Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

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Citation :

Des bâtiments de défense anti-aérienne ... sans missiles anti-aérien
Publié le 14 mars 2009.

Le National Audit Office (NAO), l’équivalent britannique de la Cour des Comptes, a indiqué que les nouveaux destroyers Type 45 de la Royal Navy auraient 2 ans de retard. Le budget prévu a été dépassé de 1,5 milliard de £ pour 6 exemplaires.
Le NAO a aussi indiqué que les navires prendraient au départ la mer sans leur système de missiles anti-aériens à cause de retard dans la mise au point.
Le ministère a indiqué que, après des retards au début du programme, il respectait désormais le calendrier.
Les destroyers sont les chevaux de trait de la Royal Navy, protégeant contre des attaques aériennes les bâtiments plus gros comme les porte-avions, et fournissant un appui feu pour les troupes au sol.
Ils effectuent aussi un large éventail d’autres missions comme les patrouilles anti-pirates et le secours en cas de catastrophe naturelle.
Une flotte vieillissante
Le ministère britannique de la défense avait d’abord prévu d’acheter 12 destroyers Type 45, mais ce chiffre avait été réduit à 8 en 2004, puis à seulement 6 l’an dernier.
Néanmoins, le NAO indique que le programme, qui devait au départ couter 5 milliards de £, couterait au final près de 6,5 milliards de £ (pour un nombre de bâtiments divisé par 2).
Le premier des destroyers, le HMS Daring, qui a été lancé en 2006, ne dispose toujours pas de la totalité de son système de communications. Il ne recevra pas avant 2011 son principal système de missiles anti-aérien, le PAAMS. Celui-ci peut abattre en même temps plusieurs appareils ou missiles ennemis.
Il devra aussi attendre jusqu’en 2014 pour être équipé de la capacité de combat en coopération, qui relie ensemble les systèmes de combat et les senseurs de plusieurs navires, améliorant leur capacité à combattre ensemble.
Le NAO indique que, en raison de ces retards, la Royal Navy devra conserver plus longtemps ses destroyers Type 42 vieillissants, qui avaient été conçus pour la Guerre Froide et que les Type 45 doivent remplacer.

http://www.corlobe.tk/article13114.html

La serie noire continue.....
http://www.corlobe.tk/article21832.html

Des news du HMS Astute.
http://www.corlobe.tk/article21821.html

Citation :

UK Navy Recommisions Upgraded HMS Edinburgh

The UK Navy's Type 42 destroyer, HMS Edinburgh, has rejoined the fleet after undergoing a £17.5m, 18-month upgrade at Portsmouth Naval Base.
The refit, provided by BAE, included improved propulsion machinery, auxiliary and weapons systems, sensors and accommodation.
The warship completed comprehensive sea trials to ensure the upgrades were operationally effective for future training and operations.
The crew will also undergo an intensive eight-week period of operational sea training, after which the ship will be deployed anywhere in the world, possibly by early 2011.

naval-technology

Citation :

Trident Life Extension Could Cost the UK $2.3bn

The operational life extension of the Trident missile-armed nuclear submarine could cost the UK $2.3bn, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said.
"There will be additional costs to maintaining the Vanguard Class through to 2028," he admitted.
According to the UK policy of continuous-at-sea-deterrence, the operational life of the aging strategic submarines would be extended.
The revised plan meant that the current Vanguard vessels would retire in 2028 rather than 2024, according to Global Security Newswire.
A cost efficiency analysis of the Trident plan, however, did not reach the estimated $1.9bn to $2.3bn in added costs from extending the sea life to 2028 of the current submarine fleet.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron, in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, published last month, said a final decision on replacing each of the four Vanguard Class submarines has been postponed until 2016

naval-technology

UK defence chiefs stand by Harrier retirement decision

Citation :

The UK's most senior military officers have taken the unusual step of responding publicly to criticism over the cuts contained within the nation's recent Strategic Defence and Security Review.

An open letter was published in The Times on 12 November, signed by officials including new chief of the defence staff Gen Sir David Richards and chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton. Their response was aimed specifically at concerns over a decision to immediately retire the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and to remove the UK's remaining BAE Systems Harrier GR9s from use by 31 March 2011.

"The decision to withdraw Harrier from service and to retain a reduced [Panavia] Tornado force had to balance our current needs in Afghanistan with the intent to rationalise our fast jet fleets," the chiefs say. "After very careful consideration our military advice was to retain the more capable Tornado. Harrier's contribution has been huge, but the decision to withdraw it is the right thing to do in the circumstances and a decision that we collectively agreed."
Ten Tornado GR4s are currently deployed at Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan in support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission in the country.

