Reino Unido

[roberto_yeager]

Bueno, bueno, bueno...

Parece que el "presi" quiere más dinero para las FAS...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7010508.ece


Brown goes into battle with billions for defence

(MoD)
Roland Watson, Political Editor, and Deborah Haynes, Defence Editor
275 Comments
Recommend? (42)
Gordon Brown will put two new aircraft carriers at the heart of his vision for the military this week as he commits Labour to billions of pounds of extra defence spending.

At the same time, defence chiefs are exploring how closer military links with France and the potential benefits of an entente cordiale could tackle future dangers with limited resources.

The Prime Minister will use the launch of a Green Paper on the future of the Armed Forces to promise a new generation of warships and fast jets over the coming decade. He will also guarantee an extra £1.5 billion for the war in Afghanistan, and promise to safeguard defence spending from any cuts next year.

Mr Brown aims to display Labour commitment to the military while also forcing the Conservatives to say whether they would match such spending.

His pledges will include:

• going ahead with two 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers at a cost of £5 billion;

• maintaining troop numbers in the Army at more than 100,000; and

• committing a future government to the Joint Strike Fighter, costing £10 billion, and completing the £20 billion Typhoon programme.

The list will prompt questions about how an incoming government could afford such sums at a time of deep spending cuts across Whitehall. A government source said there would have to be “tough decisions elsewhere”.

The Green Paper, which paves the way for a strategic defence review after the election, will examine the nature of future threats and conflicts and Britain’s ability to respond. “It recognises that no country with the possible exception of the United States can do all this by itself,” said a source who has seen the report.

Britain’s partnership with the US will remain an important factor but France is also seen as a main ally, particularly in delivering joint leadership on defence in Europe. “We are like an old married couple who bicker a lot but we know that we can’t live without each other,” the source said.

He added that the outgoing French Chief of the Defence Staff held meetings in London last week in which he highlighted the need to work together.

Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, said that Paris and Washington would be the two main strategic partners for a Conservative government. But he said there would have to be difficult decisions about spending, and procurement projects in particular.George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, has not given a commitment to the aircraft carrier programme. Both the aircraft carriers and jets that would operate from them have been subjected to delays and huge cost increases. Some analysts say that much of the planned hardware is no longer the best way of countering the most likely future threats of insurgency-style warfare, nuclear proliferation and international terrorist attacks.

A government source said the Ministry of Defence would look to cut up to 10,000 extra civilian jobs, without waiting for the Strategic Defence Review.

Britain and France, both nuclear powers, are the only two countries in the European Union that spend more than 2 per cent of national income on defence. They also face similar financial problems, making collaboration an attractive option, even though attempts in the past, such as a joint Frigate project in the 1980s and 1990s, failed to get off the ground.

Bueno, pues eso, que quiere pasta para tres puntales básicos. Los 2 (DOS) portas. 100000 soldados y terminar los pagos de los EF-2000 y F-35...

Claro que hay voces que dicen que se acercan las elecciones...

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

El Illustrious, entra en dique para mejoras...

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2010 ... 1298t0.asp

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Babcock and UK MoD announce support arrangement for Landing Craft


17:37 GMT, February 2, 2010 The UK Ministry of Defence and Babcock have finalised a ground-breaking continuous engineering support (CES) arrangement for the long term support of Landing Craft.

The Royal Navy operates a flotilla of 33 craft made up of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) operating from the Amphibious Capital Ships HMS Ocean, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

Under the new CES agreement, Babcock will undertake all LCU and LCVP support period activity, and will be making a more proactive contribution to the work required based on its knowledge and experience, working with the MoD to develop the maintenance requirements jointly. In the past Landing Craft have been the poor relation within the support community, and the implementation of the CES solution pulls together a single team in Devonport working alongside the end user, the Royal Marines, to deliver significant improvements in landing craft materiel state and availability whilst also delivering significant savings in through life costs.

