(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.
L'indépendance écossaise affaiblirait la marine britannique (militaire)
LONDRES, 15 avr 2014 (AFP) -
Le plus haut gradé de la marine britannique, l'amiral George Zambellas, a affirmé mardi au Daily Telegraph que "le coeur" de la défense maritime britannique serait affecté par l'indépendance écossaise.
"Je pense que l'indépendance changerait fondamentalement la sécurité maritime pour nous tous au Royaume-Uni et endommagerait le coeur des capacités militaires constituées de la Marine royale, des Royal Marines, de la flotte auxiliaire royale et de la flotte de l'armée de l'air", a-t-il déclaré au quotidien britannique.
"Si le Royaume-Uni (hors Écosse) finira par s'adapter, l'impact le plus profond se fera sentir en Écosse, qui n'aura plus accès de plein droit au soutien sécuritaire de l'une des marines les plus efficaces du monde", a-t-il ajouté.
Il y a actuellement 16 bateaux et sous-marins ainsi que deux unités de commando des Royal Marine basés en Écosse.
Mais selon le colonel Stuart Crawford, qui a conseillé sur les questions de défense le parti nationaliste écossais (SNP), partisan de l'indépendance, une Écosse indépendante "serait plus que capable" de gérer ses propres forces armées.
Il a indiqué à la BBC que l'armée écossaise aurait une mission régionale et non mondiale.
Dans le cas d'une victoire du oui au référendum d'autodétermination du 18 septembre, le SNP a annoncé que toutes les bases militaires existantes en Écosse seraient maintenues mais que les sous-marins nucléaires britanniques Trident seraient retirés de la base de Faslane (ouest) et quitteraient l'Écosse.
Un retrait qui "prendra beaucoup de temps et sera coûteux", selon George Zambellas.
Mardi après-midi, le ministre britannique de la Défense Philip Hammond doit se rendre à Glasgow (est de l'Écosse) pour défendre le camp du non en expliquant aux salariés du groupe d'électronique et de défense français Thales que l'indépendance "mettra en péril la future prospérité de cette activité, les gens qui y travaillent ainsi que les familles et personnes dont ils ont la charge", selon des extraits de son discours rendus publics.
"L'ironie est que Philip Hammond va prononcer un discours nationaliste britannique sur le site d'une multinationale française à Glasgow, qui est en partie détenue par le gouvernement français, et dans lequel il va souligner la coopération en matière de défense qui existe entre amis et alliés", a réagi, sur la BBC, Angus Robertson, représentant du SNP au parlement britannique et porte-parole du parti indépendantiste pour les questions de défense.
Les derniers sondages montrent que le camp du non devance celui des indépendantistes mais que l'écart se ressert et qu'il y a toujours environ 15% d'indécis.
Royal Navy shows off its latest radar system which can knock missiles out of the sky
New system, called 'Artisan', tested by sailors off coast of Portland today It tracked sea-skimming target, before passing data to a Seawolf missile Missile was then launched into the air and blasted the object out of sky First time system had been used to track target ahead of missile launch It can track 800 objects simultaneously - even if they are 125 miles away It has been deemed a success - and could be used by Navy in the future
The Royal Navy has revealed its latest 3D radar system which can track missiles - before knocking them out of the sky.
The cutting-edge system, called 'Artisan', was tested by some 180 sailors on board HMS Iron Duke off the coast of Portland today.
It tracked a sea-skimming target, before launching a Seawolf missile - which crashed into the object seconds later.
The dramatic moment, caught on camera by crew members, was the first time the system had been used to track a moving target ahead of a missile launch.
And it has been deemed a success - with experts saying the 'Artisan' system could be used by the Navy in the future to counter any threats in the skies.
'I’m pleased the team performed well and we achieved the firing quickly and efficiently,' said Lieutenant Commander Chris L’Amie, who directed the firing from the frigate’s operations room.
'It really boosted confidence in the new radar ahead of Iron Duke’s deployment.'
New technology: The dramatic moment, caught on camera by crew members, was the first time the system had been used to track a moving target ahead of a missile launch. Above, a sailor uses the 3D radar system
Frigate: And it has been deemed a success - with experts saying the 'Artisan' system could be used by the Navy in the future to counter any threats in the skies. Above, HMS Iron Duke, where the tests were carried out Today, sailors used the system to track the target, which was being dragged along the surface of the sea by a long tow wire attached to an aircraft.
They then passed the data to the Seawolf missile to follow and shoot - before successfully blasting the object out of the sky with a direct hit, according to a Royal Navy statement.
The trial, which took place as the frigate made its way back to its home base in Portsmouth, followed eight weeks of tough training in Plymouth.
'We had just finished eight hard weeks of training where we’d used Seawolf in simulation mode to defend ourselves against hostile aircraft and missiles,' said Lt Cmdr L’Amie.
“To cap off the training with a live shoot was hugely satisfying.'
Iron Duke is the first ship in Britain's fleet to have Artisan - also known as 997 in the Navy - and has been testing the system around the UK since completing a refit last year.
The revamp also saw her receive the latest version of Seawolf – a missile which has protected Navy frigates from air attack for more than 30 years. 'We achieved the firing quickly and efficiently... It really boosted confidence in the new radar ahead of Iron Duke’s deployment' Lt Cmdr Chris L’Amie
Lieutenant Commander Jim Hyde, whose Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD) team is responsible for both Artisan and the upgraded Seawolf, was also on board Iron Duke for the successful shoot.
'Following a challenging trials and development programme, today was significant as it was the first time we have conducted a live firing with 997,' he said.
'It was rewarding to see both the new radar and the upgraded weapon system operate together perfectly, successfully demonstrating end-to-end combat system performance, and validating a lot of hard work done by agencies across MOD and in industry.'
Artisan is being fitted to the Navy’s Type 23 frigates, as well as its two new aircraft carriers and assault ships Ocean and Albion.
It could also be the principal air radar of the Type 26 combat ships, successor to the 23s, which enter service next decade.
Astonishingly, the system can track up to 800 targets simultaneously - and can even register objects 125 miles (200 kilometres) away.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
annabi Général de corps d'armée (ANP)
messages : 6945 Inscrit le : 18/07/2012 Localisation : paris Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
A remote-controlled boat that can search for, hunt and destroy mines is being tested by a specialist Royal Navy unit.
