What’s the ship that’s the Type 42 has crashed into?

Funny how things turns out , 3 wars already for the “pedestrian bomb truck”

Cheers .

To be fair, those 3 wars have only required Rafale to be used as a pedestrian bomb truck.

Modernised A-1 Skyraiders would’ve been just as useful.

The Rafale (and Eurofighter) are still unproven in a proper warfighting scenario.

They are also apparently looking at less than 12 subs as well. Given they can’t furnish enough crews for 6, 12 seems like a pipe dream dependent on the reintroduction of conscription. :p

The surface fleet is slowly shrinking – I think it was 15 hulls in 1980s (3 destroyer, 12 destroyer escort/frigate) and then 12 and now 11.

Even the extensively used patrol fleet has shrunk by 1 boat from 15 to 14.

Whilst shrinkage or conversion to OPV forces is fine for European Navies who don’t have any serious threats, the situation in Asia is reverse with not only growing China but other powers as well (e.g. Australia and India haven’t been too chummy since attacks and murders of Indian students in Australia).

And then there’s been increased demands on RN since Cold War finished – Persian Gulf, anti-piracy, increased border protection patrols especially with illiegal immigration.

RAN’s warships may be very modern but Australia has a huge coastline.

Also interesting that the two Canberra class LHD’s are very undergunned – 4 x 25mm guns.

Spain to retire Mirage F1, C-212 and Fokker F-27 in 2013

Well spotted!

Gaddafi was loved in some African quarters thanks to aid and promises of African revival.

I’d say yes from a military perspective.

The US militiary development process seems to have become extremely inefficient in terms of both cost and outcomes..

Whilst we talk about F-35, F-22, MV-22 etc, the vast bulk of the US military is equipped with ancient junk that’s being patched up to get maximum life out of it.

Look at the age of bomber fleet, tanker fleet, tactical transport fleet (still mainly C-130H), and even fighter fleet (most date from the 1980s or 1990s).

Development cycles have become extremely protracted (literally decades) and expensive and difficult to produce fully operational aircraft (e.g. only a bit over half of all the F-22s are combat coded with full operational software).

Just about every major program has had massive problems (F-22, F-35) E-10 (cancelled), RAH-66 (cancelled), KC-46 program etc etc. Sikorsky civilian S-92 has also had issues (e.g. look at RCAF).

Only relative success stories have been the F/A-18E/F, C-17, C-130J and these had issues as well. Upgrade programs seem to be the only real success story in terms of efficiency and effectiveness but these are old airframe designs and in many instances it’s old aircraft being refurbished and not new builds.

And the US is having to look to foreign countries for more and more systems:

1. Trainers – T-6 = PC-9, T-45 = Bae Hawk. T-38 replacement will be either Italian or South Korean.

2. Light helos – UH-72 (Eurocopter)

3. Light tactical transports – have been foreign built since Vietnam (Caribou and then C-27).

And it’s not just aircraft, it’s also navy (LCS, DDG1000) and ground forces (e.g. issues with M4 magazines, UMSC amphibious vehicle).

The saving graces:

1. Excellent troop training
2. Excellent logistics systems
3. Other powers are starting from a lot lower level (e.g. Russia/China) and have a lot of catching up to do.
4. Defence budget is still the largest in the world
5. The US picks on low hanging fruit for its wars and in most cases fruit that’s rotting on the ground.

The problem is you can only keep patching up old aircraft/equipment for so long before they get retired.

Conflict spills over into Algeria with 41 foreigners apparently taken hostage.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1316132–mali-conflict-spills-into-algeria-as-foreigners-taken-hostage

Pretty sure the Turks used F-4s to drop bombs on Kurdish positions in 2011 or 2012.

And they’re still obviously conducting recce flights with them.

Last bomb totting French Mirage F1s were retired this year.

Spanish Air Forces has used Mirage F1s in active role in Baltic Air Policing Mission.