The initiative has been established in quick time, progressing from initial concept to implementation in 10 months. Key to enabling this has been establishing a single plan, a single budget and a co-located team of engineers dedicated to the delivery of support to the landing craft.

Chief of Materiel (Fleet), Vice Admiral Mathews, CB FREng, officially launched the arrangement at HM Naval Base Devonport yesterday (1 February). At the event Capt Graeme Little, OBE, RN, Capital Ships In-Service Ships Team Leader, commented: “This is a turning point in the provision of engineering support to the Royal Marines and is a further demonstration that MoD and industry can work together extremely effectively to deliver in an increasingly tight financial climate. The initiative will see a significant increase in craft availability and is a real success for the amphibious surface manoeuvre community. We also see this as an important stepping-stone in the drive for further improvements as part of the wider joint initiative between MoD and Babcock to develop Devonport as the RN Centre for Amphibious Support Excellence.”

Babcock Warships Director (Devonport), Chris Tomkins said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us. We are confident of delivering significant benefits and improvements in the maintenance of these important vessels under this new arrangement. It is an opportunity to provide demonstrable evidence to the MoD and our RN customer that we can support platforms in a more cost-effective and efficient way, underpinned by a strong Babcock/MoD partnering ethos.”

defpro.news



Company or Organisation Portrait:
Babcock International

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

UK Ministry of Defence sets the big questions for Strategic Defence Review

15:47 GMT, February 3, 2010 A Green Paper posing fundamental questions for the future of Defence ahead of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which will take place after this year's General Election, has been published by the MOD today, Wednesday 3 February 2010.

The Green Paper, titled Adaptability and Partnership: Issues for the Strategic Defence Review, analyses the complex and uncertain future for which the Government must plan, sets out some essential principles for defence going forward, and identifies key questions that the SDR must address, including:

• What contribution should the Armed Forces make in ensuring security within the UK?
• How could we more effectively employ the Armed Forces in support of wider efforts to prevent conflict and strengthen international stability?
• Do our current international defence and security relationships require rebalancing in the longer term?
• Should we integrate our forces with those of key allies and partners?

Since the last full SDR in 1998, the threats to our national security have changed dramatically. While we know that our defence priority today is Afghanistan, we must also prepare for the threats of the future.

Today's Green Paper analyses the wide range of potential threats to the UK, including terrorism, nuclear states, cyber-warfare, resource scarcity and climate change. It also reflects on the lessons learned from our experience in conflict, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When confronted by this uncertain future, the Green Paper concludes that:

• the Armed Forces must become more flexible and adaptable, and better able to respond quickly as and when new threats emerge;
• we can not defend ourselves inside - or on - our borders alone. As in Afghanistan, we must continue to tackle national security threats at their source, and so our action at home must be complemented by targeted action overseas;
• Our Armed Forces' vital role must be complemented by close relationships with our international partners. Our relations with our strategic allies, including in Europe as well as the US, will be ever more important;
• close cooperation across Government will be vital to maximising our impact. We must bring together defence, diplomatic and development efforts as part of an integrated civil-military approach.

This Green Paper on the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is the product of broad consultation within the Defence community. It has been informed over six months by members of the Defence Advisory Forum, including opposition politicians, former military personnel and academics.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said: "There is no more important function for Government than defence. This Green Paper will stimulate debate about the future of Britain's defence ahead of a Strategic Defence Review in the next Parliament.

"Afghanistan is the top priority today but we must also ensure that our Armed Forces are ready to confront the challenges of tomorrow. The current and emerging threats we face are characterised by uncertainty and will require a more flexible response from an adaptable Armed Forces."

Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said: "I welcome this Green paper. It is a first and a significant step on the road to the forthcoming Defence Review that will shape our security in the years ahead. The issues the Green Paper raises are of fundamental importance to all citizens of this country, and I look forward to a vigorous and widespread debate on them in the coming months."

