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Artist impression of 37,000tonnes Tide bay class vessels for the Royal Navy.
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Mock up of MARS tanker replenishing RFA Argus
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CG image of Tide Class tannker and Type 45

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The Queen Elizabeth battle group with an Astute-class submarine, two Type 45 destroyers, the carrier herself and one Tide-class tanker, 2 Type 26 global ship will also accompany each QE CBG by 2020.


The second Tide-class tanker, Tiderace:

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Royal Navy Merlins training in Gibraltar, Mediterranean sea naval base.
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Royal Navy Agusta Westland Merlin HM2 ZH843 (St Albans) at RAF Gibraltar
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Pictured are aircraft engineers of 846 Naval Air Squadron working on the Merlin Mk3 at RAF Gibraltar.
The engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset are conducting routine maintenance on the helicopter to ensure it remains serviceable and ready to complete further tasking.



http://chronicle.gi/2016/01/13/busy-airfield/ Royal Navy helicopters in training flight to Gib
 
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Arrival of the new Governor of Gilbratar Lt. Gen. Edward Davis from the U.K, January 19th 2016
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RFA Mounts Bay as she arrived in Gibraltar today with new Governor onboard
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The new Governor and Mrs Davis as they disembark RFA Mounts Bay
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The new Governor and Commander-in-Chief inspects the guard of ho
 
UK MoD To Acquire High-Flying Satellite-like Zephyr 8 UAVs

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Introduction
Zephyr is a series of lightweight solar-powered UAV originally designed and built by the United Kingdom company, QinetiQ and is now part of the Airbus High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme.

History
The Zephyr 7 holds the official endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle for its flight from 9 July to 23 July 2010, lasting 336 hours and 22 minutes (2 weeks / 14 days). Record claims have been verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) for both duration and altitude, at 21,562 meters. It more than doubled the previous endurance record for unmanned flight.

In a 2008 demonstration for the US military, a smaller-scale version of the Zephyr (Zephyr 6) performed beyond the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight, however its 82-hour flight at an altitude of 61,000 feet did not set an official record because FAI officials were not involved in the flight.

Design
It is of carbon-fibre construction, and uses sunlight to charge a lithium-sulphur battery during the day, which powers the aircraft at night. The aircraft has been designed for use in observation and communications relay.

The vehicle can circle over a particular area for extended periods. The military uses the vehicle for reconnaissance and communications platforms. Civilian and scientific programmes use it for Earth observation. During the day, Zephyr uses its state-of-the-art solar cells spread across its wings to recharge high-power lithium-sulphur batteries and drive two propellers. At night, the energy stored in the batteries is sufficient to maintain Zephyr in the sky. The lithium sulphur batteries are supplied by Sion, and the first version had a battery capacity of 3kWh.

Zephyr 7 is bigger and requires five individuals to launch, as opposed to three previously. The team runs gently into the wind until it lifts out of their hands. Zephyr 8 is now under development and will be bigger still, with a 28 metre wingspan.

The Zephyr system was sold to EADS Astrium (now named Airbus Defence and Space) in March 2013 where it has successfully re-flown as part of the High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme. In 2014 it flew for 11 days in winter, and later near civilian airspace.

Flight
The 53 kg Zephyr typically climbs to about 40,000 ft on its first day, and then maintains between 60,000 ft and 40,000 ft thereafter.
Technical specifications

Crew: none
Payload: 2.5 kg (5 lb)
Length: (?)
Wingspan: 22.5 m (73 ft 10 in)
Height: (?)
Loaded weight: 53 kg (116.8 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × 450W Newcastle University custom permanent-magnet synchronous motor, () each
Cruise speed: 30 knots
Service ceiling: exceeds 21 km (70,000 ft). Future versions of Zephyr: Enlarged platform with increased payload capacity, Payload capabilities: NIIRS 8 imagery RADAR LIDAR ESM/ELINT Broadband comms. Available from 2018 and beyond. http://militaryaircraft-airbusds.co...ft/UAVs/Zephyr/ZEPHYR_datasheet_customers.pdf

Zephyr is a High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) UAS/UAV developed by Qinetiq a private British defence company , running exclusively on solar power.

This unmanned aircraft provides affordable, persistent, and local satellite-like services. It

  • endures like a satellite,
  • focuses like an aircraft and
  • is cheaper than both of them.
Specs
  • Max altitude (ASL) : 21 562 m
  • Having already been airborne permanently for more than 14 days, Zephyr holds currently the “Endurance World Record”.
  • ZEPHYR already operated fully integrated in civil airspace!

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Large operational area

Zephyr can currently operate with a 5 kg payload for weeks or months, depending on one’s individual needs.

Next generation ZEPHYRS will be able to carry much more payload increasing the range of applications by far.


Why choose Zephyr?