The motorboat, called Hazard, is currently being put through its paces by a specialist team of sailors in Portsmouth naval base. The boat can also act as the ‘mother ship’ to an assortment of hi-tech remote-controlled and robot submersibles. Collectively, they can search for, hunt and finally destroy mines faster than the Royal Navy’s Sandown and Hunt-class ships, and they also have the added benefit of keeping the sailors required to operate them out of harm’s way. Modified versions of the same systems are also being looked at to carry out survey operations such as those performed by HMS Echo, currently looking for the missing Malaysian airliner, as part of the future mine-countermeasures and hydrographic capability programme. The Maritime Autonomous System Trials Team (MASTT) is the small Portsmouth-based Royal Navy unit testing the new unmanned systems. Lieutenant Commander Jack McWilliams, the officer in command of MASTT, said:
Citation :
"This will be the seafaring equivalent of the unmanned aircraft which have revolutionised aerial warfare. "It takes the sailor out of the minefield, but we are not taking them out of the equation. You will still need individuals with specialist mine warfare and hydrographic skills, a human being to identify a contact, but they will be much safer, and this is a much more effective way of doing our job. "This technology is fantastic, and we are right at the forefront of it. It is the future."
The family of equipment MASTT is putting through its paces is headed by Hazard, a small, fast motor launch, capable of speeds up to 30 knots and able to be transported by an RAF Hercules. The boat carries either the bright yellow, torpedo-sized Remus 600 or the much smaller Remus 100, which are sent off to scan the seabed at depths of up to 600 or 100 metres respectively. After several hours in the water scanning the ocean floor, the submersibles return to their mother ships and the data is then collected downloaded and analysed by the Royal Navy’s mine warfare experts. They can then send in another small submersible, steered onto a suspect object and identified by a mine specialist using its onboard camera. On the front line it would carry an explosive charge to destroy any mines; like the Seafox system used by Royal Navy minehunters off Libya and in the Gulf. The immediate goal for the team is to fit this technology and unmanned sweep systems to a Hunt-class ship, but in the future the system could easily be run from any reasonable-sized warship, and sent anywhere in the world in just 48 hours. The remote controlled system will be tested more widely by the Royal Navy before the end of the year
Wildcat helicopter replacing Royal Navy's Westland Lynx passes first major test
The newest helicopter in the Royal Navy's arsenal came through its toughest test yet as it spent a fortnight taking part in Europe's biggest naval war games.
Wildcat – which will provide the aerial eyes and punch of the Royal Navy's frigates and destroyers for the next quarter of a century – joined HMS Dragon on Exercise Joint Warrior. It is the first time the helicopter – normally based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset with 700W Naval Air Squadron – has spent such a concerted time at sea, and the first time it has taken part in the exercise aboard a ship.
From next year, Wildcat will start to replace the Lynx as the mainstay of aerial operations by the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers, superseding a helicopter which in various variants has served the Fleet Air Arm with distinction for 40 years.
Although it looks similar to its predecessor, Wildcat is a different aircraft, from the way it handles, to the equipment aboard – which is a generation ahead of that on the Lynx.
Wildcat has undergone more than four years of trials which have tested the airframe to the limit and set the rules for what the helicopter can do on and off the flight deck, the emphasis has shifted to how to use Wildcat on the front line – what the military call tactical development.
Wildcat pilot, Lieutenant Dave Neyland, said: "On this deployment our focus was working on tactical development – the chance to be at sea with so many other ships and submarines, from across the world, was not one to be missed."
The nature of Joint Warrior, which features pretty much every facet of naval warfare: submarine, surface, fast-attack craft, amphibious assault – which means it's about as thorough a workout a new helicopter bristling with cutting-edge equipment can hope to find in one place.
So with more than 30 warships and submarines from more than half-a-dozen Allied nations to play with, Wildcat clocked up 26 flying hours in 18 days – in a variety of different environments and weather.
"The range and clarity of the sensors, including the radar and onboard cameras, meant that building the maritime picture was more accurate and faster than in the older Lynx," said Lieutenant Sammy Haynes the Wildcat's observer, who was monitoring the reams of data the helicopter's suite of sensors was picking up.
Later this year Wildcat will go through two months of intensive Operational Sea Training with a Type 23 frigate to prepare ship and helicopter for deployment.
Wildcat is due to be declared operational in early 2015 and is due to deploy for the first time with a Royal Navy warship on the North Atlantic patrol next May – by which time Dragon's second deployment should just about be complete.
After a successful maiden deployment – eight months in the Gulf and eastern Mediterranean – the destroyer is devoting the first half of 2014 to preparing for her second tour of duty.
Following a high-profile visit to her twin town of Cardiff to receive the Freedom of the City and Operational Sea Training, the Type 45 destroyer will deploy again in October – fewer than 12 months after returning from her last operational tour.
"This year has already been another of many firsts for Dragon and we were delighted to assist in this way to bring on the capability of this aircraft," said Captain Iain Lower, the destroyer's commanding officer.
"It was fantastic for all of my sailors to work with the Wildcat team and to have the aircraft aboard a Type 45 for such a long period. A brand new aircraft on the Navy's newest warship is more evidence of the exciting future ahead of us."
http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Afghanistan : 5 soldats britanniques tués dans un crash d'hélicoptère
Cinq soldats britanniques de la Force internationale de l'OTAN en Afghanistan (ISAF) sont morts samedi 26 avril, quand l'hélicoptère dans lequel ils se trouvaient s'est écrasé lors d'un « tragique accident », a indiqué le ministère de la défense à Londres.
« Des événements de ce genre, heureusement rares, nous rappellent les risques encourus par nos soldats dans le cadre de leur travail en Afghanistan, a déclaré le général Richard Felton. Nos pensées vont aux familles et aux proches de ceux qui ont perdu leur vie. » L'hélicoptère Lynx s'est écrasé lors d'un vol de routine dans la province de Kandahar.
Le premier ministre britannique, David Cameron, a également exprimé sa solidarité avec « les familles et amis de ceux qui ont été tués lors de cette terrible tragédie ». « Nous adressons nos pensées et nos prières aux familles et aux proches » des victimes de « cet événement dramatique », avait déclaré auparavant l'ISAF dans un communiqué.
LES TALIBANS REVENDIQUENT, DOUTE SUR LA VÉRACITÉ
Le porte-parole de la police de la province de Kandahar (sud), Zia Durrani, a toutefois affirmé qu'il avait chuté en raison d'une « avarie ». « Vers 11h30 [9 heures à Paris], un hélicoptère de l'OTAN », qui procédait à des « exercices militaires », « s'est écrasé dans le district de Takhta Pul de la province de Kandahar », a-t-il dit.
Un porte-parole des talibans, Abdulqahar Balkhi, a affirmé dans la soirée sur Twitter que l'appareil avait été abattu par les insurgés, mais les rebelles sont parfois prompts à revendiquer des actes qui ne sont pas de leur fait pour en tirer crédit.
