Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

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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

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HMS Enterprise home from 20-month deployment

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Royal Navy pilots forced to learn French


Royal Navy fighter pilots are being forced to learn French in order to operate on board France’s flagship aircraft carrier.




The Naval aviators are training with the French, whose jets they may have to use while they await the arrival of the new Joint Strike Fighters, which are unlikely to be delivered before 2020.

The first five of 30 Royal Navy pilots have begun French language training at the defence college in Paris before they join the carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, where they will fly Rafale jets.

They will spend 16 weeks studying French so that they are able to communicate with their colleagues on board the vessel.

While they will wear their own uniforms they will sleep, eat and work alongside French fighter pilots, in what has been described as a major test of co-operation for the two Navies.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The relationship with France is strategically important and discussions are ongoing about Royal Navy personnel being based on Charles de Gaulle as part of the bilateral agreement between our two countries. This will allow us to maintain our skills and help to develop an enhanced capability in the future.”

telegraph

J'ai toujours adoré cet avion, il a des lignes spéciales

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A Royal air force GR4 Tornado maneuvers into position to be refueled during an air refueling mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, June 3.

je le vois voler de temps a autre
il me faisait rever cet avion quand je lisais quwat aljawiya en 90s

eh ben ...

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Les Malouines ne seraient plus défendues



Selon l'amiral Sandy Woodward, la Grande-Bretagne, de nos jours, ne pourrait rien défendre de plus que la Manche, en raison de l'absence d'un porte-avions et de l'affaiblissement du soutien américain pour la souveraineté britannique.

"Il y a vingt-neuf ans aujourd'hui, nous reconquérions les Falklands [ou Malouines] pour la Grande-Bretagne à l'issue d'une des plus remarquables campagnes depuis la seconde guerre mondiale", écrit l'amiral Woodward dans le Daily Mail.
"La vérité simple est que sans porte-avions et sans les Américains nous n'aurions plus le moindre espoir de faire la même chose aujourd'hui", affirme-t-il. En 1982, au terme d'une guerre meurtrière , la marine britannique avait reconquis l'archipel, envahi par l'armée argentine. - (avec AFP)

Le Monde

Ah mon avis les argentins ont un dernier coup à jouer ( L'Otan est occupé dans plusieurs front )

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SOURCE:Flight International
UK to name fixed-wing training system bidder in mid-2012

A decision on the remaining fixed-wing elements of the UK's tri-service Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme will be taken around the middle of next year, according to the company charged with overseeing the selection process.

Ascent Flight Training managing director Barry Thornton said the Ministry of Defence's training system partner has continued to make progress since three bidders expressed interest in the requirement earlier this year. Dialogue is continuing with each, he said, with cost targets also recently having been established.

A request for proposals for detailed solutions will be issued in October or November, Thornton said, with the rivals to be given around 90 days to respond. An evaluation will then be conducted, before a preferred bidder will be announced around mid-2012.

In addition to a fresh round of dialogue with the contenders, Ascent is placing its current emphasis on assessing their possible ground-based training equipment solutions. The contenders are a BAE Systems-led team also comprising Babcock, Gama Aviation and Pilatus; Elbit Systems; and the Cobham Aviation Services/CAE UK/Cassidian Air Systems Team C3 consortium.

BAE is the only one of the bidding teams to have revealed its proposed solution for the UK military's fixed-wing training needs, with its offer including an upgraded Grob G115E, Pilatus's PC-21 basic trainer and Cessna's Citation Mustang. Team C3 is promoting the Hawker Beechcraft T-6C as part of its proposal, while Elbit Systems has yet to disclose its offering.

A joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Babcock, Ascent is responsible for delivering the planned 25-year MFTS service. "This is about Ascent, working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, delivering the training, not just providing the assets," said Thornton.

The company also is leading a competitive process to meet the UK's rotary-wing training needs, with AgustaWestland and the Alphar consortium formed of Eurocopter, CAE and FB Heliservices in contention.

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RAF strips jets for spare parts: Typhoons torn up for Libya air fleet



The RAF is tearing apart state-of-the-art fighter jets for spare parts to keep warplanes flying over Libya.
Three Typhoons, costing £125million each, are being cannibalised at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to cover a desperate shortage of parts.
[size=9]Eight Typhoons are taking part in bombing raids and enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya. The jets also patrol the Falkland Islands and provide the Quick Reaction Alert force protecting UK airspace.

Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris, who asked a series of parliamentary questions about the jets, said: ‘It is a disgraceful waste of taxpayers’ money to have £375million sitting in the RAF equivalent of a salvage yard providing spares to keep other planes in the air.
Spares should have been easily sourced and in the original contract.
The RAF needs to shake itself out of this Steptoe and Son mentality and sort out its logistics problems once and for all – and ministers should be leading this process.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: ‘It is vital that the MoD gets a grip on procurement.

‘When our brave forces are in action overseas people will be dismayed that millions of taxpayers’ pounds are being wasted on aircraft that aren’t in action.’

Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward, decorated for flying Harrier jump jets during the Falklands war, said: ‘The Typhoon is an astronomically expensive aircraft that is ill-suited to any role outside UK airspace.
‘It is essentially a very expensive RAF sacred cow.’
The Public Accounts Committee, the House of Commons spending watchdog, said the decision to ground some of the world’s most advanced jets was ‘questionable’.
The Ministry of Defence believes the problem will continue until 2015, when sufficient components should be in stock.
Retired Air Commodore Andrew Lambert said the practice of raiding aircraft for spare parts was ‘neither new nor unusual’.
These planes, dubbed ‘Christmas trees’ by mechanics, were usually undergoing a six-month overhaul so it made sense to strip them of parts if another jet urgently needed one.
‘If you are saying is it better to have spares so you don’t have to cannibalise a plane, then probably yes,’ he said.
‘But there is not an awful lot of money in the defence budget to do this. If you have to rob Peter to refit Paul, then you get on and do it.’
RAF sources said equipment was often taken off a plane as soon as it came into service and fitted to another jet in the operating fleet.
Defence equipment minister Peter Luff said: ‘This is a routine measure. None of these aircraft was in the forward fleet.’
The shortage of spare parts means some Typhoon pilots are grounded because they can’t put in enough flying hours to remain battle ready.

dailymail.co.uk

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SOURCE:Flight International
UK considers Watchkeeper for Projects of Concern list

The UK Ministry of Defence has followed Australia's lead by establishing a Projects of Concern list that will expose the problems affecting some of its largest equipment acquisitions.

The Major Projects Review Board met for the first time on 13 June, when its members discussed the status of three development efforts with their respective programme managers. These included the British Army's Thales UK-led Watchkeeper unmanned air system deal, which has a main contract value of £635 million ($1 billion), and a total projected cost of almost £900 million, including support.

To provide the army with a fleet of WK450 air vehicles and associated equipment to meet intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance needs, Watchkeeper is due to enter operational use in Afghanistan late this year. Original plans had called for the capability to be available in February 2011.

Published last October, the UK National Audit Office's Major Projects Report 2010 revealed that Thales and its U-TacS joint venture partner Elbit Systems had "experienced some technical issues concerning system software development and integration, which have impacted the programme timescales".

The board will meet on a quarterly basis to review any of the UK's top 50 defence procurements - which have a combined value of more than £100 billion - that are running over budget or behind schedule. "Any project that the board decides is failing will be publicly named and shamed" if no improvement is reported by the time of its next meeting, the MoD said. Removal from the Projects of Concern list will be approved only on the demonstration of progress to resolve identified shortcomings.

Intended to help enforce tighter financial controls, the approach will "allow the public and the market to judge how well the MoD and industry are doing in supporting the armed forces and offering taxpayers value for money", the ministry said.

"I want shareholders to see where projects are under-performing so that the market can take action. Those responsible for poor project management must be brought to account," said defence secretary Liam Fox, who chairs the board. Other permanent members include minister for defence equipment, support and technology Peter Luff and chief of defence materiel Bernard Gray.

Thales is due to deliver a Watchkeeper programme update at the Paris air show on 21 June.

