Blackwatch to be disbanded

[the_leander]

Yes, thats right, they're actually being told about it today, a day after the successfull attack yesterday, gotta hand it to this government, not only can they not get things right, but their timing can only be described as shocking.

So when they get back, a good proportion of them will be sacked the rest lumped into some form of "Super regiment".

Downsizing at a time of war, only a labour government could come up with this.

The 3Bn that they're going to use to fund these ID cards, would have payed for the maintainance of the various regiments of the army, a massive equipment overhaul and some new stuff to go with it.... Sickening really.


It was leaked last night by the BBC's "This Week" program

[the_leander]

These "Super" aircraft carriers are going to be loosely based on the old kit that got broken up/sold off just prior to the falklands, big ships indeed, but they aren't going to have any aircraft to fly off of them - the MOD's desire for this american VSTOVL stealth aircraft means that the ships will be ready for service in about 6 years, but they won't be compatible (the aircraft in question are already beyond the specs that the carriers are being built to) leaving the Navy looking rather daft.

Sea Harrier, the only variant that is designed to go into air to air combat has been withdrawn (3 months ago to be exact)... And the standard Harrier is not designed to be operated off of carriers (It can do it, but vital parts corrode - hence the original reason for Sea Harrier - it had those parts replaced with more Salt water resistant). Which means mainatanance of Harriers on board has increased exponentially...

Eurofighter, which has the salt water resistant parts in place already and would require little modification for full sea borne capability, has been discounted by the MOD because it would cost too much to equip the carriers with catapaults and arrestor gear... We have nothing else either in development or out there that could now operate off of the proposed carriers that could offer air to air defence.

[the_leander]

Oh the decks are long enough, you just wont be able to send them up two at a time as you can with the US kit.

And yes, the costs for the solution you put forward would get around that easily, except that like the JSF or whatever its called, the F18 would be too heavy, you're idealy looking for something about the size and wieght of something like the F16,  Rafal (which is on the limit of wieght), Typhoon or the sweedish Gripen.

[the_leander]

Typhoon would have another advantage over everything else on that list - the parts would be cheeper as they would for the most part be identical to the air forces kit...

[the_leander]

Hermies never made it to india, upon arival in its new home port, it was crashed into the harbour wall, where it was left to rot, ironically, the Hermies was carrying hundreds of cars destined for various Indian diplomats and high ranking officials. All were lost as the ships hanger deck was submerged.

[the_leander]

And if you follow this link, you'll get a picture of the new carriers

CVF Carrier

And they'll be about 60,000 tonnes, against the Centuar class's 51,000 tonnes (Of which Hermies was) putting it into the Light Fleet Carrier (LFC) class of vessel.

Other classes in the Light Fleet Class included Centaur, Collossus, Majestic and Audacious. And most of these classes had between 4 an 6 Vessels in each class. And they can all be viewed here