A group of retired senior RN officials had lobbied the government to reverse its decision to scrap the Ark Royal, saying that losing the service's carrier strike capability would make the UK unable to defend the Falkland Islands.
"We keep our plans for protecting the Falklands under close review at all times, and can assure you they are robust and able to defend against any and all likely threats," the chiefs say. Unlike when Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, the UK now has in place "surface ships, submarines, a well-defended airfield with [Eurofighter] Typhoon jets and a strong land component with an ability to rapidly reinforce if necessary", they note.

While the officials concede that the SDSR process "has led to a range of decisions that we would not have otherwise chosen to make", they say that "the financial constraints the department faced meant that it would have been irresponsible to try to avoid them. The decisions made were collectively reached and supported. We stand by each of them. We must now move on with its implementation."

The RAF's Tornado GR4 force will be reduced to a minimum of five frontline squadrons and an operational conversion unit as a result of the cuts, which are also expected to see the entire fleet based at the service's Marham air base in Norfolk.

Dalton says the Typhoon force will meanwhile be grown "as quickly as practicable to become the core of our defensive and offensive combat capability". The RAF and RN Fleet Air Arm will also receive Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter in the F-35C variant, allowing operations from one Future Aircraft Carrier from around 2020.

Flight International

CAE to provide equipment for Royal Navy King Airs

Citation :

CAE is to produce airborne tactical mission trainers to support the instruction of UK Royal Navy observers using four modified Beechcraft King Air 350ERs, following a contract award from Cobham Aviation Services.

To be introduced through the Rear Crew Stage 1 element of the UK Military Flying Training System programme, the King Airs will replace the RN's remaining British Aerospace Jetstream T2s from 2011. Cobham began conversion work on the new fleet at Bournemouth airport in Dorset late in 2009 under a deal worth around £57 million ($91.7 million).

Capable of simulating inputs such as electronic support measures, tactical display and datalink equipment, CAE's airborne tactical mission trainer will be adapted from a ground-based system developed for Lockheed Martin, the Canadian company says.
Each King Air will have a Telephonics 1700 search radar, two student consoles and two instructor operator stations. After completing their training, RN observers will progress on to types such as the service's AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 multi-mission helicopter and future AW159 Lynx Wildcat.

The RN's active fleet of Jetstream trainers has been reduced to eight Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Astazou-powered airframes, says


Meanwhile, the UK's Disposal Services Authority (DSA) was due to receive solicitations of interest by 1 November linked to its proposed sale of four surplus Jetstream T3 trainers.

Formerly operated by the RN, the Garrett TPE331-engined aircraft have been kept in storage since their removal from use, and "are considered unserviceable", according to a DSA notice.

"Any bids must be supported by an outline plan that addresses the removal and storage of the aircraft and, if the intention is to recover the aircraft to flying standard, demonstrate the capability to comply with applicable air worthiness standards," it says.

Flight International

BAE Systems confirms partners for MFTS bid

Citation :

BAE Systems' bid to become fixed-wing aircraft service provider for the UK's Military Flying Training System (MFTS) has taken a step forward, with the signing of exclusive memoranda of understanding with three organisations.

The agreements will see BAE lead a team also consisting of Babcock Aerospace, Gama Group and Pilatus Aircraft.

Under MFTS, the UK Ministry of Defence and Ascent - a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Babcock - are seeking flying training capabilities for the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy for the next 25 years.

The advanced jet training part of the syllabus has already been addressed with the acquisition of BAE's Hawk 128, known as the Hawk T2 in RAF service. Still to be chosen are aircraft to fill the elementary, basic and multi-engine aircrew training categories.

Under the new agreements, Pilatus will offer its PC-21 for the basic trainer role, which will be linked to a through-life availability service in conjunction with Babcock.

The latter already has experience in this field, operating the current elementary flying training (EFT) fleet, as well as the air experience and University Air Squadron organisations, which seek to attract potential future pilots from among school and university student age groups.

Babcock will deliver "an EFT-capable platform and synergies for a through-life maintenance servicing solution", says BAE. Gama will handle similar responsibilities for the multi-engine section of the proposal.

Babcock will also provide design, build and maintenance support for the necessary infrastructure programme.

BAE and its partners aim to submit their proposal to Ascent in January 2011.

Flight International

La Grande Bretagne reçoit son septième Boeing C17

Citation :

Le 17 novembre, la Royal Air Force a pris possession d'un nouvel exemplaire du Boeing C-17. Ce septième Globemaster III va renforcer de manière significative les capacités de soutien aux opérations dans le monde, selon le ministre de la défense, monsieur Peter Luff.

