Since I'm not here just to relay press releases, i try to read between the lines to see what's coming, not just what has already transpired. Like all forecasts, they cannot be 100% certainties, but I've never been very far off. So, while we wait on the DiP, what's coming? (1) Things are 100% going to get worse, before some of what's in order/build finally starts coming in.
For example, HMS Lancaster will soon be gone.
We have just learned that migration of a Type 2087 sonar tail onto IRON DUKE to mitigate at least ASW gap has also been cancelled (2)

I've been trying to look a bit deeper into the recent US-UK-Australia contract award to Corvid Technologies for "sub-orbital" rocket vehicles with hinted launches at Benbecula and Woomera. From available contract papers, two "classes" of rockets are included in the award. (1) [...] vehicles are required for, but not limited to: Air and Missile Defense Radar, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, Maritime Missile Defense, Sea Based Terminal, Fleet Training, RailGun, Hyper Velocity Projectile, Foreign Military Sales and other programs... (2)

As I had guessed, here it is: SPEAR 3 first guided firing. I'll add one thing here which is pretty welcome: look at the rack used. It seems the Common Weapon Launcher for Typhoon is alive. You can just about see in the photos were the side attachment points fit when in use.

https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1858093551453708402

Look at the SPEAR 3 fit used for the test, and at the sides of the rack. Compare to mock-ups for the Common Weapon Launcher. We can still hope (eventually) someone asks for hanging more weapons from it to make the most out of it, and Typhoon as a whole.

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.





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.

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.

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.

https://twitter.com/GazTheJourno/status/1720392505709953311

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

Letter by James Cartlidge MP to Defence Committee adds more info to ongoing programs:
- prototype series Challenger 3s assembled over the autumn and go to trials early 2024. Shephard reports 8 P-series
- contracts for new EPSOM modular armour and TROPHY APS both planned in-year 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

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.





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.

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 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.

A thread thrashing the Challenger 3 programme is doing the rounds on Twitter, and i want to offer a few counters to its claims. I do not, in any way or form, agree with anyone who tries to say "Challenger 3 is a Leopard, but worse". That's demonstrably nonsense. Of the many questionable things said, the weirdest one is about the new armour. I don't see why we should think new EPSOM armour mix is a retrograde step in protection unless everyone in Army and DSTL have passed to the enemy. I would like to think that is not the case...

Regarding A400M ability to airdrop boats, which has come to be totemic in ability to support "special forces" (i'm probably more concerned about the Submarine Parachute Assistance Group...), process to procure an initial 25 Large Boat Air Drop platforms began last year. Main contender is exact same system already used on C-130s, the MCADS by IrvinGQ, consisting of 2 platforms (PURIBAD and PRIBAD), handling RHIBs from 6.5 to 12 meters long. In the december 2022 tender, ground assessment in Brize Norton is/was planned for september 2023.

I want to make my opinion clear about "the Army". It is not that i wouldn't like, or consider useful, a larger british army, but I get the feeling that too much of the discussion only ever leads to a self-licking lollipop. What geopolitical change is supposed to come out of it? My absolute priority for Land is structuring and resourcing the toughest, most survivable and hard hitting deployable force that the available manpower and budget can sustain. An enablers-rich force that smaller armies could and would wish to attach to (JEF and beyond) during ops

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) 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.

Looks like we are finally close to contract award for Project TYRO. WFEL's Dry Support Bridge to replace ABLE and LEGUAN sets for TITAN... and BOXER, maybe. A wheeled close support bridgelayer requirement had been added in. shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfa… The Close Support Bridge requirement, last time the tender was publicly issued, included bridge sets for fitting upon the existing 33 TITAN but also a requirement for "14-36 Wheeled Close Support Launch Vehicles".

L115A4 and new sights/ballistic calculator at WESSEX STORM 2023. I can't tell from photos if the new Day scope is on or if it is still the L24A1 Schmidt and Bender, but the In-Line should be the PHOENIX-S medium wave infra-red, and thus the new Sniper In-line Low Sight System 1. The L115A4 is a reconstruction of the existing L115A3 which changes the chassis with a modern one offering the panoply of rails needed to take full advantage of the new sights and accessories. The range of sighs is being entirely renewed with contracts placed last year.

While there is much in french military procurement that can be admired, and i think the transparency of Military Planning Law mechanism is something UK needs, beware of celebrating it as perfect and always make sure to distinguish between long term goals and real numbers. For example, people reads that France plans to procure 50 A400M and thinks they really have them. Reality is, they actually have less than the RAF due to slower acquisition. Rafale: 225 has been the goal for so many years that some people think they have that many. Not even close

This was already done earlier with the UK taking 3 old norwegian M270, that will be upgraded and rebuilt to the new and latest standard within the British Army's ongoing project. Existing, GMLRS-ready British M270s in the meanwhile go to Ukraine to kick asses.

https://twitter.com/The_Lookout_N/status/1659218502853758978

Note: transfer of 8 M270s from Norway to UK might actually translate in a NEW transfer of "just" 5 to Ukraine. This is because UK already sent 6 modernized M270s to Ukraine but only received 3 from Norway. UK planning to increase, not reduce M270s in service, so deficit needs fix

British Army is to replace, by circa 2026, STORMER vehicles used for SHORAD. BOXER is an option. As for missiles we can expect to see, at least initially, the same LMM/STARSTREAK now in use. A new STARSTREAK variant is in development with a contract signed last December. We have been given indirect clue of the fact that the Army wants the new vehicle to be as dual role as possible. STORMER technically already is, although so far operational use against surface targets is more or less unheard of. DSTL working on "Advanced Modular Missile Station"

"Nordic Air Force" is RAF's natural partner. Geographically, the most important as it sits directly in the way of any direct russian threat towards the UK. The Nordic Air Force will have around 140 F-35s and thus a great striking power but 1 main weakness: air to air refueling. The RAF as it stands is unfortunately next to useless for them as F-35A requires boom, so Voyager only good for Sweden's Gripens. But the "surge" Voyagers, refitted with booms and assigned to a joint squadron, would be one of the best investments either party could make.

Here it comes, a good 5 years after a reusable shoulder launcher was indicated as an alternative way to deliver HE at long range since the 60 mm Platoon mortar was removed.

https://twitter.com/harry_lye/status/1641034616659222528

Summary of past episodes: in January 2018, Saab and Instalaza were invited to bid (Carl Gustav and C90 Reusable respectively) for the "Reusable Multi-Role Medium Range Shoulder Launcher" requirement. Then, as so often happens, the Army kinda lost interest and it went nowhere.

Some Basic facts: CHARM 3 depleted uranium anti-tank used by Challenger 2 is not "nuclear". It is also not coming from US for very good reasons: US doesn't use it nor make it. They have their own DU types, NOT compatible with Challenger 2's 2-piece ammo because they are 1-piece. Like all armor-piercing ammunition of this kind, CHARM 3 does NOT explode. Doesn't contain explosive at all. It pierces armour by means of speed & mass. DU has great density and once appropriately treated becomes a better penetrator than next best option which is tungsten steel.