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Royal Navy Destroyer to Reach UK Next Month



UK Navy destroyer warship HMS York is approaching completion of a five-month deployment to the southern oceans.
During the deployment, the Type 42 destroyer completed humanitarian rescue operations in Libya and visited the Falklands for routine patrols.
The frigate completed replenishment-at-sea of 350,000l of fuel with two Chilean vessels.
HMS York engaged in discussion with the Peruvian Naval Academy about drug-running at sea, before reaching the Jamaican capital of Kingston.
The warship will return to Portsmouth, UK, in July.

naval-technology

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Apache



en Afghanistan

Nano a écrit:

Ah mon avis les argentins ont un dernier coup à jouer ( L'Otan est occupé dans plusieurs front )

l'otan n'as joué aucuns role actif dans la guerre des malouines et l'otan ne vas pas se meler de ce genre d'affaire
et je doute fort qu'en ce moment les argentins se préocuppent des malouines je crois qu'ils ont d'autres chats à fouetter
pour l'instant

thierrytigerfan a écrit:

Nano a écrit:

Ah mon avis les argentins ont un dernier coup à jouer ( L'Otan est occupé dans plusieurs front )

l'otan n'as joué aucuns role actif dans la guerre des malouines et l'otan ne vas pas se meler de ce genre d'affaire
et je doute fort qu'en ce moment les argentins se préocuppent des malouines je crois qu'ils ont d'autres chats à fouetter
pour l'instant

En parlant de l'Otan je pensais essentiellement aux USA... principal allier des britanniques susceptibles d'intervenir en premier si jamais les argentins font les coyboys vu que l'armée de sa majesté est occupée ailleurs... C'était plus un fantasme qu'autre chose Thierry je te rassure

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RAF Cranwell trainee pilots left without jobs



Eight trainee pilots who graduated at a ceremony attended by the prime minister at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire will have no jobs to go to.
In February, as part of the government's Strategic Defence and Security Review, the RAF announced 170 trainee pilots would be made redundant.
David Cameron attended the passing-out parade for the 80 cadets on Thursday.
Air Vice Marshal Mark Green said the eight trainees would not be going on to become fighter pilots.'Moral courage'
AVM Green, who is head of training at RAF Cranwell, said the force had been going through a difficult period.
"We had an over-recruitment in our flying training pipeline as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and so actually some members on parade will not have a future in the branch they joined to do, which was the flying training role.
"But it is testament to their courage and their commitment that they continued with their training, despite the fact that their future was uncertain and I think that's a huge testament to their moral courage."
As a result of the Spending Review, the armed forces need to shed 17,000 posts over the next four years as defence funding is cut.
A review has found that, after natural wastage, a total of 11,000 redundancies will have to be made in three or four tranches.
The RAF was the first service to set out details of its plans, with the first 1,020 jobs going in September.
In a statement, the MoD said: "The SDSR made clear that there will be reductions in the numbers of personnel and aircraft across the three services, including a reduction of some 5,000 RAF personnel by 2015.
"A decision has been taken to remove up to 170 RAF student pilots from the Flying Training Pipeline.
"The criteria being used to select those trainee pilots to be removed from flying training will be a combination of the service need, officer qualities, ground based pilot aptitude testing and flying performance to date."

www.bbc.co.uk

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Eurocopter’s upgraded Puma Mk2 helicopter for the UK Royal Air Force makes its first flight

Le Bourget/Paris | The first upgraded Puma Mk2 helicopter developed by Eurocopter in a life extension programme for the UK’s Royal Air Force performed its initial flight this week from Eurocopter’s facility at Marignane, France.

It is the first helicopter to be modified under the Puma Life Extension Programme, which was approved by the UK Ministry of Defence in September 2009 and placed on contract with Eurocopter UK.

This programme will extend the operational life of the Puma helicopter fleet and is to significantly enhance its capability – particularly in demanding hot and high conditions. It will improve the safety and performance by providing new engines, a digital flight control system, increased platform survivability and enhanced navigation and communications.

“The Puma Mk2’s first flight is an important milestone, marking the initial step in a test programme that will continue through the second half of 2011,” said Markus Steinke, the Managing Director of Eurocopter UK. “It also represents the achievement of a significant and successful effort focused on design, development and programme management by Eurocopter and Ministry of Defence teams in both the UK and France.”

Eurocopter-built Puma rotary-wing aircraft currently represent one third of the UK’s medium battlefield support helicopters. They are used as battlefield helicopters within the Joint Helicopter Command to provide tactical troop and load movement by day and night.

