Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

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Citation :: Commercial Sale of Type 22 Frigates

(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.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/141126/uk-to-sell-off-four-type-22-frigates.html

Citation :: British Army

Gunners from 26 Regiment Royal Artillery have carried out live fire training on Sennelager Training Area in Germany.

The three week exercise was designed to enable the Regiment to return its core role of operating the AS90 after a decade employed on 105mm
Light Guns. The exercise tested gun crews and fire support teams for future operational needs, focusing on tactics, operating procedures and the
manoeuvring of the armoured vehicles around the training area.

Citation :

16 Air Assault Brigade a ajouté 12 nouvelles photos.

Gurkhas lead UK contribution to NATO exercise in Latvia

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) have deployed to Latvia to take part in a multinational exercise alongside NATO partners.

Exercise Saber Strike, now in its fifth year, will see soldiers from across the alliance conducting exercises in Eastern Europe. The UK is providing 230 troops to take part alongside troops from the US, Baltic and Scandinavian states.

Lt. Col. Marcus Reedman, commanding officer of 2 RGR said, ‘As part of the UK’s very high-readiness brigade, this training is vital to understanding how our allies work and what we can offer each other on operations. The ability to train and operate effectively within a coalition based upon NATO allies remains the foundation of our capability. Exercises such as this enhance that interoperability and strengthen personal relationships.’

2 RGR, who became part of 16 Air Assault Brigade at the start of June, are a light role infantry formation, used to dismounted fighting. Exercise Saber Strike will see them learning new skills involving working alongside tanks, vehicles and aircraft from across NATO.

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Citation :

British Army

Exercise Prairie Storm is a Battlegroup level exercise held on the prairies of Alberta, Canada.

The Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup spent four weeks at The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS), the Army’s largest armoured training
area, conducting training on a wide range of weapon systems and vehicles, including the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and the Warrior infantry
fighting vehicle.

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Citation :: UK MoD launches new project to develop future military communications system

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a new project to develop a new approach to land and littoral communications that will support the future military operations.
Dubbed Morpeheus, the project aims to consider and develop options to replace the existing ageing Bowman tactical communications system, and eventually address the requirements of the UK Army, Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force Regiment.
The MoD is inviting academics and businesses, especially small medium enterprises involved in areas such as telecommunications, wireless, IT, networks and security to feed expertise and ideas on new technological approaches into the project

In particular, the project will establish options that make the best use of current and emerging technology to develop a system that can be evolved and managed in a cost-effective manner.
The Morpheus Systems House, led by PA Consulting and comprising QinetiQ, Roke Manor Research and CGI, has been tasked to draw together different ideas proposed by the participants into potential options.
QinetiQ Morpeheus project lead Rick Mather said: "The key here is to examine all the potential options out there to identify the most operationally effective and cost-effective solutions.
"We know there are lots of really exciting technology and security SMEs, as well as academics, doing exactly the kind of research and innovation this project needs. We also know a lot of them think that these kinds of contracts always go to the same old defence companies.
"That's not the case here, we're really open to innovative, and even unusual solutions to ensure that the final options are the best possible."
Outlining which technologies and software are needed to securely get information from point A to B, the range of options will be addressed by the Morpheus Systems House, with the most appropriate long-term business models for acquisition and operation.
The selection process will consider account security, speed of communication, range, ease of use and cost, as well as deployment and manpower required for operation.
Beyond the design phase, the project is also expected to serve as the main vehicle for the procurement of the UK Armed Forces' tactical communications capability for the next 30 years.
http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsuk-mod-launches-new-project-to-develop-future-military-communications-system-4606166

Citation :

British Army

The First Fusiliers Battlegroup have recently deployed onto the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) training area, in Alberta, Canada, for the start of Exercise Prairie Storm.

This is the second Prairie Storm exercise of the year which will see elements of the battlegroup conduct two weeks of training on live fire ranges. After this they will move onto further training within a realistic environment provided by Tactical Engagement Simulation (TES) equipment and training scenarios provided by a team of skilled actors.

Throughout the TES training the battlegroup will face an opposition force provided by The Queens Royal Hussars.

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Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces - Page 25 1a48

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Citation :: 16 Air Assault Brigade a ajouté 3 nouvelles photos.

2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment were on target with the Javelin anti-tank missile.
The troops fired four missiles during training for new members of the Anti-Tank Platoon at the Otterburn Ranges in Northumbria this week.
The Javelin is intended primarily to destroy tanks and light armoured vehicles, but also provides a potent, all-weather, day or night capability
against fixed defences such as bunkers and buildings. It is designed to be both operated and carried by a two-man crew.
Javelin is the most potent and precise weapon system carried by the airborne infantry of 2 PARA in their role in the Air Assault Task Force,
which is ready to deploy anywhere in the world to conduct the full range of military operations.