Whatever the future holds for our Armed Forces, it is essential that they continue to have the very best equipment supported by world class procurement processes. That is why the MOD is also publishing today a Strategy for Acquisition Reform.

This builds on the recommendations of last year's independent Bernard Gray's Review of Defence Acquisition into defence procurement and sets out steps to improve governance, risk management, transparency and cost control in order to deliver an efficient, well managed and high quality equipment programme for the future.

However, this not a point-by-point response to Gray and the Strategy goes some way further to address issues not featured in the Review of Acquisition such as safety and sustainable development.

Bernard Gray stated that lessons must be learned to improve long-term acquisition projects, he was also clear that his report did not relate to current operations. Our forces in Afghanistan are equipped through Urgent Operational Requirements and these continue to deliver the kit our forces need, when they need it.

Commenting on this new strategy, Minister for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform, Lord Drayson, said: "It is vital that defence acquisition is as efficient as possible. This is a strategy for major reform. At its centre is a radical plan to increase the transparency of our equipment plan, to help ensure it can be kept affordable and achievable. By managing our plans and projects, better and strengthening our relationship with industry, we will improve the delivery of the battle-winning equipment that our Armed Forces deserve."

You can download the Defence Green Paper here: http://tinyurl.com/ykejjjl

There is a also commentable version of the Defence Green Paper where you can have your say on the key questions at http://defenceconsultations.org.uk/

defpro.news



Company or Organisation Portrait:
UK Ministry of Defence

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Royal Navy flagship HMS Illustrious arrives in Scotland for maintenance work

Royal Navy flagship HMS Illustrious arrives in Scotland.
07:34 GMT, February 4, 2010 The Royal Navy flagship HMS Illustrious arrived in Scotland this week for a £40m maintenance and upgrade programme which will be carried out at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife.

Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, accompanied by Commodore Charles Stevenson, Naval Regional Commander for Scotland and Northern Ireland, sailed out to welcome the massive aircraft carrier as she passed under the Forth Bridges on her way to the jetty at Crombie, where all ammunition and stores will be unloaded before work starts in March.

The Ministry of Defence contract with Babcock will provide employment for about 300 people for eighteen months - until August 2011. More importantly it is part of a continuous work programme at the dockyard before the assembly of the new Navy super carriers starts.

Well over 400 staff at Rosyth are already working on the project to build HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, and large parts have been arriving since the end of last year.

HMS Illustrious - affectionately known as 'Lusty' in the Royal Navy - underwent a major refit at Rosyth back in 2003/04, enabling her to carry out 21st century carrier strike operations and deploy Joint Force Harriers.

This was part of a hat-trick of carrier refits totalling £360m which built a third mast on the ship and overhauled the computer systems, flight deck, living quarters and communication networks.

Since then she has been deployed to the Indian Ocean, with both helicopters and fast jets, was involved in the evacuation of Lebanon, and for the past 12 months has been the Royal Navy's flagship and strike carrier, leading the multi-national Joint Warrior exercises off Scotland's west coast.

This time she will not be having a refit, but will undergo essential maintenance to ensure the carrier can continue in service until the second new carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is in service, and to make her more fuel efficient, improving her green credentials.

The work includes:

• replacing 500 metres of pipework, 650 valves and all eight exhausts;
• painting the ship with 540,000 litres of paint which improves fuel efficiency;
• a comprehensive structural survey;
• renewal of essential safety certification; and
• various improvements to make the ship and its crew more environmentally efficient.

Jim Murphy also met new apprentices at the dockside during the visit. He said: "UK defence contracts provide vital skilled work to companies in Scotland and have generated a welcome resurgence in our Scottish shipbuilding industry. It's heartening to see businesses - some of them small family-owned firms - with full order books, able to take on young apprentices and give them a real future.

"And it's amazing to think that in just a decade, eight Navy ships have been launched on the Clyde, and an incredible 45 ships have undergone maintenance and refit at Rosyth, all work worth billions of pounds for Scotland's economy and employment prospects.

