Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

Rappel du premier message :

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 :

Last of the Type 45 destroyers says goodbye to Glasgow

HUNDREDS of shipyard workers marked the end of an era by bidding farewell to the last of the Type 45s as it slipped out of Scotstoun

Workers lined the quayside to cheer and applaud as Duncan slowly set sail on the start of a 300-mile voyage to her new home port of Portsmouth.

She is the last of a new fleet of destroyers which has been built to replace the ageing Type 42s at a cost £6 billion.

The Type 45s guaranteed survival for the Scotstoun and Govan yards and in return the workforce produced the world's most advanced warships.

The ships' radar systems can track flights in and out of European airports in Amsterdam and Madrid from the banks of the Clyde and they are armed with Sea Viper missiles, capable of destroying enemy fighter jets 70 miles away.

The warships are the first to be produced in the UK with all-electric propulsion systems, and each can produce enough power to heat and light a town the size of Paisley.

They are also the first to offer junior ratings the luxury of sleeping in six-berth cabins.

Duncan has been fitted out in record time since her launch in October, 2010.

Programme director Jennifer Osbaldestin said: "Duncan is an outstanding vessel and we are all extremely proud to see her begin her delivery voyage to Portsmouth.

"After a very successful build period she will now become the newest asset in the fleet when she is formally handed over to the Royal Navy, joining her sister ships and completing the class of highly capable and advanced Type 45 destroyers."

The Royal Navy has appointed James Stride as the commanding officer of the ship.

Captain Stride said: "HMS Duncan is a fantastic ship, offering a world-class air defence capability, and as we leave the Clyde I can reflect on the hard work from everyone involved in the build programme to get us to this moment.

"My team are all very keen to take full custody of the ship once she gets into Portsmouth and starts her training and trials prior to deploying around the globe, protecting our nation's interests."

And Duncan maintained an old Clyde tradition by blasting its horn to salute war veterans as she sailed by the site of the old veterans' hospital at Erskine.

The destroyer is due to reach port on Wednesday where Duncan will be handed over to the Ministry of Defence before the warship is almost immediately commissioned into the Royal Navy.

The ship could spend another year undergoing sea trials before the crew of less than 200 are battle ready for their maiden voyage.

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk

Citation :

UK Army soldiers start Operation Herrick XVIII deployment
21 March 2013
British Army soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) have embarked on their scheduled deployment, as part of Operation Herrick XVIII in Afghanistan.

Scheduled to be deployed throughout March, approximately 350 SCOTS personnel will serve as part of the 1st Mechanized Brigade-commanded Task Force Helmand, to advice and train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in Nad 'Ali, Nahr-e Saraj and Lashkar Gah provinces.

Additional tasks will include assistance to higher authorities during the training of new Afghan police officers at the Lashkar Gah Training Centre (LTC), to help support ANSF's mission to bring security and stability in the country.

2 SCOTS commanding officer lieutenant colonel Robin Lindsay said the provision of assistance and advice to Afghan police, now responsible for security in most of the country, as 'a very valuable and worthwhile task'.

"2 SCOTS will be building on the good work of our predecessors and our focus is now on ensuring that the institutions of the Afghan police are further strengthened through effective training," Lindsay said.

In order to ensure readiness to work with Afghan police over the next six months, 2 SCOTS troops have completed a comprehensive nine-month training programme, involving cultural training and conflict resolution.

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy's 847 Naval Air Squadron has already been deployed to safeguard troop movements in and around Helmand province in Afghanistan.

The squadron is using Lynx multi-role helicopters to provide cover to the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Chinook helicopters during troop transport in the battlefield.

Deployment of UK units for Operation Herrick represents the country's overall contribution to the Nato-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan
http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsuk-army-soldiers-start-operation-herrick-xviii-deployment

Citation :

Last Flight of VC10 K3

19 March 2013
News articles by date


On Monday 18^th March, VC10 K3 tail number ZA149 will depart from RAF Brize Norton for the final time.
The aircraft will land at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, where it will be dismantled for spares. Flight Lieutenants Stewart and Pryor will pilot the aircraft for its last flight, navigated by Air Commodore Ager, with Flight Sergeant Mutton the air engineer, and Flight Sergeant Cutmore the Air Loadmaster.