Il s'agit de l'incident le plus meurtrier pour l'ISAF depuis la mort de six soldats américains dans la province de Zaboul (sud), quand leur hélicoptère a été abattu par des tirs de talibans, le 17 décembre dernier. Si les accidents d'hélicoptères sont relativement fréquents en Afghanistan, la perte d'appareils sous le feu des talibans est rarissime.
Les rebelles étaient toutefois parvenus à abattre le 6 août 2011 un hélicoptère Chinook, tuant 30 Américains, essentiellement des membres des Navy Seals, et huit Afghans.
messages : 6945 Inscrit le : 18/07/2012 Localisation : paris Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 2 Mai 2014 - 12:29
Citation :
British Army moves on future air defences
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded MBDA a GBP36 million (USD61 million) contract for the assessment phase (AP) for the Land version of the Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS). During the AP, MBDA is required to demonstrate the adaptation and evolution of the core weapon system - including command and control (C2) - for the land environment. The FLAADS Land award follows a GBP250 million production contract placed in September 2014 for Sea Ceptor, with which it shares the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) and associated C2 system. Sea Ceptor will replace the Royal Navy's (RN's) Seawolf point-defence missile system and is to begin deliveries from 2016 for installation in the RN's Type 23 and follow-on Type 26 frigates. For the British Army it is expected that the FLAADS Land will be palletised and mounted on cross-country trucks, with the missiles being soft-launched from a near-vertical position. When fielded, FLAADS Land will eventually replace the Royal Artillery's (RA's) currently deployed Rapier Field Standard C surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), which are currently planned to leave service in 2020. Rapier was originally operated by the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment and 16 Regiment RA, but the army has taken over total responsibility, although the capability is currently stationed at St George's Barracks, North Luffenham, a former RAF station. 16 Regiment RA currently has five batteries and provides the resident Rapier battery to the Standing Military Task in the Falkland Islands. However, the RA is to concentrate all its SAM systems at Thorney Island in Southern England when 16 Regiment RA moves to this location in the near future (an exact date has yet to be made public). The move will consolidate the UK's land-based air defence, as Thorney Island is also the home of 12 Regiment RA equipped with the Thales Starstreak Air Defence High Velocity Missile (HVM) System. 12 Regiment RA has three batteries of the Alvis Stormer-based SP HVM, aligned to the British Army's Reaction Force (RF) and a HVM Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) light role battery. In addition to the two regular RA air defence regiments, the army's air defence units include the Grove Park-based 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment, equipped with the SP HVM and HVM LML. All of the air defence units come under the Joint Ground Based Air Defence (Jt GBAD) headquarters structure based at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. This in turn comes under the operational command of Headquarters Air Command and the co-ordinating authority of the recently formed Force Troop Command. Also included in Jt GBAD is 49 (Inkerman) Battery RA, which is manned by British Army and RAF personnel and provides the Land Environment Air Picture (LEAP) capability. The battery also operates the Saab Giraffe Agile Multi Beam (G-AMB) radar, which provides a sense and warn capability to detect incoming rockets fired at range.
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Sam 3 Mai 2014 - 17:03
Citation :
Les forces britanniques n’ont pas le droit de retenir un combattant taleb pendant plus de 96 heures
Posté dans Afghanistan, Europe, Otan par Laurent Lagneau Le 03-05-2014
Heureusement que l’engagement de l’Otan en Afghanistan se termine. Du moins pour les forces britanniques… En effet, un jugement rendu le 2 mai par la Haute Cour de justice de Londres va leur rendre la tâche plus compliquée dans la mesure où il leur interdit désormais de retenir prisonnier un combattant taleb pendant plus de 96 heures. Au-délà, cela constituerait une violation des droits de l’homme.
Dans un arrêt de 117 pages, le juge Leggatt a estimé que le Convention européenne des droits de l’homme et l’Human Rights Act d’outre-Manche s’appliquent partout où les forces britanniques sont déployées.
Le juge avait à statuer sur le cas de Serdar Mohammed, un chef taleb retenu prisonnier pendant 106 jours par les troupes britanniques présentes dans la province du Helmand. Ce dernier, capturé en 2010, a prétendu avoir été interpellé par des soldats descendus d’un hélicoptère alors qu’il travaillait en famille dans un champ. Il a aussi affirmé avoir eu les « yeux bandés » et eté mordu par un chien militaire.
La version donnée par les militaires britanniques est toute autre. En fait, Serdar Mohammed aurait été arrêté alors qu’il avait pris la fuite à l’issue d’un accrochage. Un chien fut bien lancé à ses trousses pour le maîtriser. Et des armes avaient été retrouvées à proximité du lieu de sa capture.
Interrogé ensuite pendant un mois, il était resté prisonnier des Britanniques pendant quelques temps, étant donné que les autorités afghanes n’avaient pas encore de place de prison pour l’incarcérer. Ce qui sera toutefois fait le 25 juillet 2010.
« Le gouvernement britannique n’avait pas de fondement juridique pour détenir Serdar Mohammed plus de 96 heures », a donc estimé le juge Leggatt, dont la décision permettra au taleb présumé d’être indemnisé au regard du « préjudice » subi.
En clair, et alors qu’en 2009 des tribunaux britanniques s’apprêtaient à interdire le transfert de prisonniers taliban aux autorités afghanes en raison des risques de torture, comme le rappelle le Daily Mail, cela signifie qu’il y aura une obligation de remettre dans la nature des insurgés capturés pour qu’ils puissent reprendre les armes. Un comble…
« Nous ne pouvons pas envoyer nos forces armées dans la bataille avec les deux mains attachées derrière le dos », a réagi, à l’énoncé de ce verdict, Philip Hammond, le ministre britannique de la Défense, qui a par ailleurs fait part de son intention de faire appel.
« Nos troupes doivent être en mesure de détenir nos ennemis qui ne pensent qu’à blesser et à tuer les soldats du Royaume-Uni et des civils innocents. L’on ne peut pas appliquer la la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme sur le champ de bataille, cela limite la capacité de nos troupes à combattre », a encore ajouté M. Hammond. « Nous ne permettrons pas que notre efficacité au combat soit restreinte par ce jugement », a-t-il encore averti.
« Notre liberté d’exploiter des le renseignements obtenus auprès des détenus est essentielle à notre capacité à protéger la vie de civils innocents et nos propres forces », a, de son côté, fait valoir le général Sir Nicholas Houghton, le chef d’état-major des armées britanniques.
BAE Systems has signed a contract extension worth £125 million ($211 million) to maintain, repair and upgrade the Royal Air Force’s Panavia Tornado GR4 fleet until the type’s retirement in 2019.