Puma Mk2s are planned to enter service with the Royal Air Force in 2012, and achieve full operating capability in 2014.

defpro

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ST Kinetics Completes Delivery of Warthog to UK Ministry Of Defence

British Warthogs preparing for deployment at Camp Bastion.

Command variant on display at Protected Mobility Display and Sustainment Conference

ST Kinetics has completed the delivery of the Warthogs in the £150 million Urgent Operational Requirement contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The conclusion of the contract was marked by the delivery of a troop carrying variant, one of four variants specially customised from the Bronco All Terrain Track Carrier for the UK MOD. For this contract, Thales (UK) was the main partner, responsible for the integration of UK specialist electronic counter-measure equipment and communication systems, whilst other UK specialist companies were involved in the supply of other subsystems such as the bar armour and armour glass.

The Warthog variants include the Troop Carrier, Ambulance, Command and Repair & Recovery. The command variant of Warthog was on display at the Protected Mobility Display and Sustainment Conference held at Millbrook, Bedford on 22 and 23 June 2011.

The Warthog’s proven mobility across a wide range of terrain and climatic conditions allows the vehicle to exploit unconventional routes of advancement, thereby significantly increasing the warfighter’s survivability. The Warthog is also very survivable and has received much positive publicity in its ability to safeguard the lives of troops in Afghanistan from both soldiers and the media.

The fact that the Warthog was fully delivered within a very challenging delivery schedule bears testimony to the commitment and close working relationship the ST Kinetics project team has with the UK MOD, to ensure that the programme meets all the stringent requirements and the needs of the soldiers on the ground.

Patrick Choy, Executive Vice President, ST Kinetics, said: “ST Kinetics is proud to be able to contribute to the UK MoD’s efforts in Afghanistan. The success of the programme would not have been possible without the close partnership and determination of the UK IPT and the Warthog project team which included key partners like Thales. We remain fully committed to the in-theatre and downstream through life support of the Warthog.”

defpro

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Happy Armed Forces Day!




A Royal Navy officer, Army officer and RAF officer salute the Armed Forces Day Flag at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. Photographer: RAF Halton Photo Section
Image 45152854.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Two soldiers with Delta Company, The Highlanders, 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland are pictured with the Armed Forces Day Flag at Patrol Base Yellow 14 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photographer: LA(Phot) Burke
Image 45152867.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Two Army parachutists from the Silver Stars Parachute display team, conduct a practice jump over South Cerney, Gloucestershire and show their support for Armed Forces Day at 135mph and 7,000 feet above the ground. Photographer: MoD Image 45152891.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Members of HMS Dauntless' Flight are pictures at RNAS Yeovilton with the Armed Forces Day Flag in front of the ship's Lynx helicopter. Photographer: Royal Navy Image 45152903.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Air Dog Memphis from the Working Dog Section based in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan is pictured with two soldiers from the Royal Military Police (RMP). Memphis is proudly sporting the Armed Forces Day pennant following his return from an area search with the RMP at the regional training centre prior to a graduation ceremony for the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP). Photographer: Sgt Alison Baskerville RLC Image 45152820.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk







HMS Drake's Field Gun Crew take time out from training to support Armed Forces Day.The Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, in which teams of sailors compete to transport a field gun and its equipment over and through a series of obstacles in the shortest time. Photographer: LA(Phot) Shaun Barlow Image DR110164008.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Members of the RAF's Mountain Rescue Team are pictured showing their support for Armed Forces Day by abseiling down one of the rock faces at Holyhead Mountain on the Isle of Anglesey near RAF Valley. Photographer: SAC Dek Traylor
Image 45152901.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





The Royal Navy firefighters of RNAS Yeovilton show their support of Armed Forces Day during an exercise. Photographer: LA(Phot) Vicki Benwell
Image 45152888.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





From left: Lieutenant Colonel Chris Paton, Royal Marines, boxer David Haye and Senior Aircraftwoman Sarah Cross are supporting Armed Forces Day. Picture: Sergeant Andy Malthouse ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011





A Royal Air Force Warrant Officer with the Armed Forces Day flag Photographer: Paul Crouch Image 45152887.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk





Marine Junior McIlhiney age 22 from Plymouth, and Marine Matt Reece age 23 from Durban, South Africa, pose for a photo showing their support for Armed Forces Day at PB Shahzad. Photo: LA(Phot) Dave Hillhouse. Crown Copyright/MOD 2011





