. En six, mois, la société anglaise annonce avoir participé à près de 400 missions. Actuellement cinq bases sont opérationnelles. D'ici juillet 2017, cinq autres bases seront activées. Pour la mission SAR au Royaume-Uni, Bristow opère des Sikorsky S-92 et des AgustaWestland AW189.
British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) ranges rang out with the sound of Scimitars, AS90’s and small arms fire during Exercise Prairie Storm 4 in Canada.
The two week exercise includes live-fire along with the use of the tactical exploitation system.
The Household Cavalry Regiment kicked things off with their Scimitars zeroing their barrels on the ranges. Just opposite them the newly formed Royal Lancers were digging in on a dismounted infantry range.
The Exercise will see a host of British Army equipment being put through its paces.
PHOTOS:
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38802 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 22 Oct 2015 - 20:11
Citation :
UK takes the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) on the road
Oct 21, 2015
General Dynamics UK
UK is putting the latest in 8×8 wheeled combat technologies, the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) Demonstrator, through its paces as it undertakes a 650-mile journey in less than 24 hours.
Travelling from Plymouth on the South Coast to Inverness, Scotland on Tuesday 20 October 2015 – with waypoints in Bridgwater, Gloucester, Stafford, Chorley, Carlisle and Stirling – the LAV Demonstrator will showcase its outstanding reliability and tactical mobility. These are just two of its capabilities in meeting the gruelling demands of modern warfare, whilst also delivering the extensive capabilities that might be required on future operations.
Based on the latest General Dynamics Land Systems 8×8 technologies now in service with the US and Canadian Armies, the LAV Demonstrator represents best-in-class levels of protection with blast-deflecting Double-V™ hull technology and energy-absorbing seating for crew and troops. A sixth generation suspension and driveline and a more powerful engine provide superior mobility, reliability, and significantly increased payload over the original Strykers first fielded in 2002.
The LAV Demonstrator also incorporates the highly reliable and combat-proven Kongsberg PROTECTOR – Remote Weapon Station (RWS) M-151, 12.7mm, integrated with Javelin anti-tank missile system. The system, when combined with the sensor package, smoke grenade dischargers and full stabilisation, markedly enhances the crew’s self-defence and firepower capability.
The Stryker LAV platform is currently in service with seven nations, including the US, Canada and Australia, with more than 10,000 LAVs delivered to date. For the coalition forces, Stryker LAV offers the benefits of shared logistics infrastructure. All systems on the LAV Demonstrator are currently in production and available as off-the-shelf technology.
The LAV Demonstrator is the culmination of decades of experience in the design, development and delivery of world-leading combat vehicles and systems at General Dynamics Land Systems. This pedigree enables the Company to meet the specific requirements of customers, delivering some of the world’s most recognisable combat vehicles to Armed Forces around the world, including the Abrams Main Battle Tank, the Stryker and Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) families, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) wheeled combat vehicles.
In the UK, the Company is delivering AJAX, the future Armoured Fighting Vehicle for the British Army, the MRAP platforms for the British Army, including the Cougar, Ridgback, Mastiff, Buffalo and Wolfhound platforms, as well as the highly survivable and agile Ocelot tactical 4×4 vehicle, which is in-service as ‘Foxhound’.
The LAV Demonstrator will be accompanied on its journey by the Ocelot General Purpose Vehicle – Logistics (GPV-L). It is designed to provide intimate logistic support to combat troops, with a payload capacity of 2,500kg and can carry two standard NATO pallets on its load bed. This versatile vehicle has the same chassis and driveline as the in-service Foxhound 4×4 Light Protected Patrol Vehicle and the same high levels of protection and mobility. With a kerb weight of 6.5T, the Ocelot GPV-L can be air-lifted by CH-47, greatly enhancing its tactical deployment options.
messages : 8293 Inscrit le : 18/08/2010 Localisation : canada Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 23 Oct 2015 - 11:25
Citation :
British MoD acquired new field hospital Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group delivered to the British Ministry of Defence a new mobile hospital system. It is a modular Role 3 hospital, including all the departments necessary for a trauma hospital’s operation. The procurement is part of the Future Force 2020 strategy.
The mobile hospital has a full environmental control, in order to maintain a steady temperature and humidity. Such a hospital is comprised of different departments, namely the resuscitation, operating theatre, intensive care, advanced diagnostics, pharmacy and laboratory facilities.
Its design phase was carried out in cooperation with the MoD, in order to ensure that the layout would be the ideal one, based on the experience of currently fielded hospitals. The aim of this was to make sure that the transition would be simple and only a minimal training would be required when switching between hospitals.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group used military off-the-shelf technology and a modular approach, to allow future for upgrades and concepts. This also allows the Armed Forces to deploy the whole or part of the hospital in short notice, anywhere in the world.
Steve Fitz-Gerald, CEO of Marshall Aerospace, stated that this hospital will allow the UK MoD to provide high-class capabilities, similar to those of an NHS facility, but deployed to a forward area, whether it is a war zone operation or a humanitarian mission.
messages : 8293 Inscrit le : 18/08/2010 Localisation : canada Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 28 Oct 2015 - 10:06
Citation :
UK to maintain 450 troops in Afghanistan throughout 2016
The British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon informed country's parliament yesterday, Oct. 27, that the UK will uphold its current military commitment of around 450 British troops in Afghanistan throughout 2016, which also emphasises UK support for the NATO’s Resolute Support Mission.
The decision follows a planned review of the UK’s commitment in light of the performance of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) over the year and the overall security situation.
Non-combat roles being carried out by UK Armed Forces personnel include mentoring instructors in the Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA), advising in the Afghan Security Ministries and providing vital support to NATO’s mission in Kabul, including leading the Kabul Security Force.
The pledge to maintain UK military support in Afghanistan follows the announcement by President Obama that the US will also uphold its military presence throughout 2016. The UK will work with the US and other NATO Allies and partners to ensure that the delivery of invaluable support to the ANDSF continues.
The terrorist threat to the UK from this region has reduced, and although the UK’s combat mission has ended, we continue to support the Afghanistan government to build a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the country.
The UK has a long-term commitment to Afghanistan, including financial aid and political support, which was reaffirmed by Prime Minister David Cameron during a phone call to the Afghan president on 26 October.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces have shown dedication and professionalism in response to the challenges they have faced, since taking leadership of the country’s security. Maintaining our military presence will provide crucial assistance to them as they continue to grow stronger. It underlines our resolve to help build a safe and prosperous Afghanistan."