The Royal Navy Discussions and Updates

ASSAIL

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
...In other news...


The RN welcomes its first three female submariners...


BBC News - Royal Navy gets first female submariners
About time! RAN has had them since 1998 when they were restricted to all female 6 berth cabins. That obