Posts by Michael

Demise of British tank industry foretold admitted

tanks still needed even MBTs

Canada thought there was no need for MBT and was going the same route as FRES UV then they went to Afghanistan and found there existing LAVIII (same family as the chosen FRES UV ) was getting opened up by IEDs and also getting stuck in mud. So they ended up borrowing 20 leopard 2 from germany and airlifted to Afghanistan using C-17 and russian aircraft, and buying 100 surplus leopard 2 from the dutch.

US Apaches in iraq was forced to abandon there attack when beaten back by RPG and AK47, the US marines Cobra has enjoyed more success because they were used with troops on the ground.

Hutton robs forces, pours MoD cash into UK arms biz

Get the prices right and compare like for like

The US was paying about $10 million each for UH-60L blackhawks in 1998 for the Air National Guard. in 2003 there was a proposed sale to Jordan for 8 UH-60L at 27.5 million each with spares and support equipment etc.

And the UH-60L blackhawk is just a transport aircraft where the Future Lynx is for the army a battlefield reconnaissance helicopter so needing expensive sensors.

To buy a reconnaissance helicopter from the US is tricky since they cancelled the RAH-66 Comanche after spending $6.9 billion and also recently cancelled the replacement programme for the ARH-70

For the Seahawk/Knighthawk

The US price $29 million each for MH-60S Knighthawk (the transport version), $46 million each for MH-60R Seahawk (the multi-mission) which would be the one the Royal Navy needs

Thailand is paying $41 million each for 6 MH-60S seahawks spares etc an extra 12 million over the US price.

The US price doesn't include the develpment cost and when they sell abroad they not going to be givening that away for free.

MoD miracle-armoured-vehicle scheme still struggling

Cost/performance

Don't believe Lewis saying it's cheaper to buy american, just take the example of when the MOD tried buying 10 Reapers it was going to cost over $1 Billion

http://www.armedforces-int.com/news/2008/01/08/uk-orders-more-reaper-uavs

So they probably got to the point of talking about price or since it's based on the LAV series of vechicles is could be due to Canadian LAV experiance in Afghanistan where they've been getting stuck in mud and there soliders getting killed in them from IEDs

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/04/08/nato-afghanistan.html

UK asks to buy next-gen spy planes from US

KC-135 ageing

The proposal is to convert 3 KC-135 to RC-135.

The KC-135 was built from 1954 to 1965 so will be getting an aircraft which is at least 43 years old!

The prototype Nimrod first flew in 1967 and entered service in 1969.

So lets replace an old aircraft with an even older aircraft