  • Maximized surveillance capability: provides affordable, persistent, and local satellite-like services
  • Versatile: can be used for a range of military, security and civil applications.
  • Fast reactions: provides real-time images and video, under all weather conditions.
  • Easy to control: can be controlled remotely anywhere in the world.
  • Eco-friendly: runs exclusively on solar power, both day and night.
  • Proven capabilities: holds several world records for the longest and highest flight, for example.
Use Zephyr for:

  • Maritime & Border surveillance
  • Environmental surveillance
  • In-theatre C4ISTAR relay
  • Missile detection
  • Navigation
  • SIGINT
  • Ad-hoc communication bandwith
  • Continuous imagery
  • Many further …
Almost orbital

Zephyr fills a capability gap between satellites and UAVs. It:

  • runs exclusively on solar power and
  • flies above the weather and above commercial air traffic.
Thanks to its power supply, Zephyr is capable of withstanding extremely long flights. Fuelled (un)manned aircraft are limited both in endurance and altitude.
Even more, Zephyr can be used for communications and surveillance at a fraction of the price of a satellite or conventional plane.

Eco-friendly, yet powerful

Zephyr is solar powered, yet ready for heavy duty! It:

  • stores solar energy collected during the day and
  • uses it at night to keep the vehicle in the sky and the payload running.
Zephyr can beat the harsh weather conditions and still have its power requirements met.
In August 2014, Zephyr completed its most demanding mission to date. It set a new benchmark in persistent, year-round operations for this class of unmanned aircraft systems.
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Eyes in the sky

Unlike reconnaissance satellites, Zephyr has the ability to:

  • stay focused on a specific area of interest and
  • provide satellite-like communications and earth observation services over long periods of time without interruption.
Zephyr operates at altitudes that are high enough to enable coverage of hundreds of miles wide, and low enough to easily collect and convey detailed images and video of everything in view.
One unique strength of this unmanned aircraft lies in its quick reaction time. It only takes a few minutes to provide high-quality images and videos, while satellites or conventional planes require a few hours.

Always be connected
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With the help of satellite communications, Zephyr can be operated anywhere in the world, while still being controlled from one central ground station.
This helps to further reduce the cost of service which is already low compared to other means.

Longest and highest

Zephyr holds several world records, for example:

  • the longest flight duration without refueling (14 days) and
  • highest altitude (70,740ft).
Zephyr has flown continuously ten times longer than any other aircraft in the world.

Read the press release: QinetiQ files for three world records for its Zephyr Solar powered UAV

First civil flight

For the first time, a High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) flight has been authorized by a civil authority: in this case, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA).
The flight, completed in Dubai, achieved the highest altitude ever reached in the UAE, 61,696 ft (18,805 m), along with the longest flight in the UAE lasting 23 hours and 47 minutes.
 
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Taking a closer look at the unveiling of the first Ajax armored vehicles for the British army.
It claims to be the first fully-digitised fighting vehicle, with all crew members in the vehicle able to share its camera capabilities. The MoD placed a £3.5 billion order for 589 Scout SVs in September last year, with delivery expected to begin in 2017 and continue until 2024.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
"We are assembling these vehicles in South Wales, supporting thousands of UK jobs and ensuring our servicemen and women have the very best equipment."
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EXCLUSIVE: A First Look At The British Army's AJAX | Forces TV I wish we had gone with our own BAE Systems' CV-90 proposal. Anyway we and the U.S sometimes choose each other defence companies during bids. The best/most competitive often wins. So its a WIn-WIn cooperation @Blue Marlin . I still believe BAE's proposal would have be better for us though.:P
 
British MOD has released some infos and images showing Royal airforce ongoing campaign against Islamic militants/ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The operation is code-name operation Shader and has been going on since 2014 when MPs voted for airstrikes in Iraq.



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A fully loaded dirty typhoon in Iraq

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A RAF tooled up Typhoon refueled over Iraq by a tanker

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A CC-150T Polaris aircraft provides air-to-air refueling to a Royal Air Force Tornado over Iraq 25 January 2016.

Some videos from operations in syria and Iraq





Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq have suffered further losses from successful Royal Air Force air strikes.

On Wednesday 13 January, Typhoon FRG4s provided Iraqi ground forces with close air support as they continue to eliminate terrorist positions in and around Ramadi and conducted two successful attacks with Paveway IV guided bombs on Daesh machine-gun teams. Further north, south-west of Sinjar, Tornado GR4s supported operations by the Kurdish peshmerga and used a Paveway to destroy a machine-gun position which had opened fire on the troops.

The following day, Typhoons were again in action over Ramadi, where they delivered three Paveway IV attacks on a group of Daesh fighters preparing for an assault, a firing position and a mortar team. Tornados patrolled east of Mosul, where they used a pair of Paveways to attack a mortar position and an armed pick-up truck. Typhoons operated in the same area that night, and successfully bombed three buildings in a terrorist-held compound.

On Friday 15 January, Tornado GR4s struck a Daesh barracks near Raqqa, with two Paveway IVs, also destroying one of their vehicles parked close by.

GR4s conducted two successful attacks with Brimstone missiles on Sunday 17 January, destroying a vehicle near Tabbaqah, west of Raqqa, in Syria and a terrorist supply truck south of Sinjar in Iraq.

