Rearming the UK: What equipment? and how much?

It looks like a cool retro Burnelli design even down to the 1930s-style engine nacelle 'bumps'.
Wooden propellers too. All it needs is spats.

I was wondering if the RN's claim is true? Did the Queen Bee ever fly onto and off a carrier again I wonder?
(the answer might well be 'no', but in these days where headlines trump all and institutional memory lasts 6 hours its always worth checking.)
 
www.gov.uk

£90 million contract equips Armed Forces with advanced new rifle

British troops will soon be more lethal on the battlefield, as a new £90 million contract delivers modern, high precision rifles.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
www.joint-forces.com

British ASOB L403A1 AIW Rifle | Joint Forces News

British troops will soon be more lethal on the battlefield, as a new £90 million contract delivers modern, L403A1 AIW high precision rifles.
www.joint-forces.com www.joint-forces.com
www.thefirearmblog.com

Edgar Brothers Share Details on UK's New Alternative Individual Weapon System -

Edgar Brothers, the prime contractor for the UK's new Alternative Individual Weapon System - the L403A1, has provided some further details on the rifle.
www.thefirearmblog.com www.thefirearmblog.com
L403A1 - AIW.png
 
aonestudio said:
www.gov.uk

£90 million contract equips Armed Forces with advanced new rifle

British troops will soon be more lethal on the battlefield, as a new £90 million contract delivers modern, high precision rifles.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
Click to expand...

Curiously the requirements specifically excluded bullpups, so in order to accommodate a suppressor within a reasonable length the winning rifle has a barrel length of just 13.7 inches. Contrast with 20 inches on the L85, which is largely why it is so accurate.
 
Suspect this is what we will be seeing on Boxer as the Stormer replacement. It's, quite rightly, being pushed really hard by Moog.

Ticks all of the boxes, 8 x LMM/Starstreak, EO/IR, potential for ADAD mount behind gun, can mount an AESA flat panel...but also adds Brimstone capability and 30mm cannon with GPMG secondary. We could even give British industry some love by using the AEI Venom LR cannon....

To be honest with the news that the UK is looking at increased lethality on Boxer beyond the already contracted RS4 RWS from Kongsberg this could be big competitor to Kongsberg's RS6 or even RT60....

www.moog.com

Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP)

The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform or (RIwP) is a flexible, scalable remote turret providing tailored overmatch and improved survivability against current and emerging threats across the full spectrum of conflict.
www.moog.com www.moog.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1701918687429820571
View: https://twitter.com/RyszardJonski/status/1701918687429820571
 
timmymagic said:
Suspect this is what we will be seeing on Boxer as the Stormer replacement. It's, quite rightly, being pushed really hard by Moog.

Ticks all of the boxes, 8 x LMM/Starstreak, EO/IR, potential for ADAD mount behind gun, can mount an AESA flat panel...but also adds Brimstone capability and 30mm cannon with GPMG secondary. We could even give British industry some love by using the AEI Venom LR cannon....

To be honest with the news that the UK is looking at increased lethality on Boxer beyond the already contracted RS4 RWS from Kongsberg this could be big competitor to Kongsberg's RS6 or even RT60....

www.moog.com

Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP)

The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform or (RIwP) is a flexible, scalable remote turret providing tailored overmatch and improved survivability against current and emerging threats across the full spectrum of conflict.
www.moog.com www.moog.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1701918687429820571
View: https://twitter.com/RyszardJonski/status/1701918687429820571
Click to expand...

Would love to make a list of all the systems shown in the animation at the top of this page. I recognize a lot, but that hexagonal rocket/missile launcher is new to me, for example.

www.moog.com

Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP)

The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform or (RIwP) is a flexible, scalable remote turret providing tailored overmatch and improved survivability against current and emerging threats across the full spectrum of conflict.
www.moog.com www.moog.com
 

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TomS said:
Would love to make a list of all the systems shown in the animation at the top of this page. I recognize a lot, but that hexagonal rocket/missile launcher is new to me, for example.

www.moog.com

Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP)

The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform or (RIwP) is a flexible, scalable remote turret providing tailored overmatch and improved survivability against current and emerging threats across the full spectrum of conflict.
www.moog.com www.moog.com
Click to expand...

IN specific, does anyone recognize the pods on the port side of the turret (right in the video)? I thought they might be the Thales FZ275 guided 70mm rockets, but the launchers for that don't quite match. Maybe something Israeli or Turkish?

1694709310099.jpeg
 
TomS said:
IN specific, does anyone recognize the pods on the port side of the turret (right in the video)? I thought they might be the Thales FZ275 guided 70mm rockets, but the launchers for that don't quite match. Maybe something Israeli or Turkish?
Click to expand...
To be honest I just thought they were the Thales (Forges de Zeebrugge) ones as well. It's not the ones for K-LOGIR or DAGR either.
 
timmymagic said:
Wonder if they've just gone for an easier render on the graphic? Its pretty sharp on everything else though...
Click to expand...

Could be. Or possibly the version here is a protective shroud around the existing model (which I think is an aircraft pod and possibly fragile).
 