Photos: Sgt Allen, MoD Crown Copyright

Citation :: €211 million cannon contract signed for UK Scout SV and Warrior armoured fighting vehicles

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £150 million (€211 million, $234 million) contract to supply a new cannon capability for the UK Armed Forces. The Cased Telescope (CT) cannon will be fitted to the Scout SV, the Army’s first fully digitised armoured fighting vehicle, and the in-service Warrior infantry fighting vehicle. The 40mm cannon will be able to use a variety of ammunition to defend the vehicles and destroy a range of battlefield targets.

The production contract was signed by the MoD and CTA International (CTAI), a joint venture between the UK’s BAES and French company Nexter. The contract will supply 515 CT Cannons for fitting to the Scout SV and Warrior platforms. It will also supply initial spares, special tools, test equipment and some early training equipment.

Speaking at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

Today I can announce we have signed a £150 million contract to fit the Scout with a new Cased Telescope cannon providing it with unrivalled firepower and a new “airburst ammunition” capability.

Scout is a vehicle not only fit for our fleet but fit for our future force.

The UK and France have worked together on the CT Cannon and Ammunition project under a Memorandum of Understanding and Technical Arrangement first signed on 10 Sep 2009, sharing equally the costs of the work to qualify the CT Cannon and ammunition.

MOD Chief of Materiel, (Land), Lieutenant General Sir Chris Deverell, said:

Signing the CT Cannon production contract is a major milestone for the UK’s Armed Forces. It provides unrivalled firepower, a significantly reduced logistic burden and a new airburst ammunition capability.

The SCOUT SV is a program for the British Army to provide a new generation of light tracked armoured vehicle. The Scout SV program is lead by the Company General Dynamics UK with the goal to replace the CVRT (light armoured vehicle) fleet of the British Army.

The new French Jaguar EBRC Combat and Reconnaissance Armoured vehicle will also be fitted with the CTA International 40mm CT cannon.

http://www.armyrecognition.com/july_2015_global_defense_security_news_uk/%E2%82%AC211_million_cannon_contract_signed_for_uk_scout_sv_and_warrior_armoured_fighting_vehicles_30207151.html

Citation :: A400M deliveries continue, as UK receives third airlifter

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
05 July 2015

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has received into service the third of 22 Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 6 July.

The airlifter arrived at its homebase at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, having completed pre-delivery trials at the Seville final assembly line in Spain, where it had been held up for some weeks following the fatal crash on 9 May of an aircraft destined for Turkey. There are currently three further aircraft at Seville, which are due to be flown to the United Kingdom in the coming days and weeks.

It is anticipated that the RAF will have received its first seven aircraft by the end of September, at which point the service will declare initial operating capability (IOC) for the type. All 22 aircraft are scheduled to be in service by 2022, to coincide with the retirement of the planned Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules.

The RAF's 206 Squadron is currently testing the first A400Ms to arrive at RAF Brize Norton, with crews to be trained by 24 Squadron. Once trained, these personnel will be assigned to the first operational A400M unit: 70 Squadron. A second operational unit (expected to be 30 Squadron, but not yet confirmed) is due to be stood up in 2018.

The arrival of the third A400M for the RAF comes just days after Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Dunne, announced that testing national capabilities will commence at the end of July. The RAF is to roll out its A400M capabilities in a series of tranches: Tranche 1 comprising basic strategic airlift (2015); Tranche 2 involving non-permissive operations and inter-theatre operations (from 2016), as well as deployable intra-theatre capability (from 2017); Tranche 3 will involve tactical transport, including airdrops (from late 2017); and Tranche 4 involving advanced capabilities and full support to the Airborne Assault Task Force (from 2018 to 2022).

http://www.janes.com/article/52768/a400m-deliveries-continue-as-uk-receives-third-airlifter

Citation :

British Army a ajouté 6 nouvelles photos.

Infantry troops are set to benefit from a new body armour system which will increase agility and make it easier to carry heavy kit.

The new Virtus system uses the latest materials and offers the same protection as Osprey body armour but is significantly lighter, moves with the body more easily and produces a slimmer profile. The amount of protection employed can be scaled up or down to match the type of threat by adding or removing soft armour pads and hard ballistic plates.

A new, lighter helmet will provide increased blunt impact protection, face and mandible guards for certain roles and a shape that is designed to work with the armour and daysack so weapons can be comfortably used even in a prone position.

One of the most radical innovations is an integral 'spine' - the 'dynamic weight distribution' system. The device is linked to the user’s waist belt and helps spread the load of the body armour, a Bergen or daysack across the back, shoulders and hips.