The revised ‘ATTAC B’ agreement should deliver an overall cost saving of £90 million against the terms of a previous deal, which had been due to expire in 2016, with BAE attributing this to “greater efficiencies in fleet management”. Its total contract for the remaining five-year period of GR4 operations is now worth £490 million, the company says.
BAE Systems
“The investment will ensure our Tornado aircraft continue to be battle-ready for the next five years, as a key part of the RAF’s fast jet fleet,” says UK defence secretary Philip Hammond. “They will continue to form the backbone of our ground attack capability until the [Lockheed Martin F-35] Joint Strike Fighter arrives, and the [Eurofighter] Typhoon’s ground attack capability is fully mature in a few years’ time.”
Flightglobal’s MiliCAS database records the RAF as having a current active inventory of 100 Tornado GR4/4As and eight GR4T trainers.
http://www.flightglobal.com
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
annabi Général de corps d'armée (ANP)
messages : 6945 Inscrit le : 18/07/2012 Localisation : paris Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
ROSYTH, SCOTLAND — Within sight of one of the crowning engineering achievements of Queen Victoria’s reign, Britain’s naval shipbuilding industry is counting down to the launch of a new aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy named after the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth. The warship will be floated for the first time on July 4 in the Babcock-operated dock here as part of an official naming ceremony attended by the queenThe yard is almost within the shadow of the 1890s-built Forth railway bridge. With three F-35 fighter jets due in Britain for the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough air show later in July, there has even been speculation the aircraft could put in an appearance July 4. A BAE Systems spokeswoman played down that suggestion during a visit by reporters here on April 29, saying the only F-35 likely to be seen would be a full-size mock-up on the deck of the new carrier. The two 65,000-ton aircraft carriers under construction will likely never achieve the iconic status of the Forth bridge, but they are the largest warships ever built here. In defense terms, they’re probably second only in terms of complexity to the Astute-class nuclear submarines being built by BAE Systems at Barrow in northern England. For many in the Royal Navy — and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance partnership of BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales UK and the Defence Ministry — there will be a huge sigh of relief come July 4 that the program has reached such a key milestone. Between them, the then-Labour Party administration and the current Conservative-led coalition government have delayed the program by two years, which increased cost, tried to cancel it entirely, and changed their minds twice over the type of F-35 they wanted to operate. Industry has played its part in the program’s problems, too. Costs have spiraled, leading last year to a renegotiation of the contract’s value to £6.2 billion (US $10.4 billion) from the starting figure of roughly £3.8 billion. The warships are being built in modules weighing up to 11,000 tons at yards around the UK, and then floated here for welding together and completion of fitting out. The first module for the Prince of Wales, the second ship, has already been delivered here, and more of the huge blocks will start arriving within days of the first carrier exiting the dock. The current plan is for the Prince of Wales to be structurally complete by July 2016, sea trials to begin in January 2019 and acceptance in August that year. Paul Rafferty, the Aircraft Carrier Alliance project management director, said the partners are looking at how they can pull forward those dates to save money. It’s possible the completion dates could come forward one or two months, executives said. Rafferty said the progress on the build program vindicated the decision to pull together a partnership to deliver the warships. “It has been a success; without it. the project would have had a significantly different outcome,” he said. It’s not yet clear whether the budget-restricted British military can afford to operate both aircraft carriers. At present, the plan is to operate one carrier and mothball or even sell the second. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he favors having both ships available, but will leave the decision to a strategic defense and security review after next year’s general election. For now, though, the attention is on the Queen Elizabeth as the ship starts to emerge from the cocoon of scaffolding and covers that obscure much of the completed structure. The warship is not being traditionally launched here. But the assembly dock will be filled with water, or flooded up, in early July ahead of it being floated out a few days after the naming ceremony to another part of the yard for fitting out. If things proceed to plan, which they often don’t, the Queen Elizabeth is expected to commence sea trials in August 2016 and be accepted by the Navy in May 2017. The Royal Navy expects the ship to be fully operational with a complement of short takeoff, vertical-landing F-35B joint strike fighters, and Merlin anti-submarine warfare and Crows Nest airborne command-and-control helicopters in 2020. The British government has already acquired a handful of F-35s for operational evaluation and training for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force crews who will fly and maintain the aircraft. An order for the first batch of about 14 production aircraft is scheduled for this year. Aviation trials are set to start with the Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopter in 2017, followed in 2018 by the F-35B. Other helicopter types such as the Chinook, Wildcat and Apache will be approved at some stage, as the military has an eye on using the carriers for joint air and littoral maneuver operations. Rafferty said the plan is for the Queen Elizabeth to start F-35B trials with British aircraft stationed in the US. “The current plan is for flight trials to start off the East Coast of the US in the fourth quarter of 2018 ... Royal Navy F-35s have already conducted two sets of trials on the US Navy’s USS Wasp,” an amphibious assault ship, Rafferty said.
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 8 Mai 2014 - 18:23
Spoiler:
Skills test for rapid reaction force snipers
08 May 2014
Snipers from the rapid reaction force test their skills. Photographer Corporal Andy Reddy; Crown copyright.Snipers from the British Army’s rapid reaction force have tested their skills against each other.
Snipers from 16 Air Assault Brigade’s infantry units grouped together on the Stanford Training Area (STANTA) in Norfolk this week. As well as hitting targets at ranges of up to 1,200 metres by day and night, the snipers were tested on close quarter shooting, stalking and their observation and concealment skills.
Among the soldiers taking part were snipers from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, based at Tern Hill in Shropshire, and Colchester-based 2nd and 3rd Battalions The Parachute Regiment and The Pathfinders.
Battlefield role
Snipers fulfil a vital and enduring role on the battlefield, in terms of intelligence-gathering, target identification and eliminating high-value targets. They work in pairs, with the more experienced acting as the spotter, using high quality optics to sight targets and judge wind and elevation to guide the shooter, who is equipped with the powerful and accurate L115A3 rifle.
A 2 PARA sniper, a Corporal, who cannot be named for security reasons, said: “Being a good sniper is about applying to a very high standard the basic skills learnt by every infantry soldier – marksmanship, navigation, observation and field craft.”
The corporal deployed to Afghanistan with 2 PARA in 2010-11.
“On a six month tour I only fired one round,” he said. “We were observing insurgent positions and movements and feeding back what we were seeing to commanders to shape their planning. That requires patience, the ability to interpret what you’re seeing and responsibility, because the information we’re providing as relatively junior soldiers is being acted on by senior officers.”
Precision strike capability
Soldiers learn the art of sniping on a rigorous nine week long course.
A 1 R IRISH Lance Corporal said: “The sniper course is one of the hardest you can do as a soldier. I spent the best part of a year preparing for it and was one of very few people to pass my course. I was determined to complete the training so I could use a weapon system that will maximise the effectiveness of my unit.”
