British Armed Forces Thread

[HMS Astute]

RAF pilot basic training boost welcomed by Anglesey councillor

The move to bring basic pilot training for the RAF and Royal Navy to Anglesey has been warmly welcomed.The Ascent consortium, who provide the training, is moving it from RAF Linton on Ouse in North Yorkshire to RAF Valley on Anglesey.The Ministry of Defence (MOD) confirmed that basic flight training would take place at the island base. Councillor Aled Morris Jones said: "This is very good news, it ensures the future of the RAF base on Anglesey."

BBC News - RAF pilot basic training boost welcomed by Anglesey councillor​

 

[HMS Astute]

UK Gripen

 

[HMS Astute]

Britain orders more F-35s as part of biggest-ever defence project

British defence and engineering companies including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce have been given a boost after the Ministry of Defence struck a deal to order the first production batch of F-35 fighter-bombers.

Britain orders more F-35s as part of biggest-ever defence project - Telegraph​

 

[HMS Astute]

UK to upgrade Sentinel R.1s for maritime operations

The United Kingdom is to begin the process of upgrading its fleet of Raytheon Sentinel R.1 Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) surveillance aircraft to conduct maritime operations in mid-2015, the government disclosed on 24 October. Answering questions in the House of Commons, the parliamentary undersecretary of state for defence, Philip Dunne, said that a contract for the development and installation of the maritime-capable software upgrade aboard the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) five aircraft will be signed in spring (Q2) 2015. In late 2013 Raytheon first touted using the platform as a possible solution to bridge the United Kingdom's maritime patrol capability gap. As the aircraft is already equipped with a DB-110 dual-band (synthetic aperture radar and ground moving-target indicator modes) airborne reconnaissance sensor, the upgrade would largely involve modifying the sensor's software rather than installing new hardware. This upgrade should enable the Sentinel R.1 to detect surface vessels and potentially submarine periscopes. Additional sensors could be fitted to further boost the platform's maritime surveillance capability.

UK to upgrade Sentinel R.1s for maritime operations - IHS Jane's 360​

 

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Royal Navy makes historic march into Parliament

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[HMS Astute]

Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW)

The UK's Future Air to Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) is being developed as a family of guided weapons comprising of a light and heavy missile systems, improving the Royal Navy's armaments to equip the future Naval Vertical Lift aviation systems. In the immediate term, FASGW will improve the firepower and effectiveness of the Royal Navy 'Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft program' (SCMR), currently consisting of the Sea Lynx carrying the Sea-Skua missile.

 

[HMS Astute]

ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 29, 2014) Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199) and Royal Navy type 45 destroyer HMS Defender (D 36) conduct replenishment-at-sea alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class)

 

[HMS Astute]

HMS OCEAN visits Gibraltar, British overseas military base.

RFA Argus sailed from Falmouth heading to Sierra Leone with her crew of RFA, Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commandos.

In a couple of years.

 

[HMS Astute]

Time Lapse of HMS Monmouth being floated out of Devonport Dock

HMS Monmouth has successfully undocked and moved out of the Devonport Frigate Refit Complex, marking the first major key date in her extensive upgrade period.

 

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Royal Navy ships prepares for the international joint naval exercise.

"I am delighted that we are hosting IMCMEX here in the Gulf," said Commodore Keith Blount, Royal Navy, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) deputy commander and IMCMEX lead. "Freedom of navigation on the high seas and in international straits is critical to keeping the global economy running smoothly. This exercise offers a unique opportunity for nations from across the world to work together to prove our capability to keep the sea lanes open for legitimate trade."

 

[HMS Astute]

UK places £3.5bn ($6bn) order for new advanced fighting vehicles

British arm of US group wins order for Scout vehicles that will support 1,300 jobs in the UK.
Lockheed Martin UK has been awarded a $1 Billion contract by General Dynamics UK to deliver 245 turrets for the SCOUT Specialist Vehicle (SV). The first prototype turrets will be delivered to General Dynamics UK for assembly onto the SCOUT SV hull in 2015, ahead of the first vehicles being handed over to the Army in 2017.

Each SCOUT SV platform variant will be a highly-agile, tracked, medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle, providing British troops with state-of-the-art protection. SCOUT SV vehicles are developed upon a highly-adaptable and capable Common Base Platform, maximising commonality in mobility, electronic architecture and survivability that ensures the British Army has a family of world-class platforms.

In service, PMRS will provide safe transportation of fully-equipped soldiers in a well-protected environment. On dismount, troops will be able to more effectively conduct a variety of tasks, such as dismounted surveillance (including patrols), observation posts and close target reconnaissance. Its extensive capabilities include acoustic detectors, a laser warning system, a local situational awareness system, an electronic countermeasure system, a route marking system, an advanced electronic architecture and a high performance power pack.