The system also employs a new quick-release mechanism – a pin positioned on the chest that when pulled releases the entire body kit.

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Demonstration troops move around on a foot patrol to give profile shots of the equipment being worn. Photographer Steve Dock; Crown copyright.
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Citation :: UK completes transition of Merlin from RAF to RN

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
08 July 2015

The United Kingdom officially completed the transfer of the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HC.3/3A troop transport helicopter from the Royal Air Force (RAF) to the Royal Navy (RN) during a ceremony held on 9 July.

The ceremony, which took place at the type's former home station of RAF Benson, saw the last of the 25 helicopters transition from the RAF's Merlin Force over to the RN's Commando Helicopter Force (CHF).

During the event, 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, which operated the platform for the air force, was re-rolled as the new Boeing Chinook and Westland Puma operational conversion unit at RAF Benson under the designation 28 (Reserve) Squadron, while the RN stood up 845 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) as the service's second Merlin unit, to be located at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton alongside the already constituted 846 NAS.

The decision to transfer the Merlins from RAF to RN control was one of the initiatives announced during the Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) in 2010. The transition features a GBP445 million (USD685 million) Merlin Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP) that includes converting the current HC.3/3As into the HC.4/4A configuration. Major features of this programme comprise the fitting of folding main-rotor blades and tail boom for shipborne operations, as well as a new 'glass' cockpit for commonality with the RN's Merlin HMA.2 and AW159 Lynx Wildcat.

While the Merlin will replace the Westland Commando (Sea King) HC.4 platforms that are being retired from RN service in March 2016, they themselves will be replaced in RAF service by 14 new Chinook HC.6 helicopters.

http://www.janes.com/article/52862/uk-completes-transition-of-merlin-from-raf-to-rn

Citation :: Lockheed Martin To Offer Converted C-130Js As Maritime Patrollers

RNAS YEOVILTON, U.K. — Lockheed Martin is to offer a U.K-specific variant of its SC-130J Sea Hercules to Britain, as the U.K. looks to re-generate a maritime patrol capability. The company says it could convert the U.K. Royal Air Force’s existing fleet of C-130J airlifters into SC-130Js, reducing procurement costs and technical risks, company officials told Aviation Week on the eve of the RNAS Yeovilton Air Day. The company plans to formally announce its plans in the coming ..

http://aviationweek.com

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Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces - Page 25 Star3

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Citation :: Le Premier ministre britannique veut plus de drones, d’avions de renseignement et de forces spéciales

Posté dans Europe, Politique de défense par Laurent Lagneau Le 13-07-2015

Selon des statistiques récemment publiées par le Treasury’s Public Expenditure and Statistical Analysis, les dépenses militaires du Royaume-Uni sont passées sous la barre des 2% du PIB au cours de ces 5 dernières années. Depuis 2010 et l’arrivée de David Cameron au 10 Downing Street, les forces armées britanniques ont dû se serrer le ceinturon, avec, à la clé, une réduction de leur format (les effectifs de la British Army sont passés de 102.000 à 82.000 hommes) et des pertes capacitaires, notamment dans le domaine des avions de patrouille maritime.

Fin mai, de nouvelles coupes budgétaires, d’un montant de 500 millions de livres sterling ont été annoncées. Mais elles auraient pu être pires, à en croire Michael Fallon, le ministre de la Défense (MoD). Selon ce dernier, le Trésor britannique réclamait beaucoup plus.

Cependant, réélu lors des dernières élections générales, David Cameron a promis, la semaine dernière, que le Royaume-Uni consacrerait 2% de son PIB à ses forces armées pour les 10 prochaines années. Reste à voir comment cet argent sera investi. Pour le savoir, il faut attendre la publication de la Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR).

Mais M. Cameron a donné des indications ce 13 juillet, avant de se rendre à la base de Waddington, où sont pilotés les drones MQ-9 Reaper du 39 Squadron de la Royal Air Force, engagés dans l’opération Shader, en Irak.

« J’ai chargé les chefs de la Défense et de la Sécurité d’examiner spécifiquement la manière dont nous pouvons faire plus pour contrer la menace que constitue l’EI et l’extrémisme islamiste », a ainsi déclaré M. Cameron, dans un communiqué diffusé ce 13 juillet.

« Cela pourrait comprendre plus d’avions espions, de drones et de forces spéciales. Au cours des cinq ans qui viennent de s’écouler, j’ai pu constater à quel point il s’agissait d’atouts vitaux pour assurer notre sécurité », a ajouté le Premier ministre britannique.

