News relating to the carriers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11556770

edit, sorry just noticed this link on the mod cuts thread too.

The Irish Defence Minister has confirmed the purchase and signing of a contract with babcock marine. There are no released CGI images of what the vessels will look like, but it was reported they will be based on the Irish navy P-50 class, but will be slightly larger.

“minister for defence (deputy tony killeen): A strategy for the replacement of naval service offshore patrol vessels (opvs) commenced in 2007 and following a two-stage tender competition a preferred bidder, babcock marine, was selected last year. During my visit to the naval base at haulbowline last july, i announced that approval had been granted to proceed to contract placement. a contract has now been placed with babcock marine and that the first new vessel is scheduled for delivery in early 2014. The second vessel will follow one year later. The contract value is of the order of €100m.

The acquisition of these modern new vessels, combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair, will ensure that the operational capability of the naval service is maintained at a satisfactory level. “

Is anybody able to do a rough translation of the Banner in the photo?

Nato warship destroys pirate boats in Somali Basin

A Royal Navy warship on Nato anti-piracy operations has destroyed two pirate boats in the Somali Basin, Nato has said.

HMS Chatham’s helicopter spotted a larger vessel towing the two attack boats in the Somali Basin, about 150 miles off Tanzania, on 14 May, it said.

After monitoring the vessels overnight, a Royal Marine team launched a “well-planned operation” at dawn, it said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8688330.stm

Boeing’s V-22 Osprey starting to show its mettle

While the V-22 Osprey has seen political, financial and developmental battles over its decades old history, proponents of the tiltrotor aircraft say it’s day has come as squadrons on the West Coast are beginning to be outfit with it.

With the aircraft being pulled out of Iraq after serving troops there for two years and being introduced to Afghanistan late last year, reliability is beginning to take hold.

Bob Carrese, executive director of business development for the Bell Boeing V-22 program, said 112 V-22s are operational.

He said the Osprey has clocked 75,000 flight hours, 50 percent of which were recorded in the last two years, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“As a result, people are looking at it saying, ‘It really does work,’”

Full story http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/05/13/business/doc4bebff34563c1468240168.txt

Russia plans to develop 5th-generation ‘stealth’ helicopters

A Russian helicopter company is planning to develop the world’s first fifth-generation combat helicopter, which experts say would be able to attack fighter jets and be invisible for radars, the Gazeta daily said on Thursday.

“We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter,” the paper quoted the company’s CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying at a news conference in Moscow.

Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some $1 billion on the project, with more investment expected to be allocated from the state budget.

full story http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100513/159005699.html

Norway no doubt, besides if the Chinesse came anyway near European turf with war drums beating Nato would mobilize and blow them to kingdom come, and we would effectively have WW3.

Also this may be trolling but this is a quality thread, the very first sentence made me laugh!brilliant!:D:p

Somali Islamist insurgents seize pirate haven

Somali insurgents have taken control of one of the main pirate havens in the south of the country.

Residents said several hundred rebels of the group Hizbul Islam had taken over the coastal town of Haradhere and that the pirates had fled.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8657060.stm

Does this mean that any ships being held there will be released or will the insurgents simply take over control and carry on the pirate trade.-