British Armed Forces Thread

[HMS Astute]

Post anything related to British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the rest of armed forces.

 

[HMS Astute]

BAE Taranis Unmanned Stealth Bomber Aircraft with the capability to carry variety of precision missiles/bombs, fly intercontinental missions, identify and selects the targets by itself.

 

[HMS Astute]

Watchkeeper UAV in Afghanistan

BAE Systems Mantis UCAV armed with Paveway IV laser-guided bombs

RAF MQ9 Reaper UCAV armed with Hellfire and Brimstone "Fire and Forget" air-to-surface missiles.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Air Force Typhoons Intercept Russian Aircraft

RAF Typhoons were yesterday (Tuesday 17 June) scrambled to intercept multiple Russian aircraft as part of NATO's ongoing mission to police Baltic airspace.

The Typhoon aircraft, from 3 (Fighter) Squadron, were launched after four separate groups of aircraft were detected by NATO air defences in international airspace near to the Baltic States.

Once airborne, the British jets identified the aircraft as a Russian Tupolev Tu22 'Backfire' bomber, four Sukhoi Su27 'Flanker' fighters, one Beriev A50 'Mainstay' early warning aircraft and an Antonov An26 'Curl' transport aircraft who appeared to be carrying out a variety of routine training. The Russian aircraft were monitored by the RAF Typhoons and escorted on their way.

RAF Typhoon follows the Russian Stereguschiy-class corvette after detecting unidentified signal from it's helicopter in the Baltic Sea.

RAF Typhoon air superiority fighter jets shadow the Russian bomber flies near the NATO air space.

 

[HMS Astute]

F-35 Flies with Two Typhoons

The F-35 Lightning II flew in formation with two Typhoon jets as part of a simulated mission scenario.

UK F35 flies during flight test.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Navy's new Wildcats helicopters

Read More: https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/10935

The UK's next generation of submarine-hunting Merlin helicopters have been put through their paces on exercise in the Atlantic Ocean after successfully entering service with the Royal Navy four months early.

Embarked on HMS Illustrious, the Merlin Mk2 aircraft took part in Exercise Deep Blue, simulating anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol and casualty evacuation capabilities.

The new helicopters are part of an £800 million programme to upgrade the Royal Navy's existing fleet of aircraft. The Merlins, which have been delivered on budget, have state of the art glass cockpits which provide improved night vision capability for pilots, and an updated combat system with touch screen display.

More than 1,400 highly skilled engineers from UK defence companies were involved in the work which took place primarily in Hampshire and Yeovil. Lockheed Martin UK delivered the updated mission systems and training facility, and workers at AgustaWestland upgraded the avionics and cockpit systems in the aircraft.

 

[HMS Astute]

Voyager Refueling Atlas

Airbus Defence and Space has performed the first air-to-air refuelling of the Airbus A400M new generation airlifter from the A330 MRTT Multi Role Transport Tanker. In the course of four flights, by day and night, in southern Spain, the A400M received more than 80 tons of fuel in 100 "wet contacts" from a Royal Air Force Voyager version of the A330 MRTT using the tanker´s Fuselage Refuelling Unit.
The trials follow dry contacts conducted in an earlier test-phase and support the A400M´s capability to conduct extremely long-range non-stop deployments. The photo shows the two aircraft framed by the wing of an F-18 chase aircraft.

Refuelling Typhoon and Tornado

Apache Packed and Flown Back to UK

On 14 July the Joint Movements Unit, assisted by troops of the Army Air Corps (AAC), successfully loaded an AH47 Apache helicopter onto a RAF C17 aircraft. The AAC helicopter is being returned to the UK, where it will under an intensive cleaning, servicing and inspection process. The helicopter was replaced as part of a routine rotation.

 

[HMS Astute]

RAF 6 Squadron Eurofighter Typhoons on Exercise Bersama Lima 11 in Malaysia

Bonus pics

 

[HMS Astute]

Type 45 Destroyer "HMS Daring" visits Australia and China after finishing her 6 months deployment in the Middle East

 

[HMS Astute]

Exercise BAVARIAN CHARGER

A combination of British Challenger 2 Main battle Tanks(MBT) and the Warrior Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles on the live firing range at Grafenwöhr (Germany). Exercise BAVARIAN CHARGER is the first of three large contingency operation exercises being undertaken by 20th Armoured Brigade. Contingency Operations training is known as Hybrid Foundation Training or HFT.

The aim of this exercise is to train the 5 Rifles, The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) Battle Groups and 1 Logistic Support Regiment in combined arms manoeuvre.The exercise is split into 3 main phases. The first phase consists of a two week live firing exercise in Grafenwoer, Southern Germany, that enables the units and soldiers to refine their skills with their equipment and weapons. Training is constructed to develop skills from the individual level through to the Battlegroup level and culminates in a final attack that sees the use of helicopters, tanks, artillery and infantry combined.