Flight Lieutenant Harry Stewart said;
“I have been flying the VC10 since 2007. Since then I have been fortunate enough to be involved in operations and deployments around the world including Air-to-Air Refuelling missions over Afghanistan and Libya. The VC10 has proved time and time again to be a capable platform, acting as an effective force multiplier in often testing and dynamic environments. It has been a privilege to fly such a remarkable aircraft.”
On Wednesday 20^th March, the last RAF VC10 K4 will also depart RAF Brize Norton destined for decommissioning at Bruntingthorpe. Only 5 K4s were built from the BA models which were purchased by the Royal Air Force. The crew for this flight will include Flight Lieutenants Barwick, Millikin and Harrison, Flight Sergeant McClean and Master Aircrewman Abbott.
Flight Lieutenant Millikin said;
“I have spent 10 years on the VC10 Force; the last four years as a Qualified Flying Instructor on 101 Squadron and I consider myself very fortunate to have flown such an iconic aircraft. To be the Captain of a VC10 on its last flight is a real privilege and a memory I will cherish.”
The RAF has been operating the VC10 since No. 10 Squadron was reformed on July 1^st1966. 101 Squadron received its first VC10 into the Tanker Training Flight in 1984 and has flown the K2, K3, K4 and C1K variants. 2011 was a particularly busy year for the Squadron when aircraft deployed to Akrotiri, Cyprus and Trapani, Sicily in support of Op DEFERENCE and subsequently Op ELLAMY, providing vital Air-to-Air support to missions over Libya. This was achieved in conjunction with other commitments; supporting operations over Afghanistan, the Falkland Islands and the air defence of the United Kingdom.
Several important milestones were achieved by the venerable fleet last year, with the Squadron celebrating its 95^th anniversary in July and the 50^th anniversary of the first flight of the VC10 in June. Today, 101 Squadron continues to fully support operations both at home, in the Falkland Islands and in the Gulf region and maintains a fully deployable Air-to-Air worldwide capability.
Wing Commander Kev Brookes, Officer Commanding 101 Squadron said;
“The aircrew and engineers of 101 Squadron are all hugely affectionate of the VC10 aircraft, and we are all immensely proud of what the fleet has achieved over many years of service. Fast, quiet and smooth, she has been a much admired platform for the last 29 years and has certainly been the Air-to-Air Refuelling platform of choice for UK and allied nation receiver aircraft. The VC10 aircraft and her operators have an excellent reputation for delivering a worldwide highly effective, flexibly minded and hard working Air-to-Air Refuelling capability. It was only in 2011 when the Sqn flew over 420 missions and dispensed over 8870 Tonnes of fuel during Op ELLAMY. Although the fleet numbers have now decreased, we look forward with pride to continue to deliver an expert refuelling capability in the Falkland Islands, around the UK and maybe further afield until the final retirement”.
Editor: Flt Lt Pool

http://www.raf.mod.uk

Citation :

First International Student Pilot Flies F-35


(Source: U.S Air Force; issued March 21, 2013)



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --- The first international student aviator at the 33rd Fighter Wing, training to be an F-35B Lightning II instructor pilot, completed his first sortie in the joint strike fighter here March 19.

United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Frankie Buchler flew with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501.

"There were no surprises, the jet was fun to fly and the flight went as expected," Buchler said. "The ground school training package at the Academic Training Center with the flight simulators prepared me for smooth flying."

The ATC is part of the F-35 Integrated Training Center hosted by the 33rd FW. It is the hub for U.S. and international partner operators and maintainers of the joint strike fighter.

"We couldn't have picked a better spring day on the beautiful Emerald Coast to set another milestone for the F-35 program," said Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd FW commander. "Frankie and the entire team at Eglin (AFB) continue to make great strides in establishing the foundation of formal maintenance and pilot training for our services and partner nations."

Marine Capt. Daniel Flately was Buchler's instructor pilot who flew wingman in another F-35B during the late afternoon sortie.

