Read it here. Its in depth and informative. I didn't know that the UK had so much going on. I guess they're a duck. Calm on top, furiously peddling out of view.
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All of those vehicle are light or medium weight APCs.
ReplyDeleteAgainst a real military, they will be shredded.
The British Army is being cut to the bone, as is the Royal Navy.
To be fair the Royal navy are building two aircraft carriers, the biggest ships ever to serve. Also a whole new class of state of the art escorts are to be built from 2016 onwards. Once these are completed it will make the RN more effective than it has been in decades. The vehicles mentioned are light and medium in weight but these are meant to be air transportable. The heavy vehicles such as challenger II tanks are still there and in fact the British army has more tanks than Germany or France. Lets face it, we are not going to face a soviet armoured thrust across the north German plain anytime soon. Future conflicts are going to be places like the middle east or Africa. These medium vehicles are more than capable of countering local forces, like the French operation in North Africa for example. In fact I think western forces need more light and medium vehicles to be successful in these kind of conflicts.
DeleteHaving the best damn ship in the world won't help if you only have 2.
DeleteCurrently, the plans are for 13 Type 26s. Those Plus 6 Type 45s, which are lacking Harpoons and torpedoes, means the RN will still only have 19 surface combatants, 7 attack subs, which have been having major issues, and 2 carries, one of which will probably be mothballed ASAP to save cash.
In fact, I HIGHLY doubt 13 Type 26s will be built. If anything, maybe 12, but more likely 10 will be procured, and ALL Type 23s will be retired.
Numbers still mean something, a a great ship that is halfway around the world is useless compared to a good ship here now.
Why on the earth they decided to build two carriers and mothball one of them right after its completion? Just to please the shipbuilder or save jobs?
ReplyDeleteType 45 destroyers are designed for air defense only, OMG. That's another stupid decision. I am talking about a highly capable surface combatant equal if not better than our Burkes. Well, at least the brits got right with Type 26 frigate, unlike toothless LCS we have to put up with.
The west is doomed...
Two carriers are being built, there are currently no plans to mothball one of them. The MOD have made it clear that two are needed and that is what they are getting. The new astute class submarine is the most advanced combat vessel in the world and its initial problems have been resolved. However I do agree that numbers are important. Britain only spends half of what the USA does from the GNP. Britain could easily afford 4 or more aircraft carriers and have 30 escorts if they stopped spending 11 billion a year on foreign aid and 12 billion on propping up the European Union. What we have to understand is the European governments are trying to forge a European defence force starting with integration between UK and French forces. Neither country sees themselves going into a major war alone so we have to think of what combined forces that will be available.France and the UK alone will have 3 carriers, around 40 escorts a marine division and equivalent to about 7 army divisions
ReplyDeletethe astute is the most advanced vessel in the world? what do you base that on?
DeleteProbably age and design intent. It's newer than most of the US subs and with the criteria that it had to be on the bleeding cutting edge, so the equipment is probably newer than most of the US's stuff, even with refits.
DeleteEither way, it's a moot point. Just because anything is high tech, doesn't mean it is invincible, it just means that it has newer toys. (*cough* LCS *cough*)
You only have to read its specifications. Any search will give loads of info on numerous sites. The only submarine that may be a match are the Virginia class subs. During a recent exercise the Astute and Virginia classes sparred with each other and were pretty well evenly matched.Like Daniel says , the Astute class is the newest submarine with all the latest technology so its bound to have the edge , at the moment that is
DeleteNot really. Virginia class is built in blocks. With each block introduction, the boat is enhanced with new technology insertion. When Block IV and V come online, they probably will best Astute by a significant margin.
ReplyDeleteAnd im sure the astute class will have the usual refits with the latest technology over time to modernise when needed.
DeleteAstute production ends with 7 boats while Virginia production extends much longer. Those later Virginia block builds can be integrated new technologies that can't be retrofitted into existing hulls.
DeleteFor a good example, Virginia Block V is expected to contain 4 VPM vertical launch units, tripling cruise missile carrying capacity. VPM can NOT be refit into earlier Virginia variants. Unless UK decides to build more attack subs, she will be stuck with Astute existing hull design. In other words, Astute won't able to accept new technology insertion such as VPM.
ReplyDeleteThe British government will not want the VPM units, that would mean buying more cruise missiles. They have starved the armed forces of cash and equipment for years and do the bare minimum in order to stave off political criticism I don't think the British government are that concerned about tripling capacity on the Astute class.
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