Throughout these missions, the Tornados and Typhoons were supported as is normal by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, whilst RAF Reaper and Sentinel continued to conduct invaluable surveillance missions against terrorist targets. On the ground, British military instructors continue their efforts as part of the coalition training teams helping build the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces to enable them to build on their recent successes against Daesh.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-air-strikes-in-iraq
 
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Britain plots bombing of Isis in Libya
Tim Ripley and Mark Hookham Published: 31 January 2016

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RAF airstrikes could follow after potential targets are identified (andrew chittock)

A TEAM of British military and intelligence officers last week undertook a secret reconnaissance mission to Libya to plan RAF airstrikes against Isis militants in the strife-torn north African state.

Six RAF officers flew to an airbase in eastern Libya, controlled by pro-western militia forces, along with a group of MI6 operatives, diplomats from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and US and French military personnel.

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SAS in libya 2011. They were crucial in helping rebel forces advance towards Tripoli.

Their mission, near the coastal city of Tobruk, was to build up intelligence on the location of Isis fighters and draw up potential targets for possible British and coalition airstrikes.

Plans for military action against Isis in Libya have stepped up amid fears that the terrorist group, which controls a long stretch of coastline around the city of Sirte, is preparing to shift its headquarters from Syria to north Africa and threaten the Mediterranean.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article1662906.ece

hmmmmm........not sure i approve of airstrikes in Libya. Let's let them sort out their issues themselves. Shouldn't have intervened in the first place(even though i know the UNSC voted/approved our intervention). We should have adopted a wait and see approach and observe how things unfold before thinking of intervention. @Blue Marlin , @Vauban , @Taygibay
 

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Staying with the army's Ajax armored vehicle program, let's Take a closer look at the Cased Telescoped Armament System(NOTE THAT it is build by both France and Britain i.e a BAE/NEXTER program @Vauban , @Taygibay , @Blue Marlin ) which will equipped the British army's advanced Ajax armored fighting vehicles from next year to 2020. :enjoy:


The 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS)

Intended to equip the Ajax reconnaissance and Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, the Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS) comprises the CT Cannon, Ammunition Handling System, Controller, Gun Control Equipment, Gun Mount and a range of ammunition natures.

It will also equip a number of French Army vehicles, the system as a whole being the result of a joint development programme and joint BAE/NEXTER venture called CTA International.

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History
Recognising the approaching obsolescence of the 30mm RARDEN cannon, the MoD started a series of trade studies in order to develop the concept for a medium calibre weapon to replace it, one suitable to deal with the emerging Russian combat vehicles.

These trade studies prompted GIAT and Royal Ordnance to explore options for a collaborative development programme.

A Royal Ordnance and GIAT 45mm Cased Telescoped Weapon System (CTWS) demonstrator was completed in 1991 with the prototype the following year. The CTWS was intended for TRACER, a mid-life Warrior upgrade and the French VAD.

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1992, Staff Target (Land) 4061, more commonly known as TRACER, Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement was to be the new CVR(T) replacement. TRACER was now to utilise the 45mm CTWS.

1994, the joint development concept was formalised by the creation of a 50/50 Joint Venture between GIAT and Royal Ordnance called Cased Telescoped Ammunition International, or CTAI for short.

The US Department of Defense Inspector General released a technical evaluation in 1996 on cased telescoped ammunition, it was less than fulsome in its praise.

In the same period, the US Army started looking at a replacement for its Bradley M3 in Cavalry squadrons, and the M1114 HMMWV ‘Humvee’ in scout platoons, in a programme called the Future Scout Cavalry System (FSCS). The TRACER and FSCS programmes were subsequently harmonised and a joint project created. Both nations requirements would be met by a single vehicle, the Armoured Scout and Reconnaissance Vehicle (ASRV). It is important to note, for the avoidance of confusion, that both programmes continued to be referred to, in their home nations, by their original titles: TRACER and FSCS. The intended end product of both programmes was the ASRV which, if successful, would be produced in both nations.

The Armoured Scout and Reconnaissance Vehicle was specified in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the US and the UK in July 1998, the original Operational Requirements Document having being agreed in December 1997. Although a common vehicle was envisaged, the British Army had an additional requirement for their variant to be equipped with a long-range anti-tank missile. This was intended to provide overwatch for vehicles deployed forward without protection from main battle tanks.

France and Germany both requested observer status on TRACER although neither had a comparable requirement.

Contracts for an initial study phase were signed with two consortia, each composed of a mix of UK and US companies, in January 1999. The mix of UK and US companies was intended to facilitate an equal work share between the native industries of the two nations.

In 1997 the decision was made to move the calibre to 40mm and rename it the CT2000 (rather optimistically, as it would turn out to be).

Two years later, in 1999, further interest from the USA resulted in a representative turret containing the 40mm CTAS integrated onto a US Army Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.



Firing trials were conducted soon after.



In April 2001, a statement to the House of Parliament revealed that the future of the US FSCS was in doubt, describing how the new Future Combat System (FCS) vision as envisioned by General Shinseki in 1999 would need funding and some programmes would be cut to make room for it, one of these was the follow-on engineering development phase of FSCS/TRACER.