Les forces britanniques sont déjà bien loties en la matière. Ainsi, la Royal Air Force dispose de 10 drones MQ-9 Reaper pouvant être armés, de 5 avions Raytheon Sentinel R1, qui devraient être toutefois retirés du service en 2018, de 6 Beechcraft Super King Air « Shadow » et de bientôt 3 Boeing RC-135W « Rivet Joint » (ou « Airseeker »).

Plus largement, la prochaine SDSR devrait mettre l’accent sur le terrorisme mais aussi sur « l’agressivité grandissante de la Russie » ainsi que sur la cyberdéfense.

« En tant que Premier ministre, je mettrais toujours la sécurité de notre pays au premier rang des priorités. Voilà pourquoi il est juste que nous consacrons 2% de notre PIB à la Défense parce que cet investissement contribue à nous garder en sécurité. Il n’est possible que parce que des décision difficiles ont été prises pour nous assurer une économie forte », a insisté M. Cameron.

http://opex360.fr/

Citation :: British Army: 40 per cent of servicewomen sexually harassed in the last year

A new report has found that women aren't reporting experiences of sexual harassment in the British Army for fear of damaging their career prospects

Almost 40 per cent of servicewomen in the British Army have received unwanted comments about their looks or sexuality in the past year, a new survey has found.
The report, which polled 7,000 soldiers, found that more than one in ten (13 per cent) of women had suffered a “particularly upsetting experience”.
A third (33 per cent) of women said someone had made unwelcome attempts to talk to them about sexual matters. While 12 per cent said a colleague had made unwelcome attempts to touch them.
Almost two-thirds of those who responded to the survey, commissioned by the Army, said the incident had occurred in their base or training unit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-business/11736072/British-Army-sexual-harassment-40-per-cent-of-women-experience-it.html

Citation :: Chypre: deux missiles tombent d'un avion militaire britannique, pas de dégâts

AFP 15/07/2015

Deux missiles sont tombés mercredi d'un avion militaire qui rentrait d'opération sur une base britannique du sud de Chypre, sans causer de dégâts, ont indiqué des responsables.
Le tarmac a été fermé après que deux missiles Brimstone se sont détachés d'un avion lors de l'atterrissage sur la base de la Royal Air Force (RAF) d'Akrotiri, aux environs de la ville de Limassol.

Le porte-parole des forces britanniques, Kristian Gray, a expliqué qu"au moment d'atterrir sur le tarmac en revenant d'un vol d'opération, deux missiles Brimstone se sont détachés d'un appareil GR4. Ils n'ont pas détonné et personne n'a été blessé".

Des experts du ministère britannique de la Défense ont été chargés d'enlever ces deux missiles de la base, sur laquelle la Grande-Bretagne est souveraine depuis l'indépendance de l'île méditerranéenne en 1960.
"A ce que l'on sait, c'est la première fois que cela se produit, et les causes ne sont pas très claires, l'enquête se poursuit", a ajouté M. Gray.

Les missiles Brimstone sont spécifiquement faits pour détruire les véhicules blindés et les chars en mouvement.
La base britannique souveraine d'Akrotiri - l'une des plus grandes que possède la Grande-Bretagne à l'étranger - est utilisée pour des opérations militaires et de surveillance contre le groupe jihadiste Etat islamique (EI) en Irak.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/article/934656/chypre-deux-missiles-tombent-dun-avion-militaire-britannique-pas-de-degats.html

Citation :: British soldiers will take part in a multi-national military training exercise in Ukraine.
Published: Thursday, 16 July 2015 09:21

The US and Ukraine -led exercise, named Rapid Trident 2015, brings British soldiers together with troops from several other partner nations in the west of the country. The 11-day exercise, starting on 20 July, is designed to promote regional stability and security, strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capacity, and build trust between participating nations.

It also aims to improve the ability of Ukraine and partner nations to conduct joint operations, and to develop the capacity of our partners in Eastern Europe to contribute to international peacekeeping operations.

The British Army is sending Battle Group Headquarters staff and an infantry platoon from 1st Battalion The Rifles, a total of around 50 personnel, to provide vital training and contribute to the mission command headquarters.

The UK’s participation in this exercise follows the recent delivery by the RAF of a significant package of equipment support to increase the resilience of Ukrainian troops, and the Secretary of State’s announcement that the UK will step up its infantry training programme in the country.

n the first phase of the exercise UK personnel will train partner nations’ troops in essential tactics, such as reacting to contact with enemy forces. Battle Group Headquarters staff will also contribute to a command post exercise, testing the ability of commanders to lead operations alongside soldiers and officers from other nations.

In the second phase, British soldiers will join in a number of joint field training exercises to test and evaluate the skills shared in phase one, while Battle Group Headquarters staff will form part of a US-led battalion headquarters.