Brigade training officer Captain Spencer James said: “The sniper concentration has been about bringing snipers from all our units together to work on their skills and learn from each other. It has been intensive training that everyone has enjoyed and benefited from. We’ve also tested our sniper pairs to pick out the best two to compete for the brigade in this year’s Tri-Service Sniper Competition.”
Afghanistan has proved the value of snipers and, as the Army adapts to the challenges of future conflict, snipers will have a central role in the structure of units.
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Shervington, Commanding Officer of 3 PARA, said: "Snipers are highly trained and capable personnel that have a key part to play in the modern infantry. As well as offering a precision strike capability, snipers are trained in observation and can provide significant information to improve a commander's understanding of the battlefield.
"As airborne troops we are by design a light and fast unit and to have snipers within our ranks is a significant force multiplier."
http://www.army.mod.uk/news/26259.aspx
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 8 Mai 2014 - 19:15
Citation :
The Royal Anglian Regiment a partagé l’album de 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings).
Exercise ASKARI STROM 5. Kenya 2014
PHOTOS:
annabi Général de corps d'armée (ANP)
messages : 6945 Inscrit le : 18/07/2012 Localisation : paris Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 8 Mai 2014 - 23:22
Citation :
UK extends Sea King ASaC.7 life out to 2018
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has disclosed plans to run on a limited number of Royal Navy (RN) Westland Sea King ASaC.7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) helicopters beyond the March 2016 out-of-service date (OSD) previously set for the UK's entire Sea King fleet. The move all but closes the gap between the retirement of the ASaC.7 and the introduction of the Crowsnest role-fit for the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM.2. Sea King HAR.3/3A helicopters are used by the Royal Air Force for search and rescue (SAR); and by the RN for commando support (HC.4), SAR (HU.5 SAR) and AEW&C (ASaC.7). It was previously planned that the entire inventory would be retired by the end of March 2016 under plans set out in the MoD's future rotary-wing strategy. Announcing the decision to keep a number of ASaC.7 helicopters running beyond that date in a Defence Instructions and Notices bulletin, the MoD said: "The Sea King Mk 3/3A, Mk 4 and Mk 5 will cease operational flying and be withdrawn from service by 31 March 2016. A limited number of Mk 7s will continue operational flying until the third quarter of 2018." IHS Jane's understands that seven ASaC.7 helicopters, to be operated by 849 Naval Air Squadron, will remain in service with the RN through to the second half of 2018. With the current Sea King Integrated Operational Support contract ending in 2016, the MoD is putting bespoke contractual arrangements in place with AgustaWestland and Rolls-Royce for continued support of the ASaC.7 to its revised OSD. The MoD earlier this year confirmed plans to accelerate the replacement Crowsnest programme to achieve an initial operating capability (IOC) in 2019, ensuring organic air surveillance and battlespace management for Carrier Strike from 2020. Current planning assumptions call for the acquisition of 10 roll-on/roll-off Crowsnest kits, with all 30 Merlin HM.2 helicopters receiving 'fit-to-receive' modifications to enable the rapid installation of the ASaC mission package. Lockheed Martin UK Integrated Systems, prime contractor for the Merlin HM.2 upgrade, last year received a GBP24 million (USD41 million) Assessment Phase 3 contract from the MoD to manage a competition between Thales UK and a separate 'firewalled' Lockheed Martin UK team for the design, development and demonstration of the Crowsnest radar and mission system solution. A Main Gate approval is planned for 2016. An MoD spokesperson said: "The decision to extend the life of [the] Sea King Mk 7 was taken in January 2014 and will have no impact on the migration of equipment systems to Merlin or on Crowsnest."
UK deploys destroyer to track large Russian naval task force
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has deployed a destroyer to track an unusually large Russian naval task force transiting the English Channel, it said on Thursday and also noted a "resurgence" in Russian air activity close to its airspace. The Ministry of Defence said the decision to despatch HMS Dragon, one of Britain's newest and most sophisticated ships, to track the Russian naval force was routine and that the Russians had notified it of their transit plans in advance. "What is different here is that a Russian task group of this size has not passed by our shores in some time," Captain Rex Cox, HMS Dragon's commanding officer, said in a statement. Diplomatic relations between Russia and the West have been strained by the crisis in Ukraine, which has revived memories of the Cold War when the military forces of Western Europe were ranged against those of the Soviet Union. The task force included Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, the Ministry of Defence said, as well as a nuclear-powered battle cruiser, a landing support ship, three tankers and a tug. A Russian naval spokesman said last month that the Kuznetsov had completed a deployment in the Mediterranean and was on its way back to its base of Severomorsk in northwest Russia. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond played down the deployment of HMS Dragon, which was despatched in similar circumstances last month to shadow another Russian warship. But when asked by Reuters whether he had noticed an increase in Russian military activity around Britain, he said he had. "We have over the last few years seen a resurgence in Russian air activity," he told reporters at a lunch in parliament, saying the amount of long-range flying the Russians were doing close to Britain was on the increase. "That's a reflection of something which a lot of people have missed or have chosen to miss which is that Russia has been investing very substantially for many years in renewing its fleets, in rebuilding its military capability," said Hammond. Britain scrambled Typhoon fighter jets last month to see off Russian military planes flying close to its airspace off the coast of Scotland, one of a number of such incidents.
Nammo Replaces Roxel on Missile Motor Development for UK Helo
LONDON — Europe’s top rocket motor supplier has been replaced by a Norwegian rival on a missile program destined for Britain’s Royal Navy after the system failed to satisfy performance requirements, according to an industry executive.
Thales UK has switched to a Nammo-made motor for its lightweight multirole missile (LMM) development, ousting Roxel from the program four years after the French company’s UK arm unveiled plans for the new weapon.
A Thales UK spokesperson confirmed the switch to Norwegian rocket motor supplier Nammo but declined to comment further.
Technical problems that were not resolved by Roxel led to the switch, the industry executive said.
Thales appointed Nammo in late 2012, then canceled Roxel in 2013. The move was never made public by any of the parties involved. Thales UK also asked Roxel to pay back funds for the motor’s development.
LMM is a precision-strike, low-cost missile adopted by the British to equip the Royal Navy’s new AW159 Wildcat helicopter with a weapon capable of attacking small boats, fast attack craft and other targets.
A second Thales spokesperson declined to respond to questions about whether the two companies were still in dispute over Roxel’s ousting from the program.
Nobody at Roxel’s headquarters in France was available to respond to questions due to a public holiday celebrating the end of World War II.