At the DSEi show in London in September 2001, a SIKA representative said;

Rumours that the project had stalled completely and was about to be overtaken by FRES are grossly overdone, the project continues to meet its milestone development phases and we have already started cutting metal on the first prototype.

In October 2001, a statement was made to Parliament that in a joint US/UK decision, TRACER would come to a close at the end of the assessment phase in July 2002. The information gained would be used to inform FCS and FRES respectively, both programmes were to effectively absorb TRACER and FSCS.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Tracer programme.

Dr. Moonie: The UK and the US have taken a joint decision to bring the Tracer programme to a close in July 2002 when the current assessment phase comes to an end. In keeping with the principles of Smart Acquisition, this illustrates our willingness to take the right decision early in a programme in response to changing priorities. The Tracer programme has successfully developed a pool of key technologies that can now be utilised in future programmes such as the Future Rapid Effects System which will play a key role in meeting the Land Commander’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance needs.

TRACER and FSCS were no more although that the development programme would see out its contracted funding and allow the consortia show the fruits of their considerable labours.

Total cost to the UK was confirmed at £131 million

TRACER technology demonstrations took place towards the end of the programme in June and July 2002 involving the prototype vehicles from each consortium.



The composite image above show the LANCER TRACER demonstration vehicle, sharp-eyed readers will note two slightly different turrets. The image top left is at United Defense in the US, they produced the chassis and shipped it to the UK for fitting the sensor and turret systems. The others show a dummy turret.

The SIKA demonstrator is shown below.



They were widely regarded as impressive vehicles and included many advanced concepts such as a hybrid electrical drive that provided a limited silent capability, band tracks from Soucy, 5m mast mounted elevating sensors, unmanned turrets, open electronic architectures, single crew pod and of course, the 40mm Cased Telescopic Ammunition (CTA) cannon from CTAI.

TRACER provided a glimpse into the future but although the vehicles were reportedly very impressive, the impression I get from reading what sparse materials are available on the subject is that the massive leaps forward were probably too much for a single programme to sustain. Every aspect was a huge advance; armour, propulsion, weapons, ergonomics and above all, the sensors and sensor fusion. FSCS was also criticised because it sought to reduce the overall personnel numbers in US Cavalry organisations, especially dismounted personnel, and it was feared that technology was driving doctrine, not the other way around, perhaps a fair criticism.

The US withdrew from TRACER in favour of the Future Combat System (FCS).

With the US gone, the UK had a choice, it could well have stayed with the programme and comments about it being unaffordable without US participation are only partly true but before it had chance to complete, the UK was already in love with its own version of FCS, The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES).

And that was the end of TRACER.

The CTWS 40 was still in development under separate contracts, so it was not impacted by the cancellation of TRACER, it was still intended for Warrior and future French vehicles, and no doubt, FRES.

Various testing activities continued, icing, resistance to impact and fire, aircraft carriage and compound angle firing, for example.



Although not specifically aimed at any one vehicle the Manned Turret Integration Programme (MTIP) was a technology demonstrator working on the integration of the 40mm CTWS and a number of different sensors. A demonstration contract was placed with Cased Telescoped Ammunition International (CTAI) to complete risk reduction demonstrations on a manned turret, feed systems and other sub-systems.

CTA was required to demonstrate the CTWS in a manned turret fitted to a Warrior by the end of 2006. The French Délégation Général pour l’Armement (DGA) also placed a contract with CTA for an unmanned turret called TOUTATIS., again, to be trialled on Warrior.

MTIP and TOUTATIS, shown below, left and right.



CTA had been working on turret integration since 2003 and had demonstrated early models of both turrets on Warrior, the manned turret providing Level IV protection at a weight of 3.8 tonnes and the unmanned turret providing Level III protection but at the much lower weight of 1.5 tonnes. The unmanned turret also had all the ammunition within the turret and a simpler feed mechanism, carrying capacity was 68 rounds, compared to 42 for the manned turret.

The Objective Future Cannon Programme (OFCP) was initiated in 2002, a joint programme between the UK MoD and French DGA. This defined the future programme activities and a number of key user requirements and specification;

  • Rate of Fire 200 Shots per minute
  • Fire two ammunition types selectable <3s
  • Remote operation
  • Low integration volume <80 litres total swept volume
  • Dispersion > <0,35 mil APFSDS > <1 mil GPR
  • Minimum Fatigue Safety Life 10,000 rounds
  • Operates in safety –46°C to +63°C
  • Satisfies prevailing UK MoD and French DGA safety standards
  • STANAG 4439 insensitive
  • Reliability >98%
  • Supports ‘coincidence’ fire control solution
 
The first firing demonstration of the CTAS on a Warrior was in January 2002, in the ‘Xena’ turret, shown below.



The original intent was that the 40mm CTAS would be central to the Warrior Fightability and Lethality Improvement Programme (WFLIP) but in 2005, the MoD announced a competition, as they do, despite the significant investment in the CTAS since the early nineties. The competition originally specified a minimum calibre of 35mm but this was subsequently changed to 30mm to allow other guns to compete.