"Aircraft carriers have a crucial role within the Armed Forces and on operations worldwide, so these upgrades are part of the Government's strategy to ensure we have the best people, the best equipment and capabilities to meet modern day defence challenges."

Mike Pettigrew, Babcock's Managing Director Warships, said: "We warmly welcome back HMS Illustrious under this new contract which has been awarded as part of the developing 'Surface Ship Support Alliance', a partnership between the MOD, Babcock and BAE Systems Surface Ships. The work will be challenging, but as always I have every faith that the team will deliver a highly capable warship back to the fleet."

Commodore Charles Stevenson added: "This work will allow HMS Illustrious to continue as a highly flexible strategic defence asset for a number of years, capable of taking part in military operations across the globe, whether it's delivering troops, launching aircraft which can provide close air support to troops on the ground, disaster relief and humanitarian aid."

During the upgrade HMS Ark Royal will become flagship of the Royal Navy fleet.

defpro.news



Company or Organisation Portrait:
UK Ministry of Defence

1Saludo

[Fusilier]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 012820.ece

The next government could end inter-Service rivalry by creating a fully integrated single Service along the lines of the US Marines, whose ground units are partnered by their own Harrier support jets, and transport and attack helicopters. The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) could be sacrificed to buy more drones, intelligence-gathering assets and cheaper, off-the-shelf attack aircraft for a lighter and more agile Force.

The defence review could decide that Britain needs to retain the expeditionary capability that comes with having at least one aircraft carrier, but cannot afford the JSF. In that case it would be entirely possible, and politically advantageous if Britain wants a new entente cordiale, to buy the French Rafale jet. The Rafale is much cheaper than the JSF and compatible with our proposed carriers if they are built for catapult-assisted take-off. The Rafale has a service life until 2040.

(La verdad es que no me lo creo.... )

The RAF may persuade the Government that it is essential to retain the full spectrum of war fighting capabilities, in which case the JSF could be bought in smaller numbers. A final option is for the review to conclude that defence is a vital national interest and that the spectrum of defence capabilities cannot be compromised. That would mean bigger spending cuts to other government departments. Defence accounts for just over 2 per cent of Britain’s budget. In that case, Britain could buy its full complement of Eurofighter Typhoons and JSFs, as well as the carriers to fly them from.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Unless there is a fundamental shift in the priorities of the British public, there will have to be cuts — and brutal ones. The temptation is to keep “salami slicing” from all parts of the Armed Forces, trying to retain all their capabilities. But the RAF is now reaching the point where the individual components would be too small to achieve any effect if this policy is followed. So radical surgery is needed. A new, integrated single Service that is no longer designed to fight the “First Night of the Air War” assumes that it will fight with allies and sacrifices high-tech, deep-strike aircraft for greater intelligence-gathering capability and agility is the best of an uncomfortable bunch of options.

[ricue]

Me imagino a los de Dassault enviando vinos a Londres, a ver si cuela...
Pues que sepáis que no distinguen un Petrus de una sangría de Don Simón

Un saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Vaya, DEP.

El último piloto superviviente de la BoB, ha muerto a los 100 años. Honor a quien honor merece.

http://www.timescolonist.com/Battle+Bri ... story.html

1Saludo

[Nabucodonosor]

Vaya, DEP.

El último piloto superviviente de la BoB, ha muerto a los 100 años. Honor a quien honor merece.

http://www.timescolonist.com/Battle+Bri ... story.html

1Saludo

Salu2
Si no hubiera sido por hombres como este,solo dios sabe como viviriamos ahora y en que condiciones(Pero sobre todo si viviriamos ...... )Verdaderamente son un ejemplo y algo para recordar en la historia.Solamente la terquedad de unos pocos se interpusieron para evitar la hecatombe.
"Cry 'God for Harry, England and Saint George!'"