While the purpose of this training is to develop the capacity of participating soldiers to take part in international peacekeeping operations, the skills being shared are essential tasks for any defence force as they will need to protect themselves and personnel under their protection.

This is the 13th Rapid Trident exercise, which was first conducted in 1998, and will be the ninth time the UK has participated.

http://www.armyrecognition.com/july_2015_global_defense_security_news_uk/british_soldiers_will_take_part_in_a_multi-national_military_training_exercise_in_ukraine_11607153.html

Citation :: Royal Navy a ajouté 4 nouvelles photos.

This a Wildcat firing a torpedo for the first time.

825 Naval Air Squadron spent two days over Falmouth Bay practising torpedo attacks, culminating in the launch of a dummy weapon.

The Wildcat is beginning to enter front-line service – the first is currently on deployment with HMS Lancaster in the Atlantic – and although it’s
undergone extensive trials and testing over the past five years, until now it’s not dropped a torpedo.

Citation :: 'Procedural drift' largely to blame for fatal UK Lynx crash in Afghanistan, report finds

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
16 July 2015

The loss of a British Army AgustaWestland Lynx AH.9A utility helicopter over Afghanistan in 2014 was in large part caused by 'procedural drift' on the part of the operating unit as the conflict began to wind down, an official investigation has found.

The redacted Military Aviation Authority (MAA) investigation report, which was released on 16 July, found that while controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) was the ultimate reason behind the loss of aircraft ZF540 and its five crew members on 26 April 2014, poor procedures were contributing factors.

"I [the president of the investigation board] therefore support the Panel's findings that the accident was a controlled flight into terrain event caused by the aircraft being established in a descent from which it was not fully recovered prior to impact with the ground (…) Of note, the accident occurred during a period of reduced operational tempo as the campaign approached its culmination, and there was no undue operational pressure on the Lynx Detachment at the time (…) Whilst no single factor led to this accident there were disappointing aspects, including planning, briefing, authorisation, supervision, currencies, training, and adherence to checks and procedures," the report noted.

The crash of ZF540 occurred during a two-ship training flight into a weapons range called the Bowling Alley, some 20 km south of Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan. Specifically, the report pointed to one of the pilots not getting much sleep the night before the incident and possibly being fatigued; the helicopter making a rapid descent into the Bowling Alley, possibly to provide a thrill for the passengers; the passengers being allowed to fire the Crew-Served Weapon (CSW), or door gun, without proper approval; the pilots perhaps being distracted by trying to establish visual contact with the second Lynx in the flight; and the radar altimeter (RADALT) not being used in the proper manner.

According to the report: "The difficult question as to why a competent and experienced crew, on an excellent weather day (with the sun behind and only a light headwind), would inadvertently fly their serviceable aircraft into the ground is compounded by the fact that they did not recognise their impending situation until just before the aircraft impacted the ground (...) On the face of it, this was a relatively simple flight profile for the crew."

By way of conclusion, the investigating board made a number of recommendations related to the correct use of the RADALT; authorisation and supervision; a review of roles and responsibilities for senior commanders; a review of regulations for Joint Helicopter Force passengers; as well as a specific direction for passengers firing the CSW. This incident was the first fatal loss of a UK helicopter in 13 years of operations in Afghanistan, and was the first (and so far only) time that an AH.9A-variant Lynx had crashed since the type entered service in 2009.

The Lynx AH.9A was upgraded specifically for Afghanistan, with 22 AH.9 helicopters being fitted with the more powerful new LHTEC CTS800-4N turboshaft engines (producing nearly 40% more power than the standard Rolls-Royce Gem 42 engine) to better cope with the 'hot and high' conditions. In addition, the helicopters were fitted with an updated instrument panel, digital displays, as well as a modified gearbox and rear structure to accommodate the new powerplant. A door-mounted FN Herstal M3M (GAU-21) 0.50 cal (12.7 mm) heavy machine gun, along with the standard 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun and improved surveillance equipment were fitted also.

An undisclosed number of AH.9A helicopters operated out of Camp Bastion, Helmand province, from May 2010 through to the end of combat operations in late 2014. With the war in Afghanistan concluded, the AH.9A is being replaced in army service by the Lynx Wildcat.

Citation :: AirTanker touts boom for Voyager to expand aerial refuelling provision

Gareth Jennings, RAF Fairford - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
19 July 2015

The AirTanker consortium that operates the Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A330-200 Voyager tanker-transport aircraft on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has touted the possibility of equipping a number of its 14 aircraft with booms to enhance the air-to-air refuelling (AAR) capability of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and its European NATO partners.