Competing bidders included General Dynamics with a version of their Mk46 turret, as fitted to the proposed USMC Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and now used in naval applications, Selex offered a Mk 44 Bushmaster in the Oto Melara HITFIST turret, Lockheed Martin/Rheinmetall, a modification of the existing Warrior turret and CTAI/BAE, the 40mm CTAS in MTIP-2, obviously.




Additional firing trials were carried out in 2004 at Ridsdale Ranges.



France and the UK agreed on a common certification process for the 40mm CTWS in March 2006.

In April 2008, the MoD announced that the CTA International 40mm CTWS had been selected for both the Warrior and FRES Scout, although the MoD chose not to select a turret design.

General Dynamics withdrew from the competition, leaving Selex, BAE and Lockheed Martin, all but one now facing the prospect of redesigning their turrets to include the mandated 40mm CTAS. Selex withdrew later in the year, leaving Lockheed Martin and BAE to slug it out.

At the June Eurosatory show, BAE showed their self-funded MTIP 2 turret on a Warrior chassis. The MTIP 2 turret was a brand new design with a fully stabilised 40mm CTWS applique armour package that provided the same protection level as the hull.

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As can be seen, the original MTIP and later BAE MTIP-2 turrets are clearly different.

By the end of 2009, after Lockheed Martin had been awarded a study contract to investigate a common Warrior/FRES turret, it became clear that there would, in fact, need two turret variants, one for Warrior, and the other optimised for the recce role.

BAE and General Dynamics promoted their respective entries for FRES SV at the beginning of 2010, BAE emphasised the benefits of a common turret, although with slight differences depending on the role.

General Dynamics offered a modification of the Austrian-Spanish Cooperative Development (ASCOD) vehicle which was in service with Spain and Austria, as the Pizarro and Ulan respectively.

BAe offered a shortened CV90, claimed to be fully developed and available in the flesh, although to what extent readiness extended under the skin was not clear. The basic vehicle was to be constructed at Hagglund in Sweden and shipped to Newcastle for final assembly and integration. This was later proven to be a political miscalculation, although using the existing CV90 production line made perfect financial sense.

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Outwardly there was little to distinguish the two, both used already in service infantry fighting vehicles of nineties origin as the base platform and both were equipped with the mandated 40mm CTA cannon, a range of C4ISTAR, protection and various automotive upgrades.

BAE announced their investment a £4.5 million in a Turret Test Rig for both Warrior and FRES programmes in February 2010.

The £4.5m Turret Test Rig (TTR) will mimic the field testing of turrets for Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) Scout and Warrior vehicles by subjecting them to tests under extremes of temperatures. The tests are expected to take a turret through a 20-year lifespan in 12-18 months.

Further development and qualification of the 40mm CTA weapon were agreed by France and the UK in February.

March 2010 saw the announcement that General Dynamics had been selected for FRES SV Recce Block 1, or more specifically, selected as preferred bidder.

General Dynamics said;

General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited has been selected by the Ministry of Defence to provide the next generation of armoured fighting vehicles to the British Army. The MoD has chosen General Dynamics’ ASCOD SV tracked vehicle as the winning design for the demonstration phase of the Specialist Vehicle competition, providing both the Scout variant and the Common Base Platform for up to 580 SV vehicles. ASCOD SV is the latest generation of a proven European design which has been significantly redesigned by General Dynamics’ UK engineering team, and will provide unparalleled military capability for the British Army over the 30 years of the vehicles’ life.

It emerged that General Dynamics would use a turret provided by Lockheed Martin, the actual design based on the Rheinmetall LANCE medium calibre turret.

With the election out of the way, the MoD and General Dynamics announced successful negotiations in June 2010 and the award of a £500 million contract for the Demonstration and Manufacture phase of FRES SV Recce Block 1.

In February/March 2010, alongside FRES, the MoD was also considering the future of the Warrior Capability Sustainment Project (WCSP), a competition between BAE and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin proposed an upgrade of the existing Warrior turret and BAE, their MTIP 2 design,

In late March 2010, the MoD Investment Approvals Board recommended a year-long delay to WCSP.

At the September 2011 DSEi show, FRES SV was shown for the first time, at least, a representative prototype. It is about this point at which you stop seeing references to FRES, no longer is it FRES SV, it is just SV. FRES as a concept was dead, there was no wake, no funeral, it was just shuffled out the back door.

BAE Systems - Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) Upgrade [480p]



Lockheed Martin were awarded the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) contract in October 2010.

Demonstration was expected to cost £200 million and manufacture £642 million. WCSP was designed to extend the service life of Warrior to beyond 2040 by which time it would have been in service over 50 years, which kind of proves legacy platforms can be upgraded.

The upgrade includes a new turret and 40mm CTA weapon, Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture and Warrior Modular Protection System. The demonstration phase, at a cost of £200m, would upgrade eight section vehicles and three other variants ready for trials between 2013 and 2014. A production phase would follow that would upgrade 380 infantry fighting vehicles and other variants. Each Multi Role Brigade was to have 1 Battalion equipped with Warrior.