Lockheed Martin to supply $1 billion worth of SCOUT SV turrets | Defense Update:​

 

[HMS Astute]

Col. Matthew Trollinger, left, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Capt. Victor Cooper, right, commodore, Amphibious Squadron 5 (PHIBRON 5) tour the Royal Navy's amphibious transport dock ship HMS Bulwark (L15) to the closing ceremony of Exercise Cougar Voyage 15.

IMCMEX (October 29, 2014) includes navies from 44 countries whose focus is to promote security through mine countermeasure operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility and throughout the world.

Marines with Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), discuss squad tactics with a Royal Marine from Task Force Cougar aboard the U.K. Royal Navy's RFA Lyme Bay (L3007)during Exercise.

 

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Continued...

 

[HMS Astute]

WW I Centenary Commemoration

An event to commemorate centenary of the First World War was held in New Delhi, Thursday 30 October 2014. The event was co-hosted by the British High Commission (BHC) and the United Service Institution of India (USI). British Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon MP; the Indian Minister of Defence and Finance, Shri Arun Jaitley; and Indian Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh were present.

 

[HMS Astute]

British Army Fusiliers take part in Exercise Prairie Storm, Canada

Soldiers from Zulu Company, 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1RRF), are taking part in Exercise Prairie Storm, at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada. Over the course of two weeks, they will face tough challenges as they contend with the variable weather and austere conditions of the Alberta prairie in autumn.

 

[HMS Astute]

Soldiers from 4th Battalion The Rifles (4 RIFLES) are halfway through a challenging light role infantry exercise on the Canadian prairie.Supported by units from across 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade, over 500 soldiers are braving the threat of extreme weather as they conduct Exercise Prairie Storm 4 at British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS)

 

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For 17 days, the troops will be exposed to whatever the autumn throws at them. Unlike many exercises conducted at BATUS, they do not have the luxury of armoured vehicles for shelter. Sleeping out in the open, they are living in austerity as they conduct training from section to company level.So far the weather has been kind, with temperatures rarely dipping below freezing. They often reach minus 9 degrees Celsius in Alberta during October. However, the climate is not the only challenge. Covering distances of up to 10 kilometres a day on foot, the rough terrain has been the greatest test to date.

 

[HMS Astute]

HMS OCEAN RECEIVES COMBAT SYSTEM UPGRADE

HMS OCEAN has become the first Royal Navy warship to be operationally deployed with new state of the art computing equipment, known as Shared Infrastructure, demonstrating a step-change in ship technology.

Developed by engineers at BAE Systems in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Maritime Combat Systems team, Shared Infrastructure is an innovative hardware solution that can host software from multiple technology providers on a single system. This means, for the first time ever, the ship's crew has the capability to access all software, such as navigation, communications and sonar, needed to operate the ship's combat systems through a single console. This provides significant savings to the MOD, including a reduction in the space and power needed for computing equipment, makes it simpler for crew to operate, as well as reducing the amount of spares which are required to be carried on board and therefore significantly decreasing through-life costs.

Jennifer Osbaldestin, Combat Systems Director at BAE Systems Naval Ships, said: "Installing the Shared Infrastructure equipment on board HMS OCEAN introduces a more efficient way of housing the ship's systems. By operating on a single interface, systems can be upgraded as and when required, and capabilities deployed efficiently, ensuring the Royal Navy is best placed to respond to evolving threats.

"This is a fantastic achievement for the teams involved and there is a real sense of excitement as we move into the next phase of installing the technology on board one of the Royal Navy's Landing Platform Dock ships, HMS ALBION, next year."

The deployment of Shared Infrastructure on HMS OCEAN marks an important step towards the Ministry of Defence's vision to establish a common shared architecture across all Royal Navy warships.

Shared Infrastructure is also being deployed on all 13 Type 23 frigates, the Royal Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessels and the second Landing Platform Dock, which is scheduled to be completed over the next 10 years. The installation of the hardware on the Type 23 frigate fleet will also pave the way for creating a coherent shared infrastructure across current and future warships, including the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

This important technology upgrade programme will help to sustain key engineering skills required to deliver a long-term Technical Authority support to the Ministry of Defence ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of defence.

HMS Ocean Receives Combat System Upgrade - BAE Systems​

 

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Capabilities Of The 5th Generation Stealth Lightning Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

 

[HMS Astute]

A new Tornado patch...

FIRST MULTIPLE RELEASE OF PAVEWAY IV FROM AN RAF TYPHOON IS A SUCCESS
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Trials demonstrate enhanced air-to-surface capability for Typhoon

- See more at: First multiple release of Paveway IV from an RAF Typhoon is a success - BAE Systems​