Cette livraison intervient quasiment 10 ans après l' arrivée de cet aéronef au sein de la royal air force. Cette année, la flotte britannique de C-17s a réalisé 60,000 heures de vol en soutien des opérations nationales humanitaires vers le Pakistan, Haiti et le Chili. Ces appareils affectés au 99 Squadron et basés à Brize Norton près d' Oxford, sont essentiels pour le soutien des troupes en Afghanistan.

Le C-17 donne à la RAF une capacité de transport stratégique longue portée de fort tonnage qui permet un déploiement très rapide des moyens et le soutien d'une force déployée sur le long terme. la RAF est actuellement la seule sur le continent Européen à disposer de ce type d' aéronef et de cette capacité en propre.

Stabilisation des chaines de production

Le gouvernent britannique a été briefé par Boeing sur le calendrier de production des appareils C-17, et a reçu différentes options pour l'acquisition d'un huitième appareil. La compagnie est confrontée à la baisse des cadences de production. 15 appareils sont produits chaque année alors que les livraisons devraient tomber à 10 en 2012.

Au total Boeing a livre 224 C-17, y compris 20 appareils à des clients internationaux. Ces clients sont le Canada , l'Australie, les EAU, le Qatar et 12 pays de OTAN et du partenariat pour la paix dans le cadre d'une initiative commune. L' Inde a annoncé son désir d' acquérir 10 appareils au minimum.

Une chance à saisir pour la France

La France a donc réellement besoin d' un avion de transport stratégique depuis de longues années. Il faut cesser de considérer l' A400 comme un appareil de transport stratégique et penser à acquérir des appareils stratégiques récents. Les délais de livraison des C17 sont extrêmement courts à la différence des C130 et pourraient nous encourager dans cette voie.

Les Antonov 124 et autres avions d'origine soviétiques sont en train de vieillir et leur remplacement n' est pas assuré. Les lignes de production du C17 pourraient s' éteindre d'ici à quelques années.

La France a besoin d' un avion de transport stratégique récent et techniquement éprouvé.

Bien que la Russie parle de produire une version modernisée de l' Antonov 124 , l'acquisition de quelques exemplaires du modèle civil du C17 dans le cadre d'un partenariat Privé-public ; pourrait constituer une solution réellement novatrice et financièrement acceptable pour les budgets actuels .

question defense

Citation :

Royal Navy Takes First Delivery of BAE Systems Q-Sight Helmet-Mounted Display for Lynx Helicopters


November 17, 2010 by Rob Vogelaar · 1 Comment


ROCHESTER, UK ― BAE Systems has delivered the first order of a new helmet-mounted optical sighting system to the Royal Navy, addressing a mission-critical need for increased air door gunner situational awareness on helicopters. BAE Systems, prime contractor for the Lynx PT, earlier this month delivered 12 Q-Sight™ Gunner Remote Sighting Systems (GRSS) that are qualified for use on the Lynx Mk8 helicopter.
“We are pleased to announce the first delivery of our Gunner Remote Sighting Systems, the result of partnering closely with BAE Systems. The equipment will now enter a period of testing and operational evaluation with the Royal Navy,” said Lt. Cdr. Ant Laycock, Royal Navy Lynx capability manager. “This advanced mission capability will greatly enhance accuracy and target identification, whilst being affordable and compatible with the current helmet set-up and night vision goggles.”
Using patented holographic technology, BAE Systems’ lightweight Q-Sight helmet-mounted display ― a small device that clips onto the helmet ― provides day-or-night “head-up, eyes-out” capability by projecting flight and mission information in front of the user’s eyes – a capability that previously involved installing bulky and complex projectors and lenses in cockpits or ground vehicles.
The Royal Navy will use the Q-Sight GRSS variation in conjunction with an existing Thermal Weapon Sight (TWS) on its Lynx Mk8 helicopters to enhance targeting accuracy for door gunners. The Q-Sight display will project the image from a machine gun-mounted TWS onto the gunner’s helmet-mounted display, allowing the gunner greater range of movement without losing sight of the image.
“Our priority is on the needs of the customer and to help ensure the success of their missions. We worked closely with our customers to understand the tactical combat needs of today’s military aviators and gunners,” said Paul Cooke, defence avionics’ director of business development for BAE Systems. “We have developed a game-changing, highly sophisticated technology to meet these needs, which further builds on our existing relationships with the Ministry of Defence and Royal Navy.”
Compatible with other helmet display drivers and symbol generators, the Q-Sight display’s modular design is easily retrofitted or upgraded and enables the addition of new capabilities at low cost. The system’s increased visibility and lightweight design enhances ergonomics, by minimising eye and neck strain, common problems for aviators managing the demands of longer missions and increasingly complex rules of engagement. BAE Systems’ revolutionary Q-Sight optical technology provides a high compatibility and interoperability benefit with night vision goggles enabling seamless transition between day and night operations.
BAE Systems began developing Q-Sight technology in 2007 and has applied the capability to commercial and military platforms to increase situational awareness, reduce fatigue, and cut the need for bulky systems in the cockpit. The company delivered the initial Q-Sight systems to the Royal Navy for demonstration and training in March 2010.
Source and photo: BAE Systems