At this point, Lockheed Martin was still insisting an upgraded Warrior turret would be used for the WCSP vehicles.

A mock-up Scout was shown in 2012 with the new turret but basic ASCOD chassis.



By the end of 2011, Lockheed Martin had been selected by General Dynamics to provide the Scout SV turret and by the MoD to provide the WCSP turret, as part of the wider programme.

Both, with different turrets, same main gun, though.

In summer 2013 a number of Warrior announcements were made;

Procurement of Cased Telescoped Cannons (CTC) Ammunition

The Specialist Vehicle Cannon Project Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to place a further buy of ammunition, with CTA International through an Amendment to Contract No FRES/0075, to support the demonstration phases of the Cased Telescopic Cannon which will be provided to Prime Contractors for integration into the Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) and the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP).

How much?

Total final value of contract(s)
Value: 25 629 034 EUR Including VAT. VAT rate (%) 20

A representative Scout prototype was shown soon after.

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The Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme was also being shown off in the middle of 2013, after completing the initial design review.

Towards the end of 2013, news emerged of problems with the Scout turret. Defense News reported that General Dynamics had agreed to pay Lockheed Martin several million pounds in compensation for failing to keep to a timetable on requirement delivery. It also reported problems with weight growth and a delayed ISD. Defense Industry Daily has a concise summary of the Warrior upgrade programmes, click here to read.

After a series of successful design reviews and 40mm CTA qualification in early 2014, the WCSP achieved Initial Design Approval in January 2014. Qualification firings included the APFSDS-T and practice rounds.

General Dynamics and the MoD also released a new image of the Scout variant.



News emerged in 2014 that confirmed a decision by Lockheed Martin to abandon the Warrior turret conversion and proceed with a new turret design, this was no doubt cold comfort to BAE, who had insisted from the start that a new turret would be needed. The whole programme was ‘re-baselined’.

In 2015, the MoD finally placed a production order, although there was an announcement in 2015 for a £75m order

The deal with the joint BAE/NEXTER company CTA International was for £150m and will provide 515 weapons for the SV Scout and Warrior vehicles. The contract also included initial spares, test equipment, specialist tools and some training.
 


There will be 245 for the Scout and 245 for Warrior, the balance being used for training, trials and ammunition qualification.

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.

France has also selected the CTAS 40 for use on their EBRC (Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat) vehicles that will replace the AMX-10RC and Sagaie vehicles, using a common 2 man turret, the T40. There was also some talk of a CT40 equipped Leclerc a few years ago, called the Leclerc T40, also proposed for the Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance à Chenille (EBRC) programme.



Nexter was in competition with Panhard with their Sphinx vehicle, fitted with yet another turret for the CT40 that has drawn on expertise from Lockheed Martin UK and Cockerill. Panhard no longer lists the Sphinx on their website.

The Nexter Jaguar (VBMR) will join the Griffon (EBRC) in the 5 Billion Euro Scorpion programme, announced on December 2014.




The 24 tonne Griffon will be obtained in personnel carrier, ambulance, command and control and artillery observation, to a maximum of 1,722 vehicles, delivery starting in 2018. A lighter 4×4 VBMR variant is also planned for delivery after 2021, replacing the PVP and VBL vehicles. The 25 tonne Jaguar will be obtained in a quantity of 248. TheScorpion programme also includes modernisation of the LeClerc Main Battle Tank that will extend it’s out of service date to 2040.

Nexter has also shown a VBCI-2 equipped with a T40 turret, the same turret that is used on their Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat (EBRC) vehicles. If the UK does select the VBCI to satisfy the future Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) and chose the T40 equipped turret version, it will have three different turret designs, each equipped with the same weapon system.



Although the trials and tribulations of TRACER, FRES and Warrior have not significantly impacted the CTAS 40, there is no doubt that it has not been a smooth development, clearly, something that takes nearly 30 years to bring into service is not without problems, but here it is, qualification tests passed and a production contract awarded.

Capabilities and System Description
The CTAS is described by several components; 40mm CT Cannon (CTC), Ammunition Handling System (AHS), CTAS Controller (CTAS-C), Gun Control Equipment (GCE), Gun Mount and a range of ammunition.



The gun is designed to be compact.



As can be seen from the images below, the payload is fully contained within the case, this is what is meant by ‘case telescoped’, the main reason to do this is space efficiency.

CTAI are marketing six ammunition natures.



The first of these is the Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot – Tracer (APFSDS-T) that is designed to defeat armoured vehicles such as infantry fighting vehicles and legacy tanks (although thinking that it can defeat modern tanks would be incorrect, and possibly dangerous), able to penetrate 140 mm of RHA (Rolled Homogeneous Armour) at 1500 m.



The Target Practice Reduced Round – Tracer (TPRR-T), is used for training, is cheaper, and results in much less barrel wear. A normal range Target Practice – Tracer (TP-T) is also available.

There are two general purpose rounds, one point detonating (General Purpose Round – Point Detonating – Tracer (GPR-PD-T)) and the other providing an airburst capability (General Purpose Round – Point Detonating – Tracer (GPR-ab-T)) which can be used against troops on a reverse slope or behind light cover for example, it can also be used in point detonating mode.
 