The company is a joint venture between MBDA and Safran and has production facilities in Britain and France.
The Belfast, Northern Ireland, arm of Thales UK unveiled the LMM in 2008, revealing a multirole, 28-pound laser beam-riding weapon with a range of over four miles.
Company executives signed a deal with the UK Defence Ministry in 2011 to facilitate the full-scale development and series production of an initial 1,000 missiles for the Wildcat’s Future Anti-surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) (Light) program.
An MoD spokesperson said “Development deliveries of 1,000 LMMs have commenced and there has been no delay to the operational use of the missiles.”
A further contract phase for getting LMM on the Wildcat, expected for 2013, remains unsigned, though that is expected to be rectified within days, industry sources said.
It is not clear whether the issues over the rocket motor have contributed to the delay.
The original plan for LMM envisioned qualification of the weapon in 2013. The Wildcat is on target to enter Royal Navy service in 2015.
Roxel continues to supply rocket motors for Thales UK’s other major program, the Starstreak hypervelocity very-short-range air defense weapon.
The AgustaWestland helicopter remains on schedule for delivery next year, but the FASGW (Light) and a second weapon missile type, FASGW (Heavy), being developed by MBDA for British and French militaries, won’t be available until late 2020.
An integration contract with AgustaWestland for both weapons is expected to rapidly follow the LMM signing.
Fielding FASGW (Heavy) had been held up by French reluctance to commit to the program. That hurdle was overcome this year when the two governments signed a cooperative development program.
Like a number of European defense companies, Roxel is having a tough time with defense budgets under pressure. New orders were significantly down last year compared with 2012 and job cuts are expected.
Europe’s premier rocket motor supplier, though, is having better luck overcoming problems it has had elsewhere in the British missile industry.
In 2012, the company ran into significant technical issues in the development of the Vulcan rocket motor for the latest variant of the Brimstone ground attack missile, known as Brimstone 2.
The National Audit Office, Britain’s government spending watchdog, reported in February that while propellant cracking and liner debonding had delayed the program, there was increased confidence the motor would meet a revised inservice date of November 2015.
Brimstone 2 provides a number of performance and safety improvements, including fitting an insensitive munition compliant rocket motor.
An MBDA spokesman indicated the testing regime on the Vulcan motor was drawing to a successful conclusion.
“The revised rocket motor qualification continues to plan in line with the overall program. The majority of qualification testing has been completed satisfactorily, with only the final environmental test outstanding,” the spokesman said.
It’s Nammo’s second time in recent years coming to the rescue of a missile program.
The company stepped in 2012 to become the second source supplier for Raytheon’s AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) after US supplier ATK ran into problems that resulted in the Pentagon temporarily suspending payments.
Nammo declined to respond to questions on the LMM and AMRAAM programs. ■
http://www.defensenews.com
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Le Husky, véhicule en passe de remplacer les Land Rover au sein des SAS
Depuis plusieurs décennies, la marque Land Rover est étroitement associée à deux figures emblématiques de la Grande Bretagne : Her Majesty la Reine et les SAS. Tandis que la première continue d’affronter les tourbières écossaises de Balmoral au volant de son Defender, les seconds ont finalement décidé de tourner la page et de circuler désormais dans des véhicules plus lourds et mieux protégés. A l’instar d’ailleurs du reste de la British Army…
Après un demi-siècle d’association avec les 4×4 rustiques, les soldats d’élite ont donc décidé de tourner la page Defender et de ses différentes versions qui firent leur joie et leur malheur dans les sables irakiens ou la rocaille afghane. Pour ne parler des opérations les plus récentes, car on se souviendra aussi des morceaux de bravoure écrits par exemple au Yemen, à Aden ou en Malaisie… L’armée britannique dans son ensemble fut également une utilisatrice assidue de ces véhicules dont la réputation de fiabilité ne fut jamais démentie, mais dont l’utilisation récente en Afghanistan donna lieu à quelques débats virulents outre Manche. Les versions Snatch et WMICK, pour ne citer que les principales, n’offraient en effet aucune protection contre les IED ce qui leur valu rapidement le surnom de « cerceuil ». La firme Land Rover ayant elle même annoncé la fin de la production des Defender en 2015, après plus de deux millions de véhicules depuis la première génération apparue en 1948.
En bonne logique, les SAS devraient à présent évoluer sur les 4×4 Husky fabriqués par Navistar Defense et déjà en service au sein de la Britsih army à plus de 350 exemplaires depuis 2009. Les purs et durs se consoleront en se souvenant que cela fait maintenant un bail que Land Rover n’est plus vraiment une marque britannique : vendu à BMW en 1994, le fabricant de 4×4 était ensuite passé sous le contrôle de Ford en 2000 avant d’atterrir dans l’escarcelle de l’indien Tata en mars 2008. O tempora, o mores…
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 15 Mai 2014 - 16:11
Citation :
Le ministre britannique de la Défense veut autoriser les femmes à servir dans les unités de combat
Posté dans Europe par Laurent Lagneau Le 14-05-2014
Comme l’ont fait récemment l’Australie et les Etats-Unis, le Royaume-Uni pourrait autoriser le personnel féminin de ses forces armées à servir au sein d’unités dites de « mêlée » comme le sont celles de l’infanterie et l’arme blindée cavalerie ainsi que, bien évidemment, les forces spéciales.
Le ministre britannique de la Défense, Philip Hammond, a en effet indiqué, la semaine passée, réfléchir à cette option. « Je pense que, à un moment où les Américains, les Canadiens, voire même les Français – et bien évidemment les Israéliens depuis des années – ont des femmes dans leurs unités de combat, c’est quelque chose que nous devons examiner », a-t-il affirmé.
Pour M. Hammond, il ne s’agit pas d’ouvrir ces unités parce que « des milliers de femmes brûlent se battre ». En fait, il trouve dommageable que certains spécialités soient fermées à celles qui répondraient à toutes exigences nécessaires pour y servir.
En 2011, le ministre australien de la Défense, qui était alors Stephen Smith, avait avancé les mêmes arguments. Il est « tout à fait réaliste que les femmes puissent servir en première ligne », avait-il dit, car « ces postes doivent être attribués en fonction des capacités mentales et physiques, et non en fonction du sexe, afin de changer une culture militaire dominée par les hommes ». En plus, avait-il ajouté, cela « ouvrirait « aux femmes tous les postes de commandement, et c’est une chose sans doute positive ».
« Le signal que nous voulons envoyer est que toutes les branches des forces armées sont ouvertes, sans distinction de sexe », a déclaré M. Hammond, selon l’agence Reuters. « L’armée passe, je pense, pour être le dernier bastion du machisme alors que la réalité est très différente », a-t-il dit.