DSEI 23 – British Soldier 2025​

Monday, September 18th, 2023
As part of the new SoldierWorks, the British Army booth at DSEI displayed a mannequin outfitted with equipment which would be at home with any allied SOF unit.
img_5732-scaled.jpg

Here is the plate at the mannequin’s feet.
img_6199.jpg

What struck me was how soon 2025 is, barely 16 months away. Generally, such displays depict a vision of a decade or more in the future in order for the acquisition system to create requirements and industry to fulfill them. It also gives enough time that when nothing happens, most of us have forgotten about the broken promises of a shiny future.
img_5738-scaled.jpg

This near-future set up was in contrast with the current issue kit. Some of where they’d like to be is already there, like ATAK and new binocular night vision. Other systems such as the L85A3 rifle, Virtus armor, load carriage and helmet, are deeply entrenched in the British Forces.
img_5736-scaled.jpg

I also met several members of B Coy, 2nd Bn, Special Operations Brigade, aka the Ranger Regiment, during the symbolic signing of the L403A1 Alternative Individual Weapon System contract at the Edgar Brothers’ booth. Between the adoption of AIWS for certain units like the Ranger Regiment and Royal Marines and upcoming Project Graeburn to replace the SA80 wholesale, the bullpup is on its way out.
img_5761-scaled.jpg

The Rangers were equipped with the new Knights Armament produced rifle along with Ops-Core FAST helmets, and Crye Precision uniforms and AVS vests which are issued to members of British SOF. When I discussed the kit with the men they echoed the aspirational aspects of the equipment for rapid fielding in pursuit of the Army’s Soldier 2025 efforts. The question is how the British Army will be able to quickly procure new high cut ballistic helmets and improved armor and load carriage without a requirement.
The answer seems to be SoldierWorks which promises provide the exploitation path from UK centres of experimentation, such as BattleLab, ARIEL, and the Army Warfighting Experiment.
It will act as an accelerator for modernising new soldier system capabilities by being involved from experimentation through to in-service capability.
Here are some examples of equipment the programme has facilitated:
Night vision sights for a variety of different rifles to improve the soldier’s ability to identify enemy targets earlier at night.
Binocular night vision goggles with a thermal clip-on system to enable a fused (thermal and image intensified) image.
Handheld medium-range target locator and ballistic calculator for sniper pairs
 
Kiltonge said:
Curiously the requirements specifically excluded bullpups, so in order to accommodate a suppressor within a reasonable length the winning rifle has a barrel length of just 13.7 inches. Contrast with 20 inches on the L85, which is largely why it is so accurate.
Click to expand...
13.7-14.5" is the sweet spot for length/accuracy versus velocity loss in 5.56x45mm rounds, and 18" seems to be the ideal for accuracy.

What kinda surprises me is that it still is a 5.56 rifle instead of .300BLK or 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC.
 
The newspapers (Telegraph, Daily Mail et al) reporting today that the MoD is going to scrap the Type 23 frigates HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll. This is because there are not enough sailors and the crews will instead man the new Type 26 frigates.

Westminster's refit had already been suspended in May 2023 due to her poor material condition (despite being modernised in 2014-17). Typically for the MoD, Argyll finished her LIFEX refit to enable it to be retained in service until around 2027-28 back in May 2022.
 
Hood said:
The newspapers (Telegraph, Daily Mail et al) reporting today that the MoD is going to scrap the Type 23 frigates HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll. This is because there are not enough sailors and the crews will instead man the new Type 26 frigates.

Westminster's refit had already been suspended in May 2023 due to her poor material condition (despite being modernised in 2014-17).
Click to expand...
That is 6 years of operations.


Hood said:
Typically for the MoD, Argyll finished her LIFEX refit to enable it to be retained in service until around 2027-28 back in May 2022.
Click to expand...
That seems particularly stupid. The USN is very good about scrapping the ships in the worst material condition first, so a ship that came out of major refit 18 months ago should not be very high on the "poor material condition" list.

So unless the Argyll got beat to death and her crew took no care of her (in which case her captain needs to be standing in front of the Admiralty to defend himself), she shouldn't be the ship that is getting scrapped.
 
With such small numbers of warships (a problem not only faced by the Royal Navy) this sort of thing becomes more likely.
Would be interesting to know the status of the UK's remaining T23 frigates.
 
It's happened so frequently over the years that its par for the course these days.

Call me sceptical but I doubt that the T26/T31 programme will ever be fulfilled in full, or that some of the T31 will be laid up in reserve without crews.
 
uk 75 said:
With such small numbers of warships (a problem not only faced by the Royal Navy) this sort of thing becomes more likely.
Would be interesting to know the status of the UK's remaining T23 frigates.
Click to expand...
Right, but it seems unlikely that a ship that just came out of a major refit 18 months ago is in the worst shape of all the remaining ships.
 
I guess they were the two in dockyard hands and so wont be missed as much as units elsewhere. Need to see the locations of the others though.
 