[roberto_yeager]

Nabucodonosor...

¿Te has fijado en mi firma?.

Siempre recordados

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Esta para patriota

UK Defence Secretary sets out risks and benefits of Operation MOSHTARAK

ISAF and Afghan soldiers preparing for Operation MOSHTARAK.
07:48 GMT, February 9, 2010 People should be prepared for British casualties resulting from the upcoming major offensive in Helmand province, Operation MOSHTARAK, which will involve thousands of ISAF troops clearing parts of central Helmand of insurgents, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has said.

While minor operations involving British troops as part of the initial 'shaping' phase of Operation MOSHTARAK have been taking place, the major 'clearing' phase of the operation is yet to begin.

This phase will be carried out by 15,000 Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops (including those from the US, the UK, Denmark and Estonia) working in partnership - the word 'moshtarak' is Dari for 'together'.

The operation will extend the authority and influence of the Afghan Government in central Helmand, removing the largest remaining safe havens in the area for the Taliban, insurgents and narco-criminals. It will improve freedom of movement along key transport arteries, critical to the local economy.

The fact that coalition forces are preparing to move into the area en masse has been well publicised in the hope that local Afghans will be prepared and that less-committed insurgents may choose not to fight, thereby reducing bloodshed.

Those who choose to stay and fight have been promised that they will be met with 'overwhelming force'.

The operation is planned to be as least aggressive as possible, however resistance is expected, and, speaking to the media this weekend, Mr Ainsworth said that in any operation of this kind the risk of casualties cannot be completely removed: "Of course casualties are something that we have to expect when we are involved in these operations, and people have had that brought home to them," he said.

"This is not in any way a safe environment and it doesn't matter how much kit and equipment we provide for people, we can never entirely make these operations risk-free.

"But they are well planned and there is good provision and we can only hope for success for our people in bringing that relief for the Afghan people and the Afghan countryside.

"People will do everything they can to minimise casualties and it is at the forefront of the minds of the people that plan all of our operations.

"But we shouldn't deny ... casualties are a very real risk on these types of operations and people have to be prepared for that."

Also speaking over the weekend to the media, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, explained the strategy behind the operation and its progress: "It's built around the construct that General McChrystal described as 'shake, clear, hold and build', he said.

"And we are very much in what the military refers to as the 'shaping' phase.

"That is the building up of forces and the conducting on the ground of minor operations in order to either attrite leaders and such like of the Taliban and also to get ourselves prepared for the 'clear' phase which is when major military operations will take place to remove the Taliban insurgents from the population in central Helmand.

"It's very much an operation that's been planned from the end backwards because the purpose of this operation is to make sure that we can hold the ground and the people once we've driven the insurgents from the area.

"This is an operation that's been planned very much in conjunction from the top down in terms of the political side, both with our district governors and provincial governors here right up to Kabul, so that all aspects of the political context are right to establish governance at the end of it and also, of course, with the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan Army and Afghan Police."

Immediate stabilisation activities will follow on as soon as possible after the 'clearing' phase of the operation is completed such as 'Cash for Work' programmes which will employ local people in clearing irrigation canals or refurbishing bazaars.

As part of the longer term stabilisation the Afghan Government has developed its first ever District Delivery Plan, engaging national, provincial and local level government officials in planning, for delivery of key services at local level, as the security situation allows.

The Afghan Government has made clear it will welcome those fighters who want to stop fighting and reintegrate peacefully into Afghan society.

defpro.news



Company or Organisation Portrait:
UK Ministry of Defence

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Noticias del sub "tiroles"

Substantial Trafalgar class RAMPs run back to back


Largest ever RAMP combat system installation underway on Trenchant

09:19 GMT, February 9, 2010 Nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) HMS Tireless sailed from Devonport on Saturday (6 February), following a substantial 18 month Revalidation and Assisted Maintenance Period (RAMP) and life extension, successfully completed ahead of schedule by Babcock. HMS Tireless’ departure follows the docking of HMS Trenchant earlier in the month for a major RAMP that will include significant capability upgrades.