Un rapport visant à étudier cette question a été commandé au chef d’état-major de la British Army, le général Peter Wall. Ses conclusions sont attendues d’ici la fin de cette années.
Sans doute évoquera-t-il le cas du sergent Chantelle Taylor, une jeune infirmière du Royal Army Medical Corps dont le convoi était tombé dans une embuscade en Afghanistan, en 2008. Dans un livre qu’elle a publié il y a près de 3 ans, elle a raconté comment elle avait dû faire le coup de feu et tuer un insurgé taleb pour sauver sa vie.
Cette déclaration de Philip Hammond a été faite quelques jours après la présentation des trois premières femmes déclarées aptes à servir à bord d’un sous-marin nucléaire lanceur d’engins (SNLE). Une première dans l’histoire de la Royal Navy. Son homologue français, Jean-Yves Le Drian, a récemment fait une annonce allant dans le même sens.
messages : 14755 Inscrit le : 07/09/2009 Localisation : Maroc Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 16 Mai 2014 - 13:04
Citation :
Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer HMS Defender fires MBDA Sea Viper missile for the first time
Leaving its launcher on the forecastle of HMS Defender is Sea Viper – the Royal Navy’s principal shield against air attack. Seconds after bursting free from its silo, the 310kg (683lb) missile was hurtling through the Atlantic skies at nearly four times the speed of sound.
Its prey was a Mirach drone – a 13ft remote-controlled jet which flies at speeds of up to of 530kts (more than 600mph) from altitudes as low as 10ft or as high as 40,000ft
It was smashed clean out of the sky by Sea Viper, proving the Portsmouth-based warship’s ability to live up to her name and defend the Fleet.
“This is the highlight of my Naval career and the culmination of months of hard work for my section. It has been really pleasing to put years of training into action,” said a delighted Chief Petty Officer Engineering Technician (Weapon Engineer) ‘Nobby’ Hall, Defender’s Sea Viper maintainer. The successful missile firing is the final act in two years of intensive training by the 190-strong ship’s company and means Defender is now ready to deploy on operations around the world, like HMS Daring, Dauntless, Diamond and Dragon before her.
“HMS Defender has today proven her worth as the Royal Navy’s ultimate air defender,” said her Commanding Officer Commander Phil Nash.
“I am extremely proud of my ship’s company who have worked tirelessly to make this firing a success.
“We now look forward to our first operational deployment, defending the UK’s interests wherever tasked around the world.”
The Sea Viper system is a quantum leap forward from the Sea Dart missile on the now-decommissioned class of Type 42 destroyers Defender and her sisters have replaced.
The Sampson radar system on top of the ship’s main mast can track hundreds of contacts in the skies up to 250 miles away.
And the Sea Viper itself can intercept incoming targets at ranges up to 20 and 75 miles depending on which version is used, manoeuvring for the kill at G Forces no human could endure.
The combination of the radar and missile mean Defender can engage a large number of targets simultaneously – and defend aircraft carriers or task groups – against current and future threats from the air.
HMS Defender is now returning to Portsmouth to undertake a short period of maintenance and some well-earned leave for her sailors, before departing the UK on her first operational deployment. The sixth and final Type 45 destroyer, HMS Duncan, is undergoing training ahead of her first Sea Viper firing and maiden deployment.
http://www.navyrecognition.com/
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
silent eagle Lt-colonel
messages : 1247 Inscrit le : 17/04/2012 Localisation : somewhere Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Ven 16 Mai 2014 - 21:15
HMS Artful - Astute class
_________________
MAATAWI Modérateur
messages : 14755 Inscrit le : 07/09/2009 Localisation : Maroc Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Sam 17 Mai 2014 - 12:52
Citation :
F-35B To Fly At Christening Of Brits’ Newest Aircraft Carrier, If Weather OK
WASHINGTON: Do not expect any official confirmation, but the British will allow Lockheed Martin’s F-35B to make its first flight outside of the United States on July 4 when the country’s newest aircraft carrier is christened by Her Majesty the Queen.
Apparently eager not to disappoint Queen Elizabeth, should the plane not be able to fly in the Scottish weather, and desirous of keeping the media’s focus on the majestic carrier upon which she will be cracking a bottle of Champagne open, the powers that be have decided not to confirm or deny that the aircraft will be on hand. (Could the Queen Elizabeth be christened with a good single malt Scotch, given the locale? Also, the Royal Navy no longer calls them christenings; it’s officially a naming ceremony. Sigh.)
The push to give the F-35B such a high profile in Britain — and thus around the world — originated with Gen. James Amos, the Marine Commandant and a pilot. Being a canny fellow, Amos recognized how a fly-by at the new carrier’s christening could boost the plane’s fortunes and he pushed hard for it. The Royal Navy balanced the goodness of hosting a fly-by of the plane that will help make their new carrier such a potent weapon, against the possibility the flight would overshadow the carrier.
Bottom line: the carrier is a certainty and there are still forces that might curtail purchase of the F-35Bs, so the decision was made to go ahead. You can be sure that BAE Systems, prime contractor on the carrier and one of the most important subcontractors on the F-35 program
pushed hard for the plane to fly and the company boasts significant political heft because of the large number of jobs resulting from from work on the carrier and the F-35.
The “naming ceremony” will be held at Rosyth, the famed ship yards on the Firth of Forth. Flight trials of the F-35B from the Queen Elizabeth are due to start in 2018. After the christening, the F-35B is also scheduled to fly at the Royal International Air Tattoo and then at the Farnborough Air Show.
What are the odds for the christening flight? I checked weather statistics for July in Rosyth and they aren’t too gloomy. The month of July has an average of 10.4 rainy days. You can bet the Met will keep an especially close eye on the weather in Rosyth this July 4. Good luck, Ma’am.
http://breakingdefense.com
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
MAATAWI Modérateur
messages : 14755 Inscrit le : 07/09/2009 Localisation : Maroc Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
BAE Systems has launched "Artful" third Astute class submarine for Royal Navy
BAE Systems has launched Artful, the latest state-of-the-art submarine into the dock at its site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The 97m long, 7,400 tonne nuclear-powered attack submarine - officially named at a ceremony in September last year - began edging out of BAE Systems’ giant construction hall on Friday 16 May and was carefully lowered into the water on Saturday 17 May.
Artful, the third of seven highly complex Astute class submarines being designed and built for the UK Royal Navy, will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning process ahead of sea trials next year. BAE Systems has launched Artful, the latest state-of-the-art submarine into the dock at its site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The 97m long, 7,400 tonne nuclear-powered attack submarine - officially named at a ceremony in September last year - began edging out of BAE Systems’ giant construction hall on Friday 16 May and was carefully lowered into the water on Saturday 17 May. Artful, the third Astute class submarine, is launched. Picture: BAE Systems
Stuart Godden, Astute Programme Director for BAE Systems, said: “The launch of Artful is another significant step forward in the Astute programme.