The image below shows a fragmentation comparison between a 30mm airburst round (left) and the 40mm GPR-AB



The Anti-Aerial Air Burst (A3B) has a longer range and a payload of tungsten pellets designed to defeat airborne targets.

Not all have these have yet been qualified but work continues to build on the initial qualification of the find and practice rounds.

The round is inserted into the breech block through the trunion and the rotating breech block then aligns it with the barrel, thus eliminating the need for flexible feed guides. There are a couple of variation but the UK version will have a dual feed system, most likely loaded with the APFDS and GPR, although other mixes may be used depending upon requirements. The system can swap from one to the in less than 3 seconds.

A fire control system designed and manufactured by Ultra is the final component of the system,



Anecdotally, the cost of the new ammunition is said to be ‘eye watering’, reliability and suportability have also yet to be determined in service.

Futures
Although work has recently concentrated on bringing the system into service CTAI have also carried out a number of studies on larger calibre (105mm), guided submunitions and a 12.7mm version.



Testing has also confirmed the suitability of the 40mm CTAS for use in remote and unmanned mounts, including dual/triple feed and non-penetrating options.



The image below shows a non-penetrating remote mount fitted to a French VAB combat vehicle.



CTAI have also proposed a number of naval applications for the CTAS but the most recent development is the Thales RAPIDFire system, designed to destroy helicopters, unmanned vehicles and combat aircraft.




The RAPIDFire vehicle can be integrated with a number of air defence systems and uses the specialised air defence ammunition that contained 200 tungsten pellets. Rather than using a very high rate of fire, RAPIDFire is designed to fire fewer but more effective air bursting rounds at the target. It can carry 140 rounds in the turret, ready to fire. Effective range is claimed to be 4,000m and up to 6 vehicles can be integrated with a single control module for wide area coverage, including fire control for Starstreak/HVM missiles. An independent EO/IR sensor can also be used with detection ranges in excess of 18km.

In 2013, Aviation Week reported interest in an aircraft version;

“Someone was looking at putting the gun on a C-130 gunship,” he says, declining to identify the individual. “It was a U.S. company that got our data somewhere, and maybe it will give them an advantage over other bids. I was surprised when I got it. But the cannon is 300 kg (660 lb.) and has very short recoil. Of course, you have to control the pulse, but why not [put it on an aircraft]? We’ll see what happens next.”

With Airbus recently reported to be interested in developing ISTAR/combat payload enhancements for the A400M and the recent success of the C-295 Gunship conversions for Jordan, this may be one to watch.

A Few Thoughts
Why has the UK and France persisted with this approach when there are many conventional options like Super 40, for example?

Quite simply, it is one of space, although additional armour piercing performance is always a good thing.

Modern vehicles need modern electronics, and contrary to popular belief, modern electronics, at least in combat vehicles, are not getting any smaller. Modern vehicles also need modern people, and modern people are larger and wear combat body armour, we also can no longer insist armoured vehicle crew are small in stature. All this places a premium on internal turret volume, so anything that reduces the volume of one of the main turret components simply means more room for ammunition, electronics and ergonomics i.e., a good thing.

This comes at a cost however, the CTAS is expensive (regardless of arguments about cost per stored kill) and unless others purchase it, only in service in relatively small numbers. The burden of ongoing qualification and development will fall disproportionately on France and the UK. There are wider arguments about the concept of operation for armoured infantry and reconnaissance forces and their need for such a high performance, and expensive, weapon, but they are outside the scope of this document.

Regardless of whether anyone thinks the CTAS is a good idea or not is irrelevant, to coin a phrase, we are where we are.

The question the UK faces is whether to double down, or carry on with the CTAS in service on just two vehicle types. In order to maximise commonality, realise economies of scale and provide confidence and impetus to an export campaign. Export customers mean shared development costs and lower ammunition costs.

The next major decision will be on the new British Army Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) that will equipment the medium weight Strike brigades. If the decision is to equip some or all of them with a turreted medium calibre weapon it would seem to be an easy decision to utilise either the Warrior or Ajax turret. If a non-turreted option is required, the CT40 remote mount pictured above on the VAB would also seem a sensible decision.

Longer term, why not replace the Royal Navy Mk44 30mm weapons with a CTAS, how about a palletised version for a UK C-130 gunship, or even mount them in a remote mount on the Royal Marines Griffon 2400TD hovercraft?

One thing is certain; if we fail to show confidence in the system by deploying it across multiple platforms, no one is going to buy it.

A stronger case would be for the RAIDFire, or some other system based on the CTAS. We have observed the devastatingly effective combination of rocket delivered sub-munitions and multiple UAV’s in Ukraine.

Obviously, the Russians didn’t get the memo about cluster munitions being evil.

I think we are still coming to terms with the implications of a ‘return to contingency’ as we have termed it, fighting a potential enemy who never forgot how effective artillery is. Combine this massed artillery with rocket delivered shaped charge top attack submunitions and overlapping and multiple types of UAV operating at different altitudes and we have a very serious challenge. One of those challenges is to counter proliferating unmanned aircraft, from the sophisticated medium altitude types to those commercially widely available. If we think we have enough HVM and CAMM (Land Ceptor), we are kidding ourselves.