Speaking at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on 17 July, AirTanker CEO Phil Blundell told IHS Jane's that fitting the five 'non-core' aircraft in the hose-and-drogue-equipped fleet would not only give the UK the option of affording an AAR capability to an increasingly large portion of its US-supplied inventory, but would also enable the European Defence Agency (EDA) to accelerate into service the A330-200 MultiRole Tanker-Transport (MRTT) for the partnership nations of the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland.

"We would love to have a boom on some of the aircraft, and have had discussions with Airbus DS and touted the idea to the [UK] MoD. It would be a big modification - an MSO station [Mission System Officer/Operator] and other control systems would need to be fitted as well as the boom itself, and there would be issues of certification, training, and crewing - but it could certainly be done," he said.

Blundell made his comments on the back of a consortium initiative launched at RIAT to expand the scope of its tanker-transport provision to help accelerate the MRTT into service with other nations. Although the MoD remains AirTanker's core customer, the consortium feels that with 12 of the UK's 14 aircraft now delivered, and all of the infrastructure now in place at RAF Brize Norton, the time is right to use this capability to help NATO fill its aerial refuelling shortfall.

As well as AirTanker providing tanker-transport services to NATO when not required by the UK, this could also include training and other de-risking activities ahead of the arrival of MRTT aircraft for those nations that have ordered them.

Mechanisms already exist within AirTanker's 2008 agreement with the MoD for it to release aircraft to civilian third parties when not required by the RAF (AirTanker agreed a three-year leasing deal with Thomas Cook Airlines in May 2014). The mechanisms for delivery of the military 'leasing' programme, such as that now being proposed by the consortium, remain in development. However, AirTanker already provides unprotected military air transport, supporting global troop movements and the Falklands airbridge through its civil-registered aircraft, with AirTanker civilian pilots and civilian cabin crew. This, the consortium says, could be extended through direct agreement with other nations.

Under the private finance initiative (PFI) contract awarded to AirTanker, the MoD pays for the services it uses and so would not directly benefit from any extra revenue that the consortium might generate from such an initiative. However, where such an arrangement might benefit the UK is in having a third party pay for the boom retrofit that the RAF could then use for its own needs.

For several years, the RAF has increasingly been procuring US platforms that are only provisioned for the US Air Force's boom-and-receptacle method of aerial refuelling, such as the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and RC-135 Rivet Joint/Airseeker. It is also highly anticipated that a procurement of the P-8 Poseidon might be announced at the upcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review later in the year and a future buy of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter has also been raised. Equipping at least some of the Voyager fleet with the means to refuel them would greatly enhance the UK's long-range capabilities.

"Ultimately it is an MoD decision [whether to fit the boom or not], as they control the configuration of the aircraft," Blundell said, adding, "But why would the MoD say no if there is some other third party funding it? It just makes sense all round."

Citation :: Défense britannique : sus aux mythes !

Tribune - Sir Peter Ricketts, ambassadeur de Grande-Bretagne en France

Sir Peter Ricketts DR

J’entends souvent autour de moi évoquer trois mythes concernant la volonté et la capacité militaire britannique de s’engager activement dans le monde. Le moment est venu de les dissiper pour de bon.

Premier mythe : «Le Royaume-Uni s’est mis en retrait et ne pèse plus autant qu’il le devrait dans le monde». Il est vrai que les forces britanniques ont récemment quitté l’Afghanistan, après plus de dix ans de combats intenses, comme en Irak. Ces deux conflits durs auront en tout fait 632 victimes dans leurs rangs.

Mais dire que les forces britanniques se sont désengagées à travers le monde, voilà qui relève du mythe. Aujourd’hui, quelque 4 000 de nos soldats sont en opérations et plus de 9 000 sont stationnés dans divers endroits, de Brunei aux Malouines et de Chypre au Kenya. Prenons quelques exemples des activités actuelles de nos forces armées. Le Royaume-Uni a effectué davantage de frappes aériennes contre Daech en Irak – plus d’un millier – qu’aucun autre pays, à l’exception des Etats-Unis. Nous avons en outre déployé en Irak 275 hommes chargés de la formation, ainsi qu’un détachement naval dans le Golfe. En Afrique, 200 de nos hommes appuient le nouveau gouvernement kenyan. Nous avons envoyé 700 soldats pour épauler les autorités de Sierra Leone aux prises avec l’épidémie de fièvre Ebola, dont 200 sont toujours sur place.

En Europe, nous sommes présents en Ukraine pour aider à la formation des forces armées, et nous allons engager 4 000 de nos soldats dans des exercices d’entraînement de l’Otan en Europe orientale. Du côté de la Méditerranée, nous avons donné suite très rapidement à la décision de déployer des détachements navals pour aider à sauver des migrants : nous avons dépêché l’un de nos plus gros bâtiments, le Bulwark (spécialisé dans les opérations amphibies), accompagné de quelques vaisseaux de moindre tonnage ainsi que des hélicoptères. On voit donc que les forces armées britanniques sont engagées dans une large gamme d’opérations à travers le monde.

