Gabriele Molinelli Profile picture
May 20, 2023 13 tweets 8 min read Read on X
It is a well known fact that timelines slip and ambitions sometimes are not realized, but fact is: Royal Navy is working on its Future Maritime Aviation Force vision of a variety of drones integrating helicopters and a "standard" carrier wing of 2x F-35B Sqns (24 embarked jets) ImageImage
The road to FMAF is undoubtedly long and complex. Much of what is being pursued was, quite simply, never done before. There is no ready manual, much of it has yet to be written and progress will come in stages, both for technical and budgetary reasons. Image
1) carriers: Royal Navy has already demonstrated it can operate both to sea at same time if needed, and might do so again this autumn, considering Prince of Wales is scheduled to return and work up ahead of high readiness next year, and QE will be deploying. Image
2) F-35B: 1st tranche of 48 is now either delivered (30) or in production and deliveries will conclude in 2025/Lot 17. Work now is on for procurement of 2nd tranche (Lot 18 onwards) to get to 74 by "early 2030s" including replacement for lost ZM152, according to CAS the other day Image
3) Possible ship modifications: the Royal Navy is aware that integrating drones capable of ISR (including AEW), Strike and ideally Air to Air refuelling might require, at a minimum, barriers/arresting gear if not some form of catapult. Project ARK ROYAL is looking at both. Image
4) VAMPIRE. The Qinetiq BANSHEE 80+ has been procured as a threat simulation drone and replacement for the HAWK T1s of disbanded 736 NAS, but this is intended to be the first role only. VAMPIRE is looking at fitting ISR (EO/IR and a small conformal AESA radar) equipment onto them Image
5) VIXEN. Longer term, a fixed-wing, multirole drone with a large payload is the aim, to contribute to Strike and to hopefully succeed to CROWSNEST in delivering Airborne Early Warning so the overworked MERLINs can go back to doing ASW "only". ImageImageImageImage
6) MOJAVE: the latest announcement for 7 months of evaluations with General Atomics' Short Take Off and Landing solutions for large (MQ-9B PROTECTOR class drones) will be exploring just how far you can go in terms of drone sizes and weights WITHOUT needing to modify the ship. ImageImageImageImage
7) PROTEUS: due to fly in 2025, this uncrewed helicopter being developed by Leonardo at Yeovil will have MTOW of 7000 lbs/3000+ kg with large payload. Again, aim is to contribute to AEW and ASW, supporting manned MERLIN. MCM mission is also looking at using air drones in support. ImageImageImageImage
8) PRIMUS: Heavy Lift drone(s), supported by a dedicate NAVYPODS container, with the ability to move loads between ships and ship to shore, to ensure VERTREP tasks / carrier on board delivery and many others that do not quite require a manned helicopter are covered more cheaply. ImageImageImage
9) MINERVA: automated Search and Rescue able to locate a man in water, drop SAR kit and mark position, cutting down requirement for plane guard helicopter etc. Like Heavy Lift, this is now finding purchase abroad and in the Army (see CASEVAC simulation at Wessex Storm this month) ImageImageImage
10) PEREGRINE / Flexible Tactical UAS: urgent operational requirement for deployed warships, primarily in the Gulf. Shiebel S100 helicopter with EO/IR and Thales I-Master search radar. Image
11) At lower levels there are small drones like PUMA All Environment, PRIMIS and SECONDIS being purchased for Royal Marines use, the latter with the ability to be tethered to serve as a virtual high observation mast; the Anduril GHOST S4 helicopter also used by RAF Regiment etc.

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More from @Gabriel64869839

Nov 19, 2023
What is the Mobile Fires Platform meant to be? A General Support or Close Support howitzer? Some considerations on why sharing a 155/52 howitzer does not make different weapon systems equally adept at the same mission.