The Navy is not helped by footage of Ukraine removing the Black Sea fleet when it has no ships of its own
The Navy came out worst during the decades of the War on Terror. The Army and RAF do a better job of explaining what they do.
Not being able to protect container ships bringing goodies from the East and Natural Gas for the long Winter ahead will only make life harder for the RN.
 
Needs more than that, but such is a highly political matter and while it seems like normal to many. Those in power throughout society ascribe to ideas which are antithetical to the military, and nationhood. This includes people here.

Anywhere people don't defend, they leave for somewhere else.
 
zen said:
Needs more than that, but such is a highly political matter and while it seems like normal to many. Those in power throughout society ascribe to ideas which are antithetical to the military, and nationhood. This includes people here.

Anywhere people don't defend, they leave for somewhere else.
Click to expand...
I seriously doubt that such a problem exists at scale, and that it meaningfully affects recruitment.

Certainly the people behind the Oxford King and Country debate and the Veterans of Future Wars in the 1930s joined up when they had to.

I wouldn't mistake anti-militarism stemming from fighting police actions in the Middle East as something that will be a significant issue in any serious conflict where the security of Britain is at stake.
 
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A Tentative Fleet Plan said:
I wouldn't mistake anti-militarism stemming from fighting police actions in the Middle East as something that will be a significant issue in any serious conflict where the security of Britain is at stake.
Click to expand...
The challenge is to get people to see the rest of Europe being invaded by Russia as a threat to the security of Britain.
 
As the UK does not have conscription the Armed Forces are competing like other employers in a labour market with too few skilled people.
Pay and conditions would of course help but it is harder for the forces to get suitable people than other employers in what has been (Northern Ireland and the 9/11 consequences notwithstanding) a country at peace since 1991 and indeed since 1945.
 
Point to make.
Today trouble is far away.
Do nothing about it, and it gets closer.
Eventually it gets so close you cannot avoid it.
And then it's in your country, in your home, in your face.

Better to Drake at Cadiz than Harold at Hastings. Better to burn the enemy in his own port than wait to be burned in yours.
 
Scott Kenny said:
The challenge is to get people to see the rest of Europe being invaded by Russia as a threat to the security of Britain.
Click to expand...
Not that hard, Britain is closer to the Eastern Europe than the US, not to mention the fact the fact that Russia murdered a British citizen with a chemical weapon on British soil.

Just need to convince the people running the country to spend money.
 
zen said:
Point to make.
Today trouble is far away.
Do nothing about it, and it gets closer.
Eventually it gets so close you cannot avoid it.
And then it's in your country, in your home, in your face.
Click to expand...

Don't disagree with that, Crimea 2014 should have been the warning we needed.

zen said:
Better to Drake at Cadiz than Harold at Hastings. Better to burn the enemy in his own port than wait to be burned in yours.
Click to expand...

The Soviet Union thought the same way viz-a-vis NATO, and the defence spending required to ensure the capability to conduct offensive operations in Western Europe probably crippled their economy. This led to spending around 15-20% of GDP on defence, I think sustained spending around 5% should suffice in peacetime outside of emergencies.
 
www.dailymail.co.uk

Royal Navy has so few sailors it has 'decommissioned' two warships

HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll were allegedly retired so their crews could transfer to the service's new Type 26 frigates. The news comes as UK sailors were sent to the Red Sea to protect merchant ships.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
www.express.co.uk

Royal Navy 'decommissioning ships' due to 'lack of sailors'

Reports say the Navy is unable to man two new frigates without taking existing ships out of action
www.express.co.uk www.express.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk

Navy has so few sailors it has to decommission ships

New frigates unable to be manned unless two existing warships are taken out of service
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
 
gcaptain.com

Greyhound Day: World War II Combat Tactics Return To The Red Sea

'Greyhound Day': A detailed account of the most complex naval attack in the Red Sea, featuring HMS Diamond's defense against drones and missiles. Uncover insights into Operation Prosperity Guardian's strategy, implications for US Merchant Ships, and the impact on global shipping markets. Stay...
gcaptain.com gcaptain.com
 
Kiltonge said:
Curiously the requirements specifically excluded bullpups, so in order to accommodate a suppressor within a reasonable length the winning rifle has a barrel length of just 13.7 inches. Contrast with 20 inches on the L85, which is largely why it is so accurate.
Click to expand...
14"+- is the sweet spot for 5.56 in terms of velocity lost versus accuracy. It's why M4s are 14.3".

Remember, assault rifles are really SMGs with a 300m effective range. If you have targets at a greater distance, your squad section has someone with a 7.62mm rifle to deal with the problem. Or you have the MGs.
 
Hood said:
Things getting worse in regards to supporting the fleet. I mean it couldn't get much worse could it?

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Britain has zero active naval supply ships for first time

ukdefencejournal.org.uk ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Time to pack away all those White Paper plans of carrier groups and surface strike groups.
Click to expand...

Time to start complaining that the QE class should have been nuclear-powered and self-escorting with full PAAMS installed so that they could deploy without supply ships or escorts.
 

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