Watching Buchler's technique in the traffic pattern over the base was key along with him getting familiarized with the jet, he said.

"It was a clean flight ... he's a very experienced aviator who took to the F-35 naturally," Flatley said.

It takes 10 flight hours, or about six to seven sorties, for a student pilot transitioning from other aircraft to become a qualified F-35 pilot. Buchler's last time flying was a year ago, coming from a background with the SEPECAT Jaguar and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Wing Commander Jon Millington, the senior U.K. officer at the 33rd FW, and a handful of British maintainers training within the Marine squadron were on the flightline to witness the historic event for both countries.

The U.K. team is fully integrated in the Marine unit and flying each other's jets interchangeably according to the vision of VMFAT-501 commander, Lt. Col. David Berke. In the near future, Marine pilots can be trained by U.K. pilots.

Buchler is scheduled to complete his training sorties by early April and is excited about the way ahead for the joint strike fighter.

"The potential I see in this aircraft is all the sensors for information sharing. The F-35 has enormous potential and will be a great compliment to our Typhoons," the U.K. pilot said.

His team is hopeful for the future when a team of 12 Royal Air Force and Navy maintainers and U.K. two pilots transition from Eglin AFB to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to perform operational testing on the jets in 2014.

"In 2018, the plan is for U.K.'s F-35 team to achieve initial operating capability in a land-based role and aboard the future HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in 2020."

Until then, the British element will continue to grow their skills in learning to maintain and fly the Lightning II.

Their next milestones in the program include a third U.K. F-35B to be delivered to Eglin AFB this spring and the second British pilot's first flight in two weeks.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143656/first-non_us-student-pilot-flies-f_35.html

Citation :

Share on facebookShare on printShare on emailShare on twitterMore Sharing Services0UK MoD completes common defensive aids system flight testing
25 March 2013
The UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has completed test flights of the open-architecture integrated defensive aids system (DAS) at Salisbury Plain training area, UK.

Carried out as part of the Common Defensive Aids System (CDAS) Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP), the testing was aimed at demonstrating how different components can be better integrated to provide a coherent approach across various aircraft types.

A £24m, three-year partnership between the MoD and Selex Es-led industry team comprising Thales, QinetiQ, and BAE Systems North America, the CDAS TDAP is focused at enabling easy integration of sensors and countermeasures into frontline aircraft to enhance protection against future threats.

An integrated infrared, laser, ultraviolet sensors and directed infrared countermeasure (CDIRCM) effector-equipped architecture was used for testing, which was also supported by VFX's ground-based advanced multi-axis motion platform and a Lynx helicopter from the UK Army Air Corps Development and Trials (D&T) Squadron.


The multi-axis motion platform replicated the aircraft's movements, while Dstl scientists stimulated sensors at representative ranges, resulting in generation of numerous hours of test data, which has been used for CDAS development and also to de-risk the flight trials.

Dstl Sensors and Countermeasures Department source Barry Knight said the platform would enable scientists to identify motion-based issues before actual test flights, which saves time and money.

DAS system is made three components, in sensors for threat identification, effectors for subsequent destruction, and a DAS controller (DASC) for intelligent processing.

The flight data is currently being evaluated by the project team, as the Dstl considers the methods for utilising the systems for other defence benefits such as land and maritime projects.
http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsuk-mod-completes-common-defensive-aids-system-flight-testing

Citation :

Citation :

UK C-17 crews get iPads for electronic flightbag trial

The UK Royal Air Force has launched an equipment trial intended to assess the suitability of using iPads as an electronic flightbag across its fleet of eight Boeing C-17 strategic transports.

Crown Copyright

Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the service's 99 Sqn has so far been equipped with 20 iPads and five iPad minis by technology company nine23 for use during a six-month assessment. Dubbed "Project Link", this is expected to culminate with using the devices onboard the C-17.
"The equipment is initially being trialled on the ground until release-to-service clearance is finalised," the RAF says. Once secured, this approval "will allow the squadron to progress to a full airborne evaluation of the iPad". Expected uses include accessing weather reports and preparing flightplans, as well as accessing information from aircraft technical e-publications, it adds.
"We will now develop this capability further with the C-17 crews, with a view to expanding the use of the iPad to other areas of Brize Norton and to other squadrons," says Sqn Ldr Rob Fitton, officer commanding the base's C4I Support Squadron.

