The doom and gloom brigade at it’s worst, I expect no cuts annouced today and I doubt any will materialize over the next months.

Sorry but what type of boat is that is it a Merchant Navy ship?

A tanker for replenishment at sea operations, the design is the Aegir design by BMT Ltd., a contender for the MARS programme. 🙂

Here is an optimist’s view. The right programmes have been initiated and are going forward, this is the most important thing for the Royal Navy. What we now need is the right numbers. Let’s not forget that with the CVF programme the Royal Navy is returning into the full size aircraft carrier league in which there are very few members (USA, UK, France, Russia and India.).

Some of the more important programmes.

I will be very happy for the Royal Navy if it has following fleet in 2030.

IIRC their Tornados are technically/partially/kinda ex RAF. They were machines that were ordered for the RAF but were then sold straight of the production line to the Saudis as part of the end of the cold war peace dividends. I am sure somebody will correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, but the UK reordered all aircraft it diverted to Saudi-Arabia, the diversions were by the way only the first X aircraft, the later units (total 120 Saudi Tornados) got integrated into the normal production plan.

BAE Systems will final assemble 24 in the UK and 48 in Saudi-Arabia from what we know at the moment, the major components will be built in Europe for all 72. The OCU and OEU will probably be stationed in the UK for the initial deliveries. The first two Eurofighter Typhoons for Saudi-Arabia are apparently already in the final assembly in Warton. The Tornado upgrade deal is also going ahead smoothly, the development in the UK and the modifications are being done in Saudi-Arabia.

More than 150 kilometres range, more than 10 hours endurance, low cost solution designed by Team Complex Weapons, main gate probably 2011. 🙂

There’ll probably be a competition next year for 60 medium heliopters, I certainly think the EH101 should be bought, estimated cost of the procurement is by the way 1.5 billion pounds, so enough money for having 60 additional EH101 bought, it would seem anyway.