“Building on past experiences we’ve been able to launch her in the most advanced state of construction of any submarine to be built in Barrow. This allows us to now fully concentrate on the test and commissioning activities required to get her to sea.
“Moving a submarine of this size from its build hall to the water is very challenging. It’s testament to the experience and careful planning of the team involved that Artful is now ready for the next phase in her programme.
“Witnessing a submarine move out of the hall and be readied for launch is truly inspiring and a source of great pride to the thousands who have played a part in getting Artful to this stage.”
Artful will now undergo a series of complex tests to prove the safety and operability of its systems before it departs BAE Systems’ site for sea trials.
The Ministry of Defence’s Director Submarines, Rear Admiral Mike Wareham, said:
“The Astute programme is making real progress and the sight of the third submarine afloat in the water is a reflection of the hard work of both the MOD and industry.
“The launch of this submarine brings it a step closer to entering into service where it will provide a key capability for the Royal Navy and an essential component of the Submarine Service into the future.”
BAE Systems, the prime contractor in the Astute programme, is the UK's only designer and builder of nuclear powered submarines - one of the most complex engineering programmes in the world today.
The first two submarines in the Astute class – HMS Astute and HMS Ambush – have now been handed over to the UK Royal Navy, while the remaining five are in various stages of construction.
BAE Systems is also leading on the design of a replacement to the Vanguard class of submarine, working alongside the UK's Ministry of Defence, Rolls Royce and Babcock on a programme that now employs more than 2,000 people – of which approximately 1,400 are from BAE Systems. This number is expected to grow significantly throughout 2014 as the programme continues to gather momentum.
http://www.navyrecognition.com
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
jf16 General de Division
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
C’est le lieutenant-colonel Martin David, officier de liaison britannique à l’EMAT qui le précisait la semaine dernière à quelques journalistes français de l’AJD (Association des journalistes de la Défense) dont FOB faisait partie, en visite aux forces armées britanniques : dans le cadre de leur « medium weight capability », une compagnie d’infanterie mécanisée, à savoir le 4 Riffles viendra en France pendant plus de 6 mois tester le VBCI français.
Première remarque: il s’agit d’une formule inédite et particulièrement poussée à la fois pour les Britanniques et les Français, rendue possible par les accords de Lancaster House et la coopération bilatérale réaffirmée entre les deux pays. De septembre 2014 à Mars 2015, soit pendant 7 mois, une compagnie britannique entière, soit environ 130 soldats, viendra se former à l’utilisation du VBCI (Véhicule blindé de combat d’infanterie de Nexter et RTD).
Au menu: ils suivront, tout comme les soldats français exactement la même formation (ou « transformation », relire l’article de FOB ici), à la prise en main du véhicule français de combat d’infanterie à Canjuers. La formation se déroulera en deux temps: à Canjuers pour la formation des équipages puis à Mourmelon pour un entraînement collectif au combat embarqué/débarqué avec le 1er Régiment de Tirailleur, utilisant les centres de formations de l’armée française (Centac, Cenzub…).
Pourquoi une campagne de test aussi poussée ? En fait, le VBCI vient véritablement bousculer les habitudes britanniques. Car la Royal Army ne dispose pas dans ses concepts d’emploi de capacité de combat embarqué. Il s’agit donc pour eux d’une véritable petite révolution. Il faut donc le temps que les équipages prennent en main le véhicule mais également que les Français leur apprennent l’intérêt du combat embarqué, d’où l’entraînement collectif avec le 1er Tirailleur. À l’issue de ces 7 mois de formation, le 4 Riffles testera pendant 2 à 3 semaines, entre avril et mai 2015, les véhicules français sur une vingtaine de blindés VBCI mis à disposition par l’armée de terre. Outre le fait que les Britanniques ne soient pas habitués aux véhicules blindés à roues (le VBCI pourrait remplacer le chenillé Warrior), c’est donc surtout une nouvelle forme de combat que la Royal Army souhaite découvrir. Car très impressionnée par le déploiement du VBCI au Mali, notamment en terme de mobilité, l’Army est très intéressée par ces nouvelles capacités. Cette formation renforce également la Common Joint Expeditionnary Force (CJEF), force binationale franco-britannique qui sera opérationnelle dès 2016. Reste qu’au Royaume Uni, aucun besoin n’est encore formellement exprimé. Cette découverte pendant près de 8 mois, en France, du véhicule et de son utilisation doit venir aider l’armée Anglaise à définir son besoin. Puis s’en suivra un appel d’offres. On est donc encore loin d’une acquisition formelle du VBCI par l’armée de sa Majestée, mais une étape importante se précise.
En plein processus de transformation, l’armée de terre anglaise se montre réellement intéressée par cette capacité de projection stratégique que rend possible le VBCI. Tant qu’au système d’arme, ils vont regarder de près le 25 mm mais pourraient se tourner vers une tourelle CTAI 40 mm. A priori, rien d’impossible, même plus encombrante, l’industriel Nexter a déjà mené des études d’intégration de tourelle plus importante sur son véhicule blindé.
messages : 38767 Inscrit le : 20/10/2010 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Mer 28 Mai 2014 - 20:07
Citation :
British Army a partagé l’album de HQ London District - The Army in London.
Her Majesty The Queen has presented the Household Cavalry with new Standards today, as part of the Standards Parade, which happens only once every ten years. It was rare opportunity for the public to see both armoured and mounted regiments of the Household Cavalry together in the capital.
THE QUEEN PRESENTS STANDARDS TO THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY
THE QUEEN PRESENTS STANDARDS TO THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY
Pictured: Her Majesty The Queen presented the Household Cavalry with new Standards today. The Standards and Colours of regiments in the British Army are the brightly coloured banners that were once used as a rallying point on the battlefield. In the modern era, past Battle Honours of each regiment are embroidered on the Standards in order to remind the officers and soldiers of the heritage of their Regiment.
The Standards presented today act as a spiritual centre of the regiment for they bear the battle honours granted in commemoration of gallant deeds, enduring service, and sacrifice that the Household Cavalry has made over the past three and a half centuries.
PHOTOS:
Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot) MOD / Crown Copyright 2014.
RED BISHOP Modérateur
messages : 11955 Inscrit le : 05/04/2008 Localisation : france Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces Jeu 29 Mai 2014 - 13:36
Mar 18 Déc 2012 - 14:24
Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
.....
MOD / Crown Copyright 2014.