Sgt Ross Tilly/Crown Copyright The Royal Air Force's 99 Sqn operates an eight-strong fleet of C-17 strategic transports

http://www.flightglobal.com

Christening ceremony for the Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender at Portsmouth Naval Base

Citation :

RAF outsourcing SAR operations to private company

Citation :

Citation :

Are the U.S. and UK Holding A New "Casablanca Conference" In DC?


(Source: Lexington Institute; issued March 25, 2013)


(© Lexington Institute; reproduced by permission)



The British Defense Staff, led by General Sir David Richards, is in Washington, DC for strategic discussions with their counterpart, the Joint Chiefs of Staff including its chairman, General Martin Dempsey. The U.S. and the UK consult on defense issues all the time. This is a reflection of the so-called "special relationship" that has endured for nearly 70 years.

The need for close consultations is also a function of ongoing collaboration on a number of military programs vital to both countries' modernization plans, chief among them the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. UK defense companies play a significant role in supporting the U.S. military; BAE Systems is the single largest provider of overhaul and maintenance support to the U.S. Navy.

But this is the first of its kind "all hands" meeting in decades, possibly going back as far as the famous Casablanca Conference in January, 1943. That meeting, attended by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill as well as all the great wartime military leaders from both countries, established the strategy that the two nations pursued for the remainder of World War Two. During what sometimes became heated even rancorous discussions the two nations decided on a policy of unconditional surrender, a strategy of Europe first and then the Far East, a sequential approach to attacking Axis-controlled Europe beginning in the Mediterranean, a coordinated effort in the Atlantic to defeat the U-boat threat and the outlines of the strategic bombing campaign against both Germany and Japan. The Casablanca Conference resulted too in the creation of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the planning entity that directed the deployment and employment of U.S., UK and Western forces for the remainder of the war.

If there were ever a time for a new Casablanca Conference, this is it. The British military has been forced by ever-tightening budgets to shrink to a mere shadow of its former self. With careful planning and a willingness to make radical cuts where necessary, the British Minister of Defense and Defense Staffs have managed, but just barely, to retain critical capabilities for land, sea and air warfare. If there were ever a military that has demonstrated, not once but repeatedly, its ability to “punch above its weight,” it is the United Kingdom’s.

The Defense Staff is coming to the U.S. at a time when the Department of Defense is just beginning down the path the British MoD has been traveling for more than a decade. There are a number of lessons that U.S. defense planners, both civilians and those in uniform could learn from the British experience. One lesson is the difficulty of reacquiring critical skills once they are abandoned, even temporarily. This was what happened to the Royal Navy when it attempted to design a new nuclear attack submarine, the Astute class. Another lesson is the need to get out of businesses better performed at a reduced cost by the private sector. The MoD has pioneered the use of long-term performance-based logistics (PBL) contracts. Boeing won a 25-year system level PBL contract to maintain all the UK’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The MoD privatized most of its national Defense Evaluation and Research Agency, now the very successful international company, Qinetiq. A third lesson is the importance of cutting administrative overhead, particularly personnel. OSD and the defense agencies have ballooned to some 250,000 uniform and civilian personnel, a ridiculous number.

The most important lesson the U.S. can learn from the British experience in downsizing is that it is possible to get too small. The British Armed Forces today are no longer capable of conducting even a Falklands-like campaign on their own. General Richards has publicly acknowledged that the UK will have to rely on others in operations of any significance. The problem is that most of Britain’s European allies are cutting their defenses. London’s efforts to forge a defense pact with Paris may be rendered moot by France’s new plan to reduce its defense sending and military forces. That leaves Britain looking across the Atlantic for an ally.