The AS90 self-propelled gun from 26 Royal Artillery firing the 155mm shells .

A British Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT) live firing in Grafenwöhr (Germany)

Pictured - A convoy of Warrior Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle from 5 Rifles moves through the training area.

 

[HMS Astute]

HMS Illustrious

HMS Illustrious is returning to Portsmouth for the last time. Here's some pics of her from over the years.

 

[HMS Astute]

Farnborough 2014 display Royal Air Force Vulcan strategic bomber

 

[HMS Astute]

Cold War isn't over yet?

Royal Navy confronts Russian aircraft carrier group in the English Channel

A Russian aircraft carrier and and a nuclear-powered battle cruiser have passed through the English Channel - escorted by a British warship.The seven-strong naval task group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's largest warship, entered the Channel last night, a Royal Navy spokesman said.Although the ships did not enter UK territorial waters, their movements were tracked by the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer "HMS Dragon"

Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland has had a chance encounter with a Russian battlecruiser while practising flying training off the West Coast of Scotland.

 

[HMS Astute]

Russian aggression?

The Royal Navy's Type 42 destroyer HMS York based in Portsmouth, shadows the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in international waters off the east coast of Scotland.

HMS Liverpool escorts Russian ship Admiral Chabanenko.

HMS Liverpool paid escort to the Russian Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and Russian ship Admiral Chabanenko as they passed by British Territorial waters.

HMS Monmouth is pictured with the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya during the vessels transit through the English Channel.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Marines of Bravo Company 40 Commando, embark aboard a Sea King Helicopter during Ex Southwest Sword.

The Company deployed to the South-west training area to brush up on Amphibious and aviation training before embarking on Ex Joint Warrior in the Spring.

Royal Marine Commandos during exercis, Rapid Reaction Force

Gosport' Browndown beach was invaded by more than a hundred Royal Marines and soldiers as part of a major military exercise. Under Exercise South West Sword, the Marines of 42 Commando launched the assault from HMS Albion, which is anchored in the Solent, to prove her capabilities as the UK High Readiness Amphibious Assault Ship..

42 Commando Royal Marines left Devonport, Plymouth to deploy on their 2 month long Exercise Auriga 10 in VA, Virginia, USA.

Royal Marines from Alpha Company, 40 Commando brace themselves against the downdraft from an incoming Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter during Operation DAAS 7B in Afghanistan.

Elements of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines conducted a WADER training package on the French Island of Corsica.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Marine Commandos during training and in Afghanistan.

 

[HMS Astute]

A Royal Marine with 45 Commando pictured during jungle training on Exercise African Winds at the Jungle Warfare School, Ghana.

British Army snipers on training in Wales as part of NATO "Quick Response Task Force"

A Royal Air Force crewman from 18 (B) Squadron monitors reservist soldiers from 4 Battalion, Parachute Regiment (4 Para) boarding a Chinook HC4 during Exercise Vortex Warrior in the USA.

A Section Commander from 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment directs his troops during a patrol through the Australian Bush.

Chinook helicopters from18 (B) Squadron practising desert operations as the sun sets during Exercise Vortex Warrior.18 (B) Sqn are based at Royal Air Force Odiham, Hampshire

A soldier with 1 LANCS throws a hand grenade during an exercise.

 

[HMS Astute]

A soldier with 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1 RRF) laying down fire during Exercise Southern Warrior.

Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. The BRF is made up of soldiers from Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) and the 4th Battalion, The Rifles (4 RIFLES).

Royal Air Force Chinook and Merlin helicopters take off on a mission from Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. The Royal Air Force has played a vital part in Operation Herrick in Afghanistan since 2001.

Royal Air Force personnel during the 25 hour flight from Brize Norton to the Philippines onboard a C17 aircraft carrying vital vehicles, aid and supplies to the typhoon stricken islands.

Snipers and Royal Marines on mission

 

[HMS Astute]

The British Combat Logistics Patrol were pictured arriving at the gates of the major military camp after departing from operating bases across Helmand Province.

 

[HMS Astute]

One of Royal Navy's latest Astute class stealth hunter killer nuclear attack submarines "HMS Artful ($2 billion per unit).

She was named on 20 September 2013, was rolled out of the shipyard construction hall on 16 May 2014, and is due to start sea trials in early 2015. Artful has the unlimited range and it's nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. Artful has provision for up-to 38 weapons in six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes and it will also carry Tomahawk long range land-attack cruise missiles - range of 1,550 miles (2,550 km) and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.

Four more Astute class are under construction.