Deuxième mythe : le budget britannique de la défense aurait été réduit dans des proportions telles que nous ne serions plus en mesure de tenir notre rang de puissance militaire de premier plan. C’est complètement faux. Le budget de nos armées est, par son montant, le cinquième du monde, et le plus important au sein de l’UE.

Nous sommes l’un des rares pays qui remplissent l’objectif de l’Otan en la matière, à savoir consacrer à notre défense l’équivalent de 2% de notre produit intérieur brut (PIB), et le seul pays au monde dont, en plus, le budget d’aide au développement représente 0,7% du PIB, comme s’y sont engagés les pays occidentaux – voilà qui illustre de manière très parlante notre engagement à travers le monde.

Comme l’a annoncé le gouvernement le 8 juillet dernier, ce sont là des engagements que nous allons tenir dans les années à venir. Cela va nous permettre de mener à bien un ambitieux programme de modernisation de l’équipement de chacune de nos armes. Ainsi par exemple, nous aurons deux des plus grands porte-avions du monde, où seront embarqués les avions à réaction les plus perfectionnés. Nous allons faire l’achat de nombres importants d’avions ravitailleurs et de transport auprès d’Airbus, ainsi que d’une nouvelle génération d’engins blindés pour notre armée de terre. Nous poursuivons la modernisation de notre dissuasion nucléaire, avec de nouveaux sous-marins lanceurs d’engins.

Troisième mythe : «Le Royaume-Uni s’oppose à l’Europe de la défense». Cela aussi, c’est faux. Nous sommes bien connus pour être pragmatiques, et lorsqu’il existe de bonnes raisons de déployer une mission militaire ou civile sous l’égide de l’UE, nous sommes prêts à y participer.

Et de fait, au cours de ces deux dernières années, nous avons accepté le lancement de quatre nouvelles missions sous la bannière de l’UE (au Mali, en République centrafricaine, en Ukraine et en Méditerranée). C’est nous qui fournissons le quartier général d’une des missions de l’UE (le déploiement naval contre les pirates de la Corne de l’Afrique) et nous contribuons aux autres, qu’il s’agisse de formation militaire au Mali ou de conseillers en Ukraine.

Nous sommes aussi convaincus qu’une bonne coopération bilatérale en matière de défense contribue de façon non négligeable à la capacité qu’a l’UE de promouvoir la stabilité et la sécurité à travers le monde. Je suis fier des progrès accomplis ces dernières années par la coopération franco-britannique en matière de défense suite aux accords de Lancaster House en 2010. Nos forces armées s’entraînent ensemble et seront bientôt en mesure de se déployer ensemble sur le terrain. Nous avons aussi d’importants programmes conjoints en matière d’équipement, y compris pour la mise au point d’un drone de grande envergure. Lors des opérations françaises au Mali et en Centrafrique, le Royaume-Uni a été le premier pays à fournir à la France un appui stratégique sous la forme d’avions de transport.

Le Royaume-Uni procède actuellement à une évaluation de ses besoins en matière de défense et de sécurité – son propre Livre blanc de la Défense. Je suis sûr qu’il va reconfirmer la détermination du gouvernement britannique à s’engager activement à travers le monde, ainsi que l’importance de la coopération internationale, y compris avec cet allié proche qu’est pour nous la France.

http://www.lopinion.fr/20-juillet-2015/defense-britannique-sus-aux-mythes-26368

Citation :: UK fighter numbers to reach all-time low with loss of Tornados and early Typhoons in 2019

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 July 2015

The UK's frontline fast-jet force is set to fall to its lowest numerical strength just ahead of the turn of the decade, with the almost simultaneous retirement of both the Panavia Tornado GR.4 and early model Eurofighter Typhoon fleets, the government disclosed on 21 July.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support, and Technology said that the retirement of the Tornados is to coincide with that of the Tranche 1 Typhoons in 2019.

Currently, the Royal Air Force (RAF) fields 53 Tranche 1 Typhoons and 87 Tornados which, when coupled with the Tranche 2 and 3A Typhoons now flying, brings its frontline combat inventory up to 192 aircraft. Although the loss of 140 aircraft by 2019 represents a 77% reduction in the current force strength on paper, it should be noted that this will be offset somewhat by the continued delivery of the Tranche 3 Typhoons, as well as the arrival of the first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters.