DU nouveaux sur l'affaire de l'échouage de l'Astute.
http://www.corlobe.tk/article21951.html

Citation :

HMS Dauntless Enters Service with UK Navy

HMS Dauntless, the latest Type 45 destroyer, has entered service with the Royal Navy, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
Dauntless commanding officer Captain Richard Powell said the warship in-service date was significant because the first destroyer, HMS Daring, had achieved the same milestone only three months ago.
"These modern multipurpose vessels will replace some of our older warships and ensure that the UK can react to current defence challenges anywhere in the world," he said.
The warship has undergone months of extensive sea trials and successfully fired the world-leading air defence missile system, Sea Viper, for the first time, according to Defpro.com.
The ship, which has fuel tanks that are half the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, will undergo further trials and training with the first operational deployment planned for next year.
HMS Dauntless was launched in January 2007 and has since undertaken months of sea trials.
The destroyer set sail from Portsmouth on 15 November 2010 to begin the second set of sea trials.

naval-technology

Third Lynx Wildcat joins flight test fleet

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AgustaWestland's third and final AW159 Lynx Wildcat test aircraft has joined the company's operational fleet.

First flown from its Yeovil site in Somerset on 19 November, aircraft TI3 underwent a series of general handling checks, and "performed as expected", the company says. The latest test asset will be dedicated to tasks including load survey work and to supporting ship helicopter operating limit trials ahead of the type's future use by the UK Royal Navy.

AgustaWestland says the Lynx Wildcat programme - left unscathed by the UK's recent Strategic Defence and Security Review - "continues to be on time and on budget". The manufacturer will deliver a total of 62 aircraft from late 2011 for use by the British Army and RN, with GKN Aerospace having delivered the first production airframe during July.

The Lynx Wildcat programme is expected to cost almost £1.7 billion ($2.7 billion), according to data included in the UK National Audit Office's Major Projects Report 2010 publication.

Flight International

Citation :

Final Harrier jet launch from HMS Ark Royal




HMS Ark Royal, the United Kingdom’s Flagship, facilitated the last ever launch of the iconic Harrier GR9 aircraft from her decks at 0900 on 24 November 2010, approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Newcastle.
Joint Force Harrier, based at RAF Cottesmore, will decommission as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). HMS Ark Royal will also decommission under the review.
Together with her Harrier aircraft, HMS Ark Royal has become an iconic emblem of the United Kingdom, able to project power and strike globally; its versatility and flexibility a significant asset. Being able to position the Ship miles off the coast and negotiate over-flight restrictions to deliver force of devastating effect offers considerable capability to the defence of the United Kingdom.
Although significantly enhanced since their most successful and famous combative sorties during the Falklands conflict in 1982, the present variant, the four Ground Attack and Reconnaissance Harrier GR9s, painted an iconic picture on the deck of HMS Ark Royal, admired for the last time by almost 12,000 visitors when the Ship opened her gangways to the general public in Newcastle.
Deliberately keen to highlight the very Joint nature of Joint Force Harrier the last jet to recover in HMS Ark Royal was an 800 NAS jet piloted by a Royal Air Force officer, today the last jet to launch was a 1(Fighter) Squadron RAF jet piloted by a Royal Naval officer.
Departing the Ship in one wave of four aircraft, the launch was led by Capt Mike Carty RM followed by: Lt Matt Fooks-Bale RN and Flt Lt Em Rickards before Lt Cdr James Blackmore’s historic final launch.
After the launch, the 4 aircraft conducted a 2 ship fly past, each squadron flying low past the port side of the Ship before conducting a final fighter exercise controlled by 849 NAS’ Seaking Mk7 helicopter, prior to returning to RAF Cottesmore.
Source and photo: RAF

une page de l'histoire vient de tourner

Citation :

British MOD completes review into women in close combat roles



The UK Ministry of Defence has completed a review into the policy that excludes female members of the Armed Forces from carrying out ground close combat roles, and decided that it should remain unchanged.

Women play an active part in front line operations, undertaking crucial posts in areas such as logistics, artillery and engineering, but they cannot join the infantry or serve in small tactical combat arms teams where they are required to be in close contact with and kill the enemy face-to-face.

The policy was last reviewed in 2002 and the European Commission Equal Treatment Directive requires the UK to conduct a reassessment every eight years. Since 2002, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have generated considerably more evidence of women serving on the front line to be reviewed.