Unfortunately, when the Defense Staff meets with the Joint Staff our British friends will discover their American counterparts are floundering in the face of deep budget cuts. Rather than accepting the necessity of having to do less with less, the U.S. military continues to look for new missions to justify holding the force structure. I would love to hear General Dempsey explain how the Pentagon intends to implement the pivot to Asia-Pacific and deal with an increasingly belligerent North Korea while the services are parking ships, planes and vehicles for lack of maintenance or training dollars.

The first Casablanca Conference marked the beginning of a 70-year-long partnership that was instrumental in winning both World War Two and the Cold War. This new Casablanca Conference could well mark the beginning of its end.


http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143746/a-new-us_uk-%26quot%3Bcasablanca-conference%26quot%3B-in-dc%3F.html

Citation :

HMS RICHMOND BLASTS MISSILES IN SUCCESSFUL FIRING EXERCISE


As part of the trial off the South West coast’s exercise areas, the ship fired a ‘telemetry’ missile loaded with recording sensors to allow indepth analysis of the missile’s performance by the RN’s trials authority - Maritime Commissioning Trials and Assessments (MCTA).

This was then followed up with a conventional ‘warshot’ missile, with both weapons destroying their target with ease.

Lieutenant Commander Mark Quinn, the Weapon Engineer Officer responsible for the provision of the missile system, said:

"My team has worked hard to ensure that Sea Wolf was ready to deliver and they have not disappointed.

"The system, operators and maintainers all performed in unison to deliver devastating effect.”

The Sea Wolf missile system provides a vital self defence capability for HMS Richmond. If the system were placed in the middle of London, it could track its target over the M25 and knock it out of the sky over the North Circular - and the whole action would last under 20 seconds.

HMS Richmond remains at sea and is preparing to participate in Exercise Joint Warrior - a major multi-national exercise next month off the coast of Scotland.

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk

Citation :

Third F-35B For United Kingdom Makes First Flight

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 2, 2013 – Monday, the third United Kingdom Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] F-35 Lightning II sped down the runway at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base embarking on its first flight. The aircraft, known as ZM137, departed at 10:16 a.m. with Lockheed Martin F-35 Chief Test Pilot Alan Norman at the controls. ZM137 will complete a series of company and government checkout flights prior to its acceptance by the U.K. Ministry of Defence. ZM137 will join U.K. aircraft ZM135 and ZM136 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Citation :

UK and Italian forces conduct Exercise Eagle Eye 2013
3 April 2013
UK Army soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade have conducted a reconnaissance exercise, code-named Eagle Eye 2013, with the Italian Army's Folgore Parachute Brigade to test their readiness in Monte Romano, near Rome.

Carried out after a joint training on basic skills, the exercise was primarily aimed at validating the brigade's full range of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities.

Involving an assault on a simulated terrorist camp, the drill also evaluated the brigade's ability to effectively share techniques and tactics with their Italian counterparts.

Soldiers refined their ISTAR skills of securing and marking drop and landing zones for paratroopers and helicopters, checking routes suitable for use by troops and vehicles, intercepting communications and also carried out surveillance from concealed observation posts to build up a detailed picture of the target.

D Squadron Household Cavalry Regiment (D Sqn HCR), which is primarily responsible for conducting reconnaissance patrols, carried out an infantry-style attack during the exercise, while the troops were dropped by a helicopter at night to covertly move towards the target.

Other participating British units include 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault), as well as the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) and Pathfinders, all providing soldiers for the Air Assault Task Force.

Commenting on the drill, 3 PARA captain Ben Neary said it validated the soldier's capabilities to gather and act on intelligence, which serves as basis for success of any operation.

"After a long operation in Afghanistan, both armies are regenerating the specialist capabilities of their airborne forces to be ready for future operations," Neary said.

Italian Savoia Cavalleria Regiment captain Bruno Ambrosini said: "It's been very hard training but an excellent opportunity to learn from the British, who are NATO allies we have served alongside on operations."





http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsuk-and-italian-armies-conduct-exercise-eagle-eye-2013

Citation :

Le Premier ministre britannique plaide pour le maintien de la dissuasion nucléaire
4 avril 2013 – 17:31

La force de frappe britannique a été considérablement amoindrie depuis la fin de la Guerre froide. A vrai dire, elle n’a rien à voir avec la dissuasion française. Déjà, depuis 1998, sa composante aéroportée n’existe plus. Qui plus est, et depuis l’accord appelé Polaris Sales Agreement, signé en 1963, le Royaume-Uni n’a pas la maîtrise du développement de ses propres missiles balistiques mer-sol.

