Back To The Future

[P1127]

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...heFrontLine.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...trolInBasra.htm

The latest British Army AFVs for use in Iraq is the 'Bulldog', an uprated FV430 with new engines, transmission and steering and hulking great reactive armour on the sides and front.

40 years old and still re-entering front-linbe service!

So, Whiffing potential - what other older AFVs could we bring back? Shermans?

[B777LR]

M-113

King Tiger

Chieftain

M-48

M60

T-34

Joseph Stalin 3 tank

[Aircav]

Starting to look like a Zelda but smaller, they should never of got rid of Ferrets, Fox and Saracens

[Geoff]

Had one of them reverse out of a nursery in front of me one day a few weeks ago. I mean I know Leeds is bad for car crime but sheessh

[Aircav]

I don't know about the re-modelled 432's but the old ones use to do 1mpg cross-country and 2.5mpg on the road with a max raod speed of 30mph

[P1127]

I don't know about the re-modelled 432's but the old ones use to do 1mpg cross-country and 2.5mpg on the road with a max raod speed of 30mph

One report quotes the 'new' mk3 ones as doing 50mph!

[GeorgeC]

The Bulldog has an entirely new transmission, the old one delivering an average top speed of 0 mph due to age/reliability problems     A speed of 50 kmph is about 30 mph, so perhaps there is some confusion over metric/imperial measures?    

[MAD]

It looks like the British Army has been influenced by Israeli Army experience some what!

[Mossie]

I'm not much sure about the British Army, but the RAF's requirement for more equipment is going to hit them in future purchases.  They've got a huge list for equipment for ongoing ops in Afghanistan & Iraq & only just getting some of these pushed through.  The government is making sure that the whole procurement process is being done fairly in the interests of fair competition (i.e., the contract going to those that bribe & fudge numbers the most) while the people they're asking to go out there are dying.

It's expected that at least one major program will have to give in the future.  Typhoon tranche 3 might go, along with JSF, or at large least cuts to the numbers.  The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program might be delyaed further to 2015 putting even more pressure on the forty year old VC10 fleet (the aircraft themselves are actually a fair bit older than that).

Anyone got any idea how this funding situation is likely to affect the rest of the forces too?

[B777LR]

Why does RAF consider it necesary to buy tankers? Britain is small enough for fighters to fly non-stop from north to south, and when deployed in war, USAF or NATO will most likely have a tanker there as well  Couldnt NATO buy a bunch of tankers for use when war breaks out?

[Aircav]

Ah yes but what happens if they need to fly down to the Falklands or somewhere else no-stop, can't always rely on someone else's airforce.

[Radish]

I've got this idea...

You know the Mercer Racer of 1912 that appears in the "Huddersfield Show" thread.
Painted in Israeli colours.

Well if I get hold of some modern British 1/35th infantry??
Eh?
I've a few veteran car models around.
Could be fun  

[nev]

Why does RAF consider it necesary to buy tankers? Britain is small enough for fighters to fly non-stop from north to south, and when deployed in war, USAF or NATO will most likely have a tanker there as well  Couldnt NATO buy a bunch of tankers for use when war breaks out?

Britains armed forces primary role is no longer protection of the homeland.  They are now primarly for peacekeeping/counter-terror/supporting allies/whatever.

The USAF operates boom tankers, we have probe and drogue.

Our tankers usually operate as part of a multi-national force on ops, refuelling not just RAF planes (VC-10s are very popular with the USN apparently).

NATO are unreliable allies. cf Belgium refusing to supply us with ammo for Iraq 1, Afghanistan, Iraq 2.  Or France and Germany vetoing the supply of SAMs to Turkey.

Finally, the RAF, under its NATO requirements, has to patrol an awful lot of airspace over the sea around us...


As it is, the plan as I recall was for the RAF to get hold of some second hand A330s, lease them out for civvy duties, then when needed for the latest foreign adventure recall them to the RAF.

[Hobbes]

A NATO tanker force would be a good idea. If only because of the economies of scale: the Dutch KDC-10 is cool, but setting up an entire support infrastructure for ONE aircraft?  

[Aircav]

Well if I get hold of some modern British 1/35th infantry??
Eh?

Hi Terry
Dragon do a set of four british desert rats armed with SA80s plus they also do a set of four SAS.
Steve