The study looked at recent literature on the effectiveness of mixed gender teams in close combat roles, the roles that women are undertaking in current operations, the experiences of both male and female military personnel who have served together on the front line, and evidence from other countries who have deployed women to close with and kill the enemy.

Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, said: "The Service Chiefs and I all agree that women are fundamental to the operational effectiveness of Britain's Armed Forces, bringing talent and skills across the board. Their capability is not in doubt; they win the highest decorations for valour and demonstrate independence and initiative.

"We looked closely at the findings of this review but the conclusions were inconclusive. There was no evidence to show that a change in current policy would be beneficial or risk-free, and so a decision was made to take a precautionary approach and maintain the current position."

There is no question that some women would be able to meet the standard required of personnel performing in close combat roles, both physically and psychologically. The key issue is the potential impact of having both men and women serving together in small teams.

Under the conditions of high-intensity, close-quarter battle, team cohesion becomes of much greater importance; its failure having potentially grave and far-reaching consequences. None of the research that has been done has been able to conclusively answer the key question of the impact that gender mixing would have on the combat team in close combat conditions. Accordingly, the MOD has concluded that the case for lifting the current restrictions on women serving in close combat teams has not been made.

defpro

Citation :

UK MoD and BMT work together to provide urgent equipment for the Front Line Soldier


BMT Defence Services Ltd, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, a leading international defence design, engineering and risk management consultancy has helped the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) deliver a lightweight, portable bridging system to help soldiers cross physical obstacles whilst on operations. BMT and the MoD Manoeuvre Support Team worked together to search for an answer to the problem faced daily by British soldiers on foot patrol in Afghanistan; that of crossing a network of wadis, canals and ditches.

Roger Pidgeon, Project Manager for Short Gap Crossing at UK MoD, said “We received an urgent request for an ultra-lightweight and man-portable short gap crossing capability. In the first instance we looked to deliver a commercial off-the-shelf solution, but none were immediately available on the market. BMT’s engineering knowledge helped us to reach specialist suppliers in the Motorsport and Aerospace sectors who have extensive experience in lightweight aluminium, carbon fibre or composite structures. Our requirement was turned into a solution by BMT in just four weeks.”

The solution designed by Alpha Composites Ltd, a composite component manufacturer in the Aerospace and Defence sectors, was delivered to Afghanistan earlier this year. The system, made up of several composite modules, is carried by each soldier in the patrol. Soldiers can also use the system as a lightweight assault ladder, replacing the bulkier, heavier in-service equipment and as an emergency stretcher.

Conforming to a BMT design brief, each module is very lightweight and all sections interlink to fulfil multiple crossing and ladder options. Taking only 2 minutes to assemble, 4 modules provide a 3 metre gap crossing and a maximum of 6 modules allows the ladder to reach heights of 4.5 metres.

Ian O’Dell, Director of Alpha Composites Ltd., said, "BMT contacted us and asked if we could submit a design to their requirement. We are used to providing design, prototype, test and component manufacture to tight timeframes and we are delighted that our Short Gap Crossing System has received an outstanding reception by front line troops”.

Stuart Olden, BMT Business Lead for Land Systems, said “The Defence Technology Strategy asks us to target the better, faster pull-through of new technology into military capability. The Short Gap Crossing project is a great example of MoD and Industry working together to deliver critical equipment in a short timeframe; BMT’s agile, responsive, systematic approach has been proven by yet another project delivered on time and to budget. We are very proud of our work with Manoeuvre Support and continue to assist the team on a number of counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) programmes.”

defpro

Citation :

UK Alters Warship Specifications

The UK has scaled back the specifications for a new type warship to shrink costs, tackle a record budget deficit and allow more vessels to be ordered, a senior defence source has said.
The specifications of the Type 26 frigate will be partly modified, while costs will be slashed from £500m to £250-300m.
"We want numbers. We want quality, but if you have cheaper unit costs, you can have more of them," the source added.
The Type 26 frigates will replace Type 23, of which there are 13 in service. The reduced cost of the Type 26 would save up to £3.25bn if 13 ships were ordered, according to Reuters.
The UK has cut its defence budget of £36.9bn by 8% in real terms up to 2015, according to a strategic defence review.
The review reaffirmed the government's drive for cheaper, more adaptable and less specialised equipment that is more suitable for export markets.
The Type 26 frigates are being built by BAE Systems under Britain's Future Surface Combatant programme, and are due for delivery in the early 2020s.

naval-technology

allez les amis qui offre plus

Citation :

Le porte-avions HMS Invincible à vendre à la ferraille

Le porte-avions HMS Invincible, de la Royal Navy, a été le bateau phare dans la guerre des Malouines, i lvient d'etre mis en vente à la ferraille sur un site aux enchères.
Le ministère de la Défense est l'espoir de vendre le navire qui a également été utilisé dans les Balkans et en Irak.
Après 32 années de service, le gouvernement espère amasser de l'argent en vendant la coque du navire.
Photo du porte-avions qui entre pour la dernière fois (2005) dans le chantier naval de Portsmouth.