Et la conception du successeur des actuels 4 sous-marins lanceurs d’engins (SNLE) de la classe Vanguard se fera dans le cadre d’une coopération avec les Etats-Unis, notamment au niveau du compartiment des missiles.

Au cours de ces dernières années, le nombre de vecteurs emportés – des Trident – à bord de ces mêmes SNLE de la classe Vanguard a été diminué, de même que celui des têtes nucléaires, qui passera de 160 à 120 d’ici 2015. Enfin, l’idée de construire non pas 4 mais 3 nouveaux sous-marins a même un temps été avancée.

Pour autant, cela ne suffit pas pour certains, lesquels estiment, outre-Manche, que la dissuasion nucléaire est trop coûteuse et qu’il vaudrait sans doute mieux l’abandonner, alors que les commandes préliminaires pour lancer le programme visant à renouveler les SNLE britanniques ont déjà été passées. Tel est le cas des libéraux-démocrates, présents au sein de la coalition gouvernementale emmenée par le conservateur David Cameron.

Or, ce dernier a affirmé, dans les colonnes du Daily Telegraph, ce 4 avril, qu’il serait “stupide” pour le Royaume-Uni de démanteler ce qu’il reste de sa dissuasion nucléaire, compte tenu du contexte international actuel.

“Nous avons tout autant besoin de notre dissuasion nucléaire qu’il y a six décennies, quand le gouvernement de l’époque s’était engagé dans cette voie”, a-t-il fait valoir. “L’URSS a disparu, mais la menace nucléaire demeure”, a-t-il ajouté, estimant même qu’” en termes d’incertitude et de risques, elle s’est même accrue.”

L’Iran, soupçonné de vouloir se doter de l’arme nucléaire sous couvert d’un programme à finalité civile continue de “défier la communauté internationale” et le régime nord-coréen, “agressif et totalement imprévisible”, a “mené récemment son troisième essai nucléaire et pourrait avoir suffisamment de matière fissile pour produire plus d’une douzaine d’armes nucléaires”, a souligné le locataire du 10 Downing Street.

“Quelqu’un peut-il prétendre sérieusement qu’il serait sage pour la Grande-Bretagne, confrontée à cette menace évolutive, d’abandonner sa dissuasion nucléaire?”, interpelle-t-il à l’adresse de ceux qui, justement, défendent cette option.

http://www.opex360.com/

Citation :

IN FOCUS: RAF fuels change with Voyager


The UK Royal Air Force's ability to deliver air transport and in-flight refuelling services ventured into a new era on 10 April 2012, when a military-adapted version of the Airbus A330 took off from Brize Norton air base in Oxfordshire to perform its first operational flight.
Twelve months on, and a three-strong fleet of renamed Voyagers have transported more than 30,000 passengers and around 2,300t of freight, as the RAF's 10 Sqn and the AirTanker Services company responsible for introducing an eventual 14 of the type continue to expand their capabilities.

Airbus Military/AirTanker Tanker training with the Tornado GR4 will build on the Voyager's airline-style operations

Comprising two aircraft placed on the UK military register as ZZ330 and ZZ331, and commercially registered G-VYGG, the trio had flown almost a combined 1,900h and 543 sectors by late March, AirTanker says. Typical duties have included flying military personnel to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates in support of the UK's involvement in Afghanistan, as well as deployments linked to British exercises conducted in Canada and Kenya.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Ricardo receives an order for 76 LPPV Foxhound Light Protected Patrol Vehicles for British army

Ricardo has announced today that it has received an order from prime contractor General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection Europe (GDLS-FPE), for the assembly of 76 additional vehicles, bringing the total Foxhound fleet size ordered to date by the UK Ministry of Defence to 376.