Territorial Army soldiers take part in a Battle Camp at the Sennybridge Training Camp in mid-wales and help to support Armed Forces Day. The camp allows the troops to conduct live weapons firing and practice their firing tactics as they train for possible operations in the future. Photographer: Sgt Ian Forsyth RLC
Image 45152902.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk









The Red Arrows put on a display for the town of Leith near Edinburgh, Scotland to herald the start of UK Armed Forces Day. Photo by SAC Helen Rimmer/MoD

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UK Navy Decommissions HMS Cumberland



The UK Royal Navy has decommissioned its Type 42 frigate, HMS Cumberland, following service of more than 25 years.
The frigate was launched in 1986 before being commissioned on 10 June 1989, and had served the nation since then in various operations including the Falklands, two Gulf wars and most recently in Libyan missions.
The 148.1m-long HMS Cumberland had a displacement capacity of 5,300t and a cruising speed of 30kt.
The other type 42 frigates that were scrapped under last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review include Campbeltown, Chatham and Cornwall.

naval-technology

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A Tornado GR4 from RAF Lossiemouth sports a special livery to commemorate one million hours flown by the Tornado GR Force [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Tommy Axford, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]





Tornado GR4, registration number ZA547, with badges from all the Tornado Squadrons [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Phil Cooke, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]





617 Squadron ground and aircrew at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, commemorate one million hours flown by the Tornado GR Force [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Tommy Axford, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

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BAE Systems Awarded £46m Contract To Support Royal Navy’s Type 45 Sampson Radars


Sampson multi-function radar. (Photo: BAE Systems)

BAE Systems has been awarded a six year, £46m contract to support the Sampson multi-function radars (MFR) on board the fleet of six Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers. This support contract, awarded by MBDA, is designed as a forerunner to a full 'contract for availability' arrangement and will generate data on the radar's performance which will enable a long-term support solution to be delivered to the Royal Navy.

The radars act as the ships' eye in the sky, enabling them to detect and view objects on land, sea and in the air, as well as combining the roles of surveillance, dedicated tracking and weapon communication functions. This latest contract reinforces BAE Systems' ability to effectively deliver support and services to armed forces customers across the land, sea and air sectors.

The new contract covers all of the Sampson radars, both in-service and on Type 45s that are yet to enter service. The contract provides technical support, a spares and repairs service as well as maintenance through the joint MBDA/BAE Systems waterfront team at the Type 45's home port of Portsmouth Naval Base.

This will ensure that the BAE Systems' team continues to work with MBDA and the Royal Navy as the design authority and technical helpdesk support for Sampson. The team will also provide ongoing support at the Maritime Integration and Support Centre (MISC) in Portsmouth and an MFR test facility at BAE Systems' Cowes site on the Isle of Wight during the service life of each radar.

Sampson works as part of the Sea Viper air defence system, the Type 45's principal anti-missile system and can deal with multiple targets including stealthy and sea skimming objects simultaneously, making Sea Viper the most advanced weapon system of its kind in the world. Sampson's effectiveness has already proved hugely successful during the recent Sea Viper firing trials from onboard HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless, the first Type 45 Destroyers to enter service with the Royal Navy.

The contract follows a £6m,18 month contract awarded to BAE Systems in September 2010 to support the Long Range Radar (LRR) on the same ships, including those yet to enter service, and the MISC. The scope of this contract includes technical helpdesk support, corrective and preventative maintenance, repairs, design authority support and waterfront engineering capability in HM Portsmouth Naval Base, Portsmouth.

Richard Murray, Team Leader for the Ministry of Defence's Medium Range Air Defence Project Team commented, "The radars on the Type 45 are fundamental to the ships' ability to deliver the defence from airborne threats that our naval forces require. Both Sampson and the LRR have proved themselves more than capable of meeting the demands made of them and this support regime will maintain that capability as the Class comes into service."

Les Gregory, Torpedoes, Radar and Manufacturing Director, BAE Systems Mission Systems, said, "These support contracts are designed to maintain high availability within tight cost constraints. As the Type 45s progressively enter service we look forward to supporting the Royal Navy with its surveillance and weapon control requirements for many decades."