Les experts estiment que les 10.000 tonnes d'acier vaudront plus de £ 2,000,000.
Le porte-avions a été mis en vente sur le site "edisposals.com".
Aucune offre n'a été reçue, mais les dirigeants de la socièté Leavesley International, seraient intéressés, ils avaient déjà acheté le HMS Intrepid en 2008.

Photo : Retour de l'HMS Invincible à Portsmouth, après le conflit des Malouines


Site sur lequel l'HMS Invincible a été mis d'enchères

Les 4 moteurs Rolls Royce turbine à gaz ont été enlevés, les générateurs et les pompes sont annoncés comme étant «généralement inutilisables ou ne fonctionne pas."
HMS Invincible devait être vendus en Australie pour £ 175 000 000 en 1982 - mais la vente a été rapidement stoppée lorsque la guerre des Malouines a éclaté.
La quille à été posé en 1973 dans les chantiers navalsfe VSEL à Barrow-in-Furness.
Long de 180 mètres et d'une hauteur de 46 mètres, le navire est actuellement basé au chantier naval de Portsmouth, New Hampshire

skynetblogs

je verrai l´inde comme recepteur

Yakuza a écrit:

je verrai l´inde comme recepteur

même la Chine elle achèterait comme ferraille c 10 000T d'acier d'apresles experts

Citation :

Babcock Wins UK Submarine LOP(R) Contract

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract to Babcock to begin the planning phase for the multi-million pound refit of the Trident ballistic missile submarine, HMS Vengeance.
The vessel will be the fourth and last of the Vanguard-class submarines to undergo a long overhaul period and refuel (LOP(R)) at Babcock's Devonport Royal Dockyard.
LOP(R) is a three-and-a-half-year project involving 2,000-plus personnel and two million man hours.
The overhaul will include equipping the submarine with the latest reactor core, fuel for life and updates and upgrades to its tactical and strategic weapons systems, hull preservation, and major components, systems and equipment.
The planning phase for the LOP(R) will take 18 months and will cover many key aspects and will be undertaken by a joint team involving Babcock, the MoD and Rolls Royce.
The LOP(R) will commence when the LOP(R) of the HMS Vigilant is completed in 2012.




UK Navy Type 23 Frigate to Undergo Major Refit

Babcock will provide a number of significant upgrades in a substantial refit of the UK Navy's type 23 frigate, the HMS Kent.
The upgrades will include fitting a Sonar 2087, the tactical variable depth active and passive anti-submarine warfare system.
The upgrade includes the DNA(2) Command System, the SeaWolf mid-life update comprising tracking, guidance and weapon management upgrades, the 4.5 Mk8 Mod1 gun replacement, and a 30mm automatic gun fit.
The Kent will also receive the new Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) system to enable information sharing and collaboration across the defence sector network.
Babcock will undertake a total of 19 alterations and additions (A&As) including Nato radial filters, a sophisticated incident detection system, and the nuclear biological chemical defence incident surveillance system.
The upgrades will be accomplished alongside a full programme of deep maintenance that includes structural repairs, renewal of hull coatings, refurbishment and maintenance of all the ship's systems and equipment.
The programme will be undertaken within a 50-week timeframe and the current maintenance period will be completed in November 2011.

naval-technology

Citation :

U.K. To Double Reaper UAV Fleet




Britain is to spend 135 million pounds ($213 million) to double the size of its fleet of Reaper UAVs, Prime Minister David Cameron said during a Dec. 7 visit to British troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Cameron did not say how many Reapers that would be, but a Ministry of Defence spokesman said the purchase would allow the Royal Air Force to have three Reapers flying simultaneously. Related Topics

He said the machines would be in place by 2013.
In October, MoD procurement and support minister Peter Luff said Britain intended to purchase up to five of the UAVs by the end of 2014. Luff was answering a parliamentary question,
The British also used Cameron's visit to announce the introduction into operation of the Singaporean-built Warthog armored all-terrain vehicle. The vehicles have been operational for several weeks with soldiers of the Royal Tank Regiment and are understood to have survived at least one hit from an improvised bomb.
The MoD signed a 150 million pound contract with Singapore Technologies Kinetics in 2008 to deliver just over 100 vehicles in various configurations, including troop carriers, recovery and command and control vehicles

defensenews

Citation :

British Hermes UAVs reaches 30,000-hour milestone in Afghanistan

The British Army's Hermes 450 (H450) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) have achieved the outstanding milestone of providing over 30,000 hours of support to UK forces on current operations in Afghanistan.