Friday, April 5, 2013, 11:55 AM






http://www.armyrecognition.com/april_2013_news_defence_army_military_industry_uk/index.php

Un Anglais sur Rafale.....
http://lemamouth.blogspot.fr/2013/04/un-britannique-sur-rafale-cest-fait.html

Citation :

UK outlines next steps in nuclear submarine disposal plan
By Richard Scott
4/8/2013
The UK government is to move forward with plans to begin dismantling decommissioned Royal Navy (RN) nuclear-powered submarines following the conclusion of a public consultation period.

Announcing the move to parliament on 22 March, Minister of State for Equipment, Support, and Technology Philip Dunne said the Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) had passed its Main Gate decision point. A 'Response to Consultation' report was published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the same day.

Dunne also announced plans for the selection of a site for interim storage of radioactive Intermediate Level Waste (ILW), and the dismantling of a single submarine at Rosyth as a demonstration of its dismantling approach.

The SDP covers the planned dismantling of 27 decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines, of which 18 are already laid up at either Devonport or Rosyth. Production of ILW from dismantling is expected to be ongoing until circa 2050.

While having already outlined its own preferred strategy for submarine dismantling, the MoD in October 2011 launched a public consultation on the options for dismantling redundant nuclear submarines. This ran to February 2012, seeking the views of people in the Devonport and Rosyth areas, as well as wider public and stakeholder communities.

http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-security-report.aspx?ID=1065977845&channel=defence

Citation :

Final Royal Navy Frigate Gets Sonar Upgrade
By US Navy on Friday, April 12th, 2013
Following an extensive refit, HMS Portland has become the final Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to be fitted with Thales UK’s Sonar 2087, a towed array sonar system that enables warships to hunt submarines at considerable distances and locate them beyond the range from which they can launch an attack. Portland has now returned to service, with a re-dedication ceremony on 21st March.

The 12-month multi-million pound refit in Rosyth Royal Dockyard of Portland’s sensors, weapons and systems completes a successful joint programme between industry and the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) to ensure the upgraded ships are now the most advanced of their kind in service.

The Royal Navy has described how the combination of a Type 23 frigate fitted with Thales’s Sonar 2087 and a Merlin helicopter equipped with the Thales FLASH dipping sonar makes the class the “most potent anti-submarine warfare platform of any navy at sea today”.

Eight of the Royal Navy’s fleet of Type 23 frigates have now been upgraded for use as submarine hunters. The other seven upgraded ships are Westminster, Northumberland, Richmond, Somerset, Sutherland, Kent and St Albans.

Sonar 2087 is a low-frequency sonar with both active and passive sonar arrays. The system is manufactured at Thales sites in the UK (Cheadle Heath in Manchester and Templecombe in Somerset) and France (Brest).

Greg Pugh, Sensors Programme Manager for the MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support headquarters, said: “The T23 frigates are at the heart of the Royal Navy’s frontline fleet, and are proving to be a formidable and highly-effective capability. The Sonar 2087 is a very capable ASW system, giving these platforms a significant capability enhancement.”

Ed Lowe, head of Thales UK’s naval business, said, “We welcome the news that HMS Portland has completed this upgrade. Fitted with Sonar 2087 and FLASH dipping sonar, the Type 23s represent a formidable anti-submarine warfare force. We are proud to be a key sensor supplier to the Royal Navy.”

Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2012, the company generated revenues of €14.2 billion (equivalent of £11.5 billion) with 67,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements.



Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/final-royal-navy-frigate-gets-sonar-upgrade-47439/#ixzz2QFSnoKS2

Citation :

Royal Navy in major beaching exercise in Scotland


Published on Friday 12 April 2013 06:12

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines are preparing for Europe’s biggest military exercise with a beach landing in Scotland.

• Royal Marines ‘launch assault’ on Barry Buddon beach.

• Exercise comes ahead of major international training operation.

42 Commando Royal Marines are to land by helicopter onto Barry Buddon beach near Carnoustie, Angus, today before the official start of a major international training operation.