The extensive 320,000 manhour RAMP in HMS Tireless (twice the manhours of a usual RAMP) has encompassed significant life extension work, and has included a shaft change, installation of a trial outboard sonar fit, steam generator in-service inspections, and reactor system inspections and maintenance, as well as several combat system capability updates and substantial structural and mechanical system survey, maintenance and repair work.

Particular challenges included the development of in-service inspection equipment and procedures in support of reactor system integrity checks. This required close working between Babcock, MoD and Rolls Royce to minimise programme impact and provide a capability that is now deployable on other submarines.

Joint Babcock/MoD initiatives contributed to the successful completion of this RAMP, including ensuring early definition of the work specification which enabled significant pre-planning to be undertaken and close working between Babcock, ship’s staff and the MoD during the project.

Commenting on the Tireless RAMP, Platform Group Manager Submarines, Cdr Tim Roberts RN, said: “The return of HMS Tireless to service six days earlier than scheduled after an extensive and very technically challenging project has been a most impressive performance. This achievement is a testament to the improved working practices and relationships that are providing Fleet with the certainty of delivery that they need to manage the intensive submarine operational programme.“

With HMS Tireless’ RAMP successfully completed, HMS Trenchant will now undergo a challenging 11 month RAMP by Babcock, featuring a volume of work normally reserved for a Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) [LOP(R)], including the largest and most complex combat system installation and upgrade package ever undertaken in a RAMP.

Some 15 capability upgrades will include the Communications Coherency Submarines (CCSM) final increment, as well as the final upgrade to the 2076 main sonar, complete replacement of the UAP electronic warfare capability with UAA4, replacement of the automated plotting tables with the Warship Electronic Chart Display & Information System, and replacement of the weapons data bus with the TaLAN local area network, all involving considerable equipment and cabling installation, and rack and mounting modifications.

This is in addition to a number of significant defect repair packages to be undertaken, including work to the sonar flank array outboard, and removal and replacement of both water ram discharge air reservoirs (normally a LOP(R) task), plus reactor systems in-service inspections, and a large package of hull survey work.

Babcock has been working with the MoD and applying its experience in RAMP management on an on-going basis to introduce considerable efficiencies and time and cost savings; a process that has continued in planning for the Trenchant RAMP.

A number of initiatives are being put into play jointly by the MoD and Babcock to ensure the smooth running of the project. The development and management of the substantial combat systems work package requires close working between Babcock and the MoD, and has driven the implementation of a new approach to working together, including re-defined lines of communication between all stakeholders, an improved understanding of roles and responsibilities, and an agreed capability insertion end-to-end process from design phase to delivery, with the technical requirement fully understood and planned for at the start of the RAMP. A dedicated Babcock combat systems package manager will oversee and ensure the efficient management of this significant and complex workscope.

Commenting on the RAMPs, Babcock submarine operations director Devonport, Gavin Leckie, said: “Having successfully completed Tireless’ RAMP to return her fighting fit, the size of the combat systems package now provides a unique challenge to the RAMP team to deliver Trenchant with the maximum capability possible, and within the timescales agreed up front with Navy Command. We have taken a different approach with the MoD in jointly developing the specification and RAMP schedule to support a ‘managing the requirement’ initiative to improve delivery performance. Lessons learned from the Tireless RAMP and the partnering ethos being demonstrated so early in a project is encouraging.”

defpro.news



Company or Organisation Portrait:
Babcock International

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Pilotos de la RAF (de intercambio en la USAF) se entrenan para volar los B-2

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... ded%20B-2s

1Saludo

[roberto_yeager]

Un video del primer vuelo de un piloto de la RAF en el F-35B (como lo comentamos el otro día)



1Saludo

[Hornblower]

Vaya manguerazo se lleva el pobre hombre............