In addition to the radar support contracts BAE Systems was awarded the Joint Support Solution (JSS) contract worth £86m to provide a common support framework for the Combat Management System (CMS) on the Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and RFA Argus, all of which are supplied by BAE Systems. The JSS extends efficiencies to new CMS deployments on future naval ships including the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers providing the Royal Navy with a cost effective long term support solution.

defpro

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Reduction in UK Nuclear Warheads Begins


The programme for implementing the reductions in the number of UK nuclear warheads, as announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), has commenced, Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox announced today.

As part of his statement on the SDSR on 19 October 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron said that the Government had reviewed the UK's deterrence requirements and concluded that the requirement could be met for an effective and credible deterrent with a smaller nuclear weapons capability.

Mr Cameron said that over the next few years the current deployed capability would be reduced in scale and this reduction would be incorporated into plans for the successor submarine.

Therefore the number of warheads on board each submarine would be reduced from a maximum of 48 to a maximum of 40, the number of operational missiles on the Vanguard Class submarines would be reduced to no more than eight, and the number of operational warheads reduced from fewer than 160 to no more than 120.

Dr Fox in a written ministerial statement said today:

"I wish to inform the House that the programme for implementing the SDSR warhead reductions has commenced: at least one of the Vanguard Class ballistic missile submarines [SSBN] now carries a maximum of 40 nuclear warheads.

"The programme of work to complete these changes across the Vanguard SSBN fleet will be completed within the constraints of the deterrent's operational programme. We currently expect completion to be made within this Parliament.

"The Government does not comment upon the operational programme and therefore ongoing updates on this implementation programme will not be given.

"I will update the House further once the changes have been completed across the current SSBN fleet and the SDSR commitment to reducing our stock of operationally deployed warheads has been fulfilled.

"On current plans our expectation is that the subsequent reduction in our total stockpile to no more than 180 warheads will complete by the mid-2020s.

"The early commencement of the programme for these reductions in warheads is a significant step and further demonstrates the Government's commitment to fulfilling the UK's disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"The Government remains committed to maintaining the minimum credible deterrent necessary to achieve our deterrence objectives of guaranteeing national security."

globaldefence

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Puma military helicopter crash lands in Hampshire





he crew of a military helicopter suffered minor injuries after crash landing near an industrial estate in Hampshire.
The Puma helicopter was on a training exercise from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire when it came down in a field close to the A303 in Andover at about 1330 BST.
The pilot and two crew members were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
An eyewitness said he heard an "incredible noise" before watching the crew crawl out of the wreckage.
Brent Wilfort, who lives nearby, said: "I had just come home for lunch when I could hear a helicopter flying very low.'Sky filled'
"Then there was this incredible noise, like a pile-driver whacking the ground three or four times... which must have been the propellers hitting the ground.
"I thought that wasn't normal and went running out dialling 999 as I did.
"I watched as the three chaps crawled out from underneath."
He said the "sky quickly filled" with several other military helicopters, the air ambulance and the coastguard helicopter.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was also called in case of any spilled aviation fuel.
The Ministry of Defence said no buildings or vehicles were involved in the incident and it would investigate the crash.
An RAF spokeswoman said the crew brought the helicopter down to make an "emergency landing" after the aircraft developed a problem.
She said: "The crew members were safely recovered with minor injuries and their next of kin have been informed.
"It would be inappropriate to comment on the cause of the incident until the ongoing investigation is complete."
The Puma is a battlefield helicopter used to move troops and heavy loads.
It can carry up to 16 fully-equipped men or two tonnes of freight

bbc

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Airbus Military tanker for RAF performs first contacts with Tornado

Published July 6, 2011 | By Marcel van Leeuwen



An Airbus Military A330 MRTT Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) for the UK´s Royal Air Force has successfully completed its first contacts with a Tornado fighter.
The two aircraft performed a series of dry contacts, by day and night, in late June / early July during a programme to formally qualify the Tornado to refuel from the FSTA in operational service. Wet contacts, in which fuel is actually passed from the tanker to the receiver, will commence shortly.
During sorties conducted from RAF Boscombe Down with the support of Qinetiq, the Tornado executed contacts with the A330 MRTT´s underwing hose-and-drogue pods at altitudes between 10,000ft and 30,000ft and speeds of 250-325kt
Airbus military press release