Exercise Joint Warrior, which takes place twice a year, sees more than 5,000 service personnel tested on land, at sea and in the air in locations across the UK from April 15 to 29.

Some 5,250 UK military personnel will make up more than 12,000 from nine countries to form the Response Force Task Group for the exercise, which aims to test and improve the way that the Royal Navy, Army and RAF work together and with their counterparts from allied nations.

Hostile

The final preliminary operation carried out in Angus will see 42 Commando Royal Marines launch an assault on Barry Buddon beach, treating the coastal area as a hostile nation they will be ready to fight.

Commodore Paddy McAlpine, commander of the UK Task Group, he said: “During Joint Warrior we will practise fighting at sea as well as fighting from the sea.

“We’ll practise against a demanding air, surface and submarine threat, entering a hostile environment and then deliver our landing force of Royal and Dutch marines to the right area.

“Exercises such as Joint Warrior provide us with the scale, diversity and pace that we need to maintain our capability as the naval contingency element of the Response Force Task Group.”

It will include a range of exercises, including an airborne air assault and amphibious landings supported by helicopters; training for security and counter-insurgency tasks; and maritime operations, including counter-piracy, with 49 ships from the Royal Navy, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia and other allies.

Intelligence

It will also involve up to 40 fixed-wing aircraft, including RAF Tornados and Typhoons alongside Rafael and Super Etendard from the French carrier air group, as well as maritime patrol aircraft from partner nations such as the US, Brazil and Canada.

Joint Warrior incorporates lessons learned from operations in Afghanistan in relation to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, which have been modified for the maritime environment.

The exercise will act as a progression from the Royal Navy’s main exercise last year, Cougar 12, which was led by HMS Bulwark and HMS Illustrious as they worked with the French in waters near Toulon and Corsica and then Albanians in the Adriatic.

http://www.scotsman.com

Citation :

Viking Armoured Vehicles and Royal Marines from 42 Commando take part in an exercise at Barry Buddon simulating an attack on shores of a hostile country on April 12, 2013 in Carnoustie, Scotland. The exercise is part of Joint Warrior which will run from the 15 to 29 April in locations across the UK, involving UK forces and international allies in all aspects of warfare

Une défaillance d'un système oblige le SNA HMS Ambush à interrompre ses essais à la mer !

Citation :

Nuclear sub forced to abandon trials as defect found

Sunday 14 April 2013



Britain's newest nuclear-powered submarine was forced to abandon sea trials and return to port in the Clyde after a system defect was discovered last week.

HMS Ambush – which was handed over to the Royal Navy just last month – was towed back to the Faslane naval base near Helensburgh after coming to an unexpected halt in the middle of Gare Loch on Wednesday.


The £1.6 billion sub, right, was seen to be in difficulties by anti-nuclear campaigners from the Faslane Peace Camp. Crew members were seen standing on top of the vessel, which was venting steam and surrounded by three tugs.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that the submarine experienced a problem, but declined to give specific details.

Something went wrong that "affected a variety of systems", an MoD spokesman said.

He said: "Following HMS Ambush's maintenance period, undertaken at HM's Naval Base Clyde, an issue with a non-nuclear system was identified. A decision was taken to return it to the base to allow remedial action to take place."

The independent nuclear expert, John Large, said: "The MoD should immediately publish a frank and independent risk assessment.

"We need to know the risks of returning this crippled submarine and its potential radiological impact on nearby Helensburgh and communities further afield. The public deserves to be fully informed if there is any radiological risk and harm deriving from this incident."

Large, who has advised governments on nuclear sub safety, suggested Ambush's propulsion system could have been disabled.

He said: "This would be a completely intolerable event if Ambush was on patrol, during which she is expected to operate at a war footing without need for nearby assistance."

The SNP leader in Westminster, Angus Robertson MP, said he would be demanding details of what happened from the MoD.

"Any incident involving a nuclear submarine is worrying and this is not the first time something alarming like this has occurred in Scottish waters," he said.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/nuclear-sub-forced-to-abandon-trials-as-defect-found.20789773

Ils font trop parler d'eux les Astutes les essais du HMS Astute ont connu aussi plein de probs ..