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GS artillery is held at a high level and is employed at long range to suddenly Destroy targets that expose themselves, reinforcing lower level tasks as opportunity permits/moment requires. It is meant to switch between tasks frequently & ideally prove decisive when it steps in.
Close Support artillerymust lay down suppressive fire for as long as it takes for the infantry to get ONTO a target. It must LAST. It must supply smoke curtains. It must ideally be able to fire really close to friendly infantry to keep the enemy suppressed as long as possible.
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Nov 15, 2023
The WESTMINSTER dilemma. Fate of HMS Westminster remains unclear without a final answer about whether her refit is going ahead or not. Her material state was found very poor once taken into basin for refit preparations and in July initial estimate for her refit was 100 million.
WESTMINSTER is one of the 8 ASW, so one of the precious ones meant to work well into the 2030s. Navy certainly not thrilled about losing her early, but 10-year budget allocation for Type 23s upkeeps is 679,7 million (6 sept 2023 written answer) and she'd eat up much of that.
HMS IRON DUKE (GP), refitted earlier, was also in poor state and her refit not only cost at least 103 million, but took an endless 49 months (May 19-Jun 23). Time here is a variable that's getting just as important as money. If Westminster returns not before 2027, is it worth it?
Read 8 tweets
Nov 3, 2023
Under Project NJORD, new radars / new complementary sensors are going to be installed to deal with the growth of the wind turbine fields. Under the MOD Procurement Pipeline, works begin on the radar heads at Neatishead, Brizlee Wood and Buchan in Dec 2025.
Staxton Wold is planned to follow in October 2026, while Benbecula, Portreath, Saxa Vord will be touched up Oct 2027. Each is getting a 210 million package of uplifts. Solutions include replacing existing radars; adding gap fill radar and/or optical sensors, UAVs & LEO satellites
An RFI last year for new Multi Mode Radars for static sites asked industry for a 5-year outlook on new capabilities to improve target tracking both in the face of wind turbines and at very high altitudes, including ballistic missile defence and residual Space Domain Awareness.
Read 5 tweets
Sep 6, 2023
Letter by James Cartlidge MP to Defence Committee adds more info to ongoing programs:
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For GMLRS, "increased numbers" confirmed but not detailed. GMLRS Extended Range approval next summer (tests for ER ongoing, so there a slip from this summer). UK demonstrators for Area Effects and Sensors Dispenser on track. He says France MIGHT join Land Precision Strike project
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Regarding Air Defence, more Sky Sabre launchers coming with decision "in summer" (DSEI announcement?), also Assessment Phase launch for:
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Aug 27, 2023
Most people has probably heard about Operation INTERFLEX at some point: it's UK-led, allies-supported training of troops from Ukraine. Very possibly even more crucial is however op INTERLINK, aka the multi-modal, multi-nodal delivery of thousands of tons of vehicles, ammo & gear.


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UK has been central all along in the enormous logistic enterprise of getting the equipment, from all over Europe, all the way to Ukraine. By march last year the UK team "merged" with a US team in the "International Donor Co-Ordination Centre", physically based in Germany.
The US have deployed a large HQ element, initially from 18th Parachute Corps, to oversee the support to Ukraine. In November 2022, a 300-strong, dedicate "Security Assistance Group - Ukraine" was formed. The International Donor Co-Ordination Centre is its J4 (logistics) branch.
Read 7 tweets
Aug 25, 2023
In May 2022, Lockheed and Northrop figures told defence committee that UK MoD had no yet firmed up plans for F-35s beyond the 48 in Tranche 1 (over 30 of which are in use, with deliveries ending in 2025; production lot 17). That was not unexpected, though, it was still early days Image
A Written Answer the month before (25 april 2022) had revealed that funding had been delegated to Air Command for a second tranche of F-35s. This means money is formally "handed over" from Central MOD to the relevant Command to begin the procurement effort.
In December 2022, the US DoD committed a first billion+ USD in Long Lead Items for F-35 production lot 18, at the time comprising 118 jets, with more to be added along the way as multiple customers completed their own planning and appropriation processes.
Read 9 tweets

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