Even so, while all 40 Tranche 3A Typhoons should be with the RAF by 2019, the United Kingdom is expected to have received only about 15 to 20 F-35Bs by this time (to be operated by both the RAF and Royal Navy). When the loss of the Tornados and Tranche 1 Typhoons is taken into account, the United Kingdom will be left with about 127 frontline combat jets at best when this happens (the lowest number that the RAF will have fielded since its creation in 1918).

Notwithstanding the fact that at that early point in its service the F-35 will likely not be fully combat capable (the Block 3F [full combat capability] software is slated to be rolled out in late 2017, but the United Kingdom is not due to declare full operating capability [land and maritime] for the type until 2023). To date, only the first 14 operational F-35Bs have been authorised (of which four have been ordered), and while overall numbers have not yet been disclosed there is a possibility that the original planned order for 138 aircraft may be truncated to just 48 for the new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

If this were to occur, the UK frontline fast-jet fleet would number just 107 Tranche 2 and 3A Typhoons and 48 F-35Bs, for a grand total of 155 combat aircraft. While this could be increased with the 48 additional Typhoons earmarked for a Tranche 3B buy, this now seems all but certain not to happen.

While there is some validation to the argument that, because the Tranche 2 and 3A Typhoons and the F-35Bs are more capable aircraft than those that came before them, fewer will be needed, it is also true that no aircraft, no matter how capable, can be in more than one place at any time. This has been shown by the government's recent decision to slow down the pace of the Tornado retirement, even reconstituting an already disbanded unit, to ensure that simultaneous operational commitments in three theatres (Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Africa at that time) could be met.

The United Kingdom currently faces a number of threats to its security that require the application of combat aircraft, either in a kinetic warfighting role, as over Iraq and no doubt soon over Syria, or in a deterrent role, such as with the Baltic Air Policing missions currently being flown to ward off Russian aggression against NATO allies. With at least one of these threats only recently having been described by the UK prime minister, David Cameron, as "generational", and the other not likely to be resolved anytime soon, the further loss of UK airpower at such a precarious time as this seems somewhat perverse.

One solution to this quandary might be not to retire the Tranche 1 Typhoons at all, after all a 16-year service life - given the investment that has been made - does not appear to provide value for money or to make much sense. Although there will certainly be a cost implication of retaining the Tranche 1 Typhoons in service, this would be relatively small given that all of the initial investment has already been made, and that the training, operating, and sustainment infrastructures are already in place and are set to serve the wider Typhoon force through to the 2030 out-of-service date now earmarked for the Tranche 2 and 3A aircraft.

While it is true that the early-model Typhoons are not compatible with many of the hardware and software upgrades that would be needed to afford them a full multirole capability, they remain highly potent air-to-air fighter platforms and should be able to more than match any adversaries that they might meet in this arena for a number of years yet.

There is no physical reason why these 53 Tranche 1 Typhoons could not be retained in service out to 2030. While they will never match the outright capabilities of their more modern stablemates, a rolling programme of upgrades to their systems, such as the already very capable Captor mechanically-scanned radar, should at the very least afford the United Kingdom with a highly potent force multiplier to relieve some of the pressure from the newer Typhoons and Lightning IIs.

Citation :: General Dynamics wins a $610 mn contract to support UK's Scout Specialist Vehicle program

The United Kingdom has awarded a $610 mn contract to General Dynamics to provide maintenance and support services to the new armoured tank vehicles it has on order. This new contract will bring an additional 250 new highly-skilled jobs to General Dynamics base in Wales, the British Prime Minister announced on Thursday, July 23rd.

The British government last year signed a $5.48 bn deal with the same company to buy 589 Scout Specialist Vehicles.

The contract will extend the current in service support contract for the Scout Specialist Vehicles (SV) to 2024, delivering onshore technical engineering and maintenance from a site in South Wales. As a result, General Dynamics UK has taken the decision to bring to Wales: assembly, integration and testing for the vehicles which was previously carried out overseas.

Welcoming the deal, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron said:

"Today’s decision by General Dynamics to bring the assembly of these world class armoured vehicles to South Wales is to the credit of the skills and expertise in the local area. The 250 additional new skilled jobs at General Dynamics will build on those already safeguarded by the decision to purchase 589 Scout vehicles for our armed forces, ensuring our servicemen and women have the very best equipment to keep us safe."

The 589 new armoured fighting vehicles, known as Scout specialist vehicles, will be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the British Army on the battlefields of the future.

Designed by General Dynamics UK, based in Oakdale, South Wales, the new vehicle will give the army enhanced intelligence, surveillance, protection, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities, and it will be able to defend itself with a highly effective 40-millimetre cannon.

http://www.armyrecognition.com/july_2015_global_defense_security_news_uk/general_dynamics_wins_a_$610_mn_contract_to_support_uk_s_scout_specialist_vehicle_program_22307153.html

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