The economics of equipment cost exchange ratios mean a gun based C-UAV system is essential.

What better way of demonstrating the effectiveness and versatility a new piece of equipment like CTAS?

http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/cased-telescoped-armament-system/

Interesting read
 
hmmmmm........not sure i approve of airstrikes in Libya. Let's let them sort out their issues themselves. Shouldn't have intervened in the first place(even though i know the UNSC voted/approved our intervention). We should have adopted a wait and see approach and observe how things unfold before thinking of intervention. @Blue Marlin , @Vauban , @Taygibay
agreed........... gadafi was alright
 
The new Governor and Commander-in-Chief inspects the guard of ho

Are you sure there was not something to add there? I suppose you can't edit by now nor rewrite.
And it would not be proper to replace the pic either as per PDF rules, an image of guard of hos is haram.


As for Libya, that was one sorry example of politicians using armed forces for their own gain.
No BoG / only fighters / no casualties / keep calm and go back to sleep public opinion, etc.
All pure BS [ Big Show? :disagree: ], no reasoning save hopes of re-election and so no results!

SNAFU my poor mates, SNAFU, Tay.
 
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Are you sure there was not something to add there? I suppose you can't edit by now nor rewrite.
And it would not be proper to replace the pic either as per PDF rules, an image of guard of hos is haram.

.
LOL I didn't even noticed that until you pointed this out. Had to go back and look at the image/post you were referring to. Too bad o cant edit/complete the sentence anymore. must have missed that while typing. Happens. lol

As for Libya, that was one sorry example of politicians using armed forces for their own gain.
No BoG / only fighters / no casualties / keep calm and go back to sleep public opinion, etc.
All pure BS [ Big Show? :disagree: ], no reasoning save hopes of re-election and so no results!

SNAFU my poor mates, SNAFU, Tay.
I AGREE

agreed........... gadafi was alright
He was indeed a necessary evil we could deal with.
 
Rolls-Royce in Bristol marks Type 26 Global Combat Ship turbine milestone

By Western Daily Press | Posted: February 01, 2016
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(Left to Right) Tomas Leahy, Rolls-Royce Director EMEA Programmes – Naval, Commodore Paul Methven, Philip Dunne MP, Minister for Defence Procurement, Geoff Searle, BAE Systems, Programme Director Type 26 Global Combat Ship

VIEW GALLERY
T26c-1014x487.jpg

A gas turbine that will power the next generation of Royal Navy frigates has achieved a major milestone following testing in Bristol.

Minister for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne visited Rolls-Royce in Filton today to view the MT30 gas turbine for the new Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme.

At a ceremony in Bristol the company marked the completion of the successful factory acceptance test.

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract to supply MT30 gas turbines for the first three Royal Navy Type 26 Global Combat Ships – a programme that was reported last year to be costing approximately £11.5 billion.
T26.jpg

Type 26 with Queen Elizabeth carrier battle group


The company has also signed design development agreements (DDAs) with BAE Systems for steering gear, stabilisers, and mission bay handling equipment. There is also a DDA in place for diesel generator sets to power the ship's electric drive system.

Mr Dunne, said: "I am very pleased to welcome the delivery of the first Type 26 Global Combat Ship MT30 Gas Turbine engine, which will be a key long lead item for the programme. The Type 26 will be a multi-mission warship with capability to meet the future demands of the maritime environment, including complex combat operations, counter piracy, humanitarian and disaster relief work."


Geoff Searle, BAE Systems, programme director Type 26 Global Combat Ship, said:

"Today is a significant milestone on our journey to deliver Type 26 to the Royal Navy and it really shows the momentum that there is behind this programme.

"Type 26 will be the backbone of the UK's surface fleet and a strong industrial base is essential to sustaining this naval capability."

Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, president – Naval, said: "Successful completion of the factory acceptance test is a significant achievement for everyone involved in the Type 26 Programme. Producing 36 to 40 megawatts the MT30 gas turbine is the world's most powerful in-service marine gas turbine with the highest power density and will deliver a high power output in a compact space – an essential factor for naval propulsion."

The factory acceptance test, which has to be completed before the gas turbine can be delivered, was carried out at the Rolls-Royce Test Facility in Bristol. The engine was put through a week of rigorous performance tests, witnessed by representatives from BAE Power Systems.
mj20021001_02.jpg

An MT30 prepared for testing in Bristol UK

The MT30 is derived from Rolls-Royce Trent aero engine technology and builds on over 45 million hours of operating experience. It is initially built as separate modules on the same build line as the Rolls-Royce Trent aerospace engines in Derby. It is then assembled at the company's Bristol facility.

Rolls-Royce MT30s are also being installed in the Royal Navy's new Aircraft Carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales. They are also in service with the US Navy and have been selected for the Republic of Korea Navy's latest Frigate programme.


http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...lobal-Combat/story-28647303-detail/story.html
 
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