The H450 is operated and maintained by 32 Regiment Royal Artillery based at Roberts Barracks, Larkhill, Wiltshire.

H450 is a flexible system that can be used for a wide range of tasks from conducting reconnaissance prior to deployment into an area, and long-term pattern of life studies, to target acquisition and development.

Due to the success and continual demand for the H450, the theatre Unmanned Air Systems Battery will increase its ability to fly simultaneous missions, providing persistent, high-quality, day-and-night-capable full-motion video.

The system provides brigade headquarters with persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) via electro-optical and infrared sensors out to a range of 150km.

The Commander of 42 (Alem Hamza) Battery Royal Artillery said: "We have now achieved 30,000 operational hours of Hermes 450 and the delivery of extra capability in the form of the fifth task line will help to meet the significant number of intelligence requirements that TFH [Task Force Helmand] generates each day.

"The capability has been absolutely key to many of the TFH operations. The H450 system is flown from and maintained in Afghanistan. This enables close liaison between flight crews and the end-user that they support."

H450 operators are trained to fly the system tactically, balancing the need to remain covert while getting the best quality imagery.

The end result of this highly capable, reliable and efficiently-operated system is a theatre UAV Battery that produces some 85 per cent of the full-motion video that is available to Task Force Helmand.

32 Regiment Royal Artillery are supported by a number of contractors on deployed operations (CONDOs) who manage the spares system. The system also requires a CONDO external pilot to launch and recover the air vehicle for each mission.

The H450 is supplied by Thales UK under an Urgent Operational Requirement contract.

defpro

HMS NORTHUMBERLAND F 238 - Gibraltar 03/12/10





MERLIN HM1 - ZH849



Daniel Gibdan

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A Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicle, operated by 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, in action in Afghanistan

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British Army Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicle at an airfield in Afghanistan

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A Harrier GR9 takes off from HMS Ark Royal for the very last time, whilst a Seaking helicopter hovers in the background

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Ships company members watch as Harriers conduct a flypast after leaving HMS Ark Royal for the final time.

Dieu des Cieux ...

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A peine réparé des suites de son échouage, le sous-marin britannique HMS Astute tombe en panne


Le sous-marin nucléaire britannique qui s’était échoué en octobre dernier au large de l’île de Skye, en Ecosse, a dû rentrer au port à cause d’une panne, indique le ministère britannique de la défense.
Le HMS Astute est rentré la semaine dernière à sa base de Faslane après une panne survenue au cours de son premier jour de mer.
Selon un journal britannique, une panne sur la propulsion a été identifiée par des spécialistes.
"Le HMS Astute terminait ses essais à la mer lorsqu’une panne l’a contraint à rentrer au port pour une réparation," indique le ministère.
Selon le journal, la panne concerne la partie vapeur et touche à la fois la propulsion du sous-marin et le système de désalinisation qui produit de l’eau potable.
A la suite de son échouage du 22 octobre dernier, le HMS Astute avait été endommagé lors d’une collision avec le remorqueur qui le dégageait. Le mois dernier, son commandant, le Commander Andy Coles, a été démis de ses fonctions. Il a été remplacé par le Commander Iain Breckenridge.

BBC

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RAF Dropping to 6 Fast-Jet Units

LONDON - Britain may halve its fast-jet fleet by 2020 or so, according to the commanding officer of the Royal Air Force's No. 1 Group.
"We are heading for five Typhoon squadrons and one JSF [Joint Strike Fighter] squadron," said Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell, who commands the RAF's air combat group. "It will be a six-squadron world; that's what's on the books."
That could mean 107 Typhoons, plus about
40 F-35C JSFs that support a large operational squadron of 20 to 25 crews, Bagwell said.
Typhoon numbers could be clipped even further if Britain and Oman seal a deal to send the Persian Gulf nation about a squadron's worth of aircraft. The planes could be diverted from an existing RAF order; the question is whether they will then later be replaced, he said.
In 1990, the RAF had 33 fast-jet squadrons; in 2003, 17. Today, the number stands at 12: seven Tornado, three Typhoon and two Harrier squadrons, plus the offensive firepower of a growing fleet of Reaper UAVs.
By April, Britain will be down to eight fast-jet squadrons, thanks to the retirement of the Harriers and the shelving of two Tornado units.
The Tornado force has already been eroded by a covert 2009 order from the previous Labour administration to cut the number of crews in each squadron. But that number is expected to return to its previous level next year as squadrons are eliminated and crews shift around.
Those cuts, and others, were ordered by an October decision to ax defense spending over the next four years as part of a wider government plan to reduce public borrowing levels. The cuts bit deep into RAF capabilities; other reductions hit battlefield surveillance, maritime reconnaissance, helicopter transport and other capabilities.
"Six squadrons is the low point for the U.K.'s fast jet fleet," one analyst said. "You can expect that to recover a little as the Ministry of Defence bolsters its force of Joint Strike Fighters beyond the current level mandated in the new strategic defense and security review."
Bagwell was less sanguine. He called the first JSF squadron a "start point" and said more may come, but for the moment, "I expect a single squadron in 2020 and that's it."
Other senior RAF officers have said they aim eventually to operate around 100 F-35Cs, which will split their time operating from land bases and from the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy.
Bagwell said the fast-jet cuts were challenging but manageable so long as the RAF is not tasked to do much more than its current deployments: Tornados to the NATO effort in Afghanistan, and Typhoons to quick reaction alert (QRA) forces in Britain and the Falkland Islands.
"Am I happy to be down at that number [eight squadrons] next April? No, it worries the hell out of me because it's a small combat air force," he said. "I can just about do Op Herrick [Afghanistan] and the QRAs. Can I do other things? Yes, but it is at risk.
"Actually, I am more worried about what other people think I can do tomorrow," he said. "The whole thing about procurement and posture is as much about long-term future deterrence and keeping the enemy on the back foot as it is about physically fighting. The deterrence and coercive effect of air power has somehow got lost in the noise."Typhoon Questions


Bagwell said the RAF would likely ax its 55 Tranche 1 Typhoons by mid-decade because it would cost too much to bring them up to the required multirole standards offered by Tranche 2 and Tranche 3. That would mean the RAF Typhoon fleet would top out at 107 machines.
But the Typhoon fleet could shrink even further, Bagwell said.
The "great unknown in the plans is the awful lot of potential export customers," he said.
The proposed deal with Oman is in the final stages of negotiation; discussions are now underway about where those dozen or so aircraft might come from. The RAF's Typhoon force could fall further if the planes are diverted from the Air Force's order and are not replaced.
Difficulties in Britain's 72-plane sale to Saudi Arabia are creating more uncertainty. The first 24 are being diverted from the RAF's Tranche 2 order, and the service is to get more Tranche 3 aircraft instead. The other 48 are to be assembled in Saudi Arabia as part of an effort to build up local industry.
But industry sources said the plan has run into difficulties that raise questions about how Britain will fill the Saudi order.
Bagwell said options could include taking additional aircraft from the RAF production run and replacing them later.
"Should we get the buybacks out of Saudi Arabia and Oman as planned, we will be back to the number of Typhoons I need," he said. "At the moment, if I don't get the [Omani] buyback and this is under discussion ... it could take me down to 95 aircraft."
He said any changes to RAF deliveries would affect the service's ability to train crews.
A spokesman for BAE Systems, which is helping to build the aircraft, said he couldn't comment on Saudi issues.
Bagwell also revealed:
■ The 2011 planning round could change the timing of the upgrade of Typhoon jets to a full multirole aircraft. Dubbed the Future Capabilities Program 2, it will allow the jets to carry Storm Shadow, Brimstone and other weapons.
■ The decision to switch the planned purchase of short-takeoff, vertical-landing F-35Bs to the conventional carrier C version will give the Air Force a true deep-penetration capability.
■ The Sentinel R1 surveillance capability, to be axed by the government after the Afghanistan war, could be replaced through programs like the Scavenger UAV and new active electronically scanned array radars on Typhoon and JSF.
■ The 2011 planning round may speed up creation of the final two Typhoon squadrons, now slated for 2015, by as much as a year.
Bagwell told reporters that the date on which the RAF hits six squadrons would depend in part on Ministry of Defence decisions about the drawdown of the Tornado strike aircraft as Typhoons arrive.
"We still need to hold on to a portion of the Tornado force, and it will be a very important decision for the next defense review [expected in 2015] as to how the crossover is achieved between Typhoon and Tornado," he said. "My gut instinct is that we will need at least two or three Tornado squadrons at the 2017 point, keeping the squadron numbers at the six to eight figure."
The Tornado fleet is currently scheduled to retire in 2021. The government recently announced a reduction in the number of Tornados required to sustain ongoing operations, known as force elements, from 40 to 18 by 2015.
Elizabeth Quintana, head of air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute, said she didn't think air power suffered worse in the cuts than many other sectors.
"The benefit is that unlike the Army [spared the worst of the cuts due to the war in Afghanistan], the Air Force now knows what its configuration is going to look like in the 2017-2020 timeframe," she said. "Where aircraft numbers are going in the future and what impact unmanned combat air vehicles might have is too early to say. F-35 and Typhoon give you more capable platforms but with fewer numbers."
She noted that synthetic training will reduce the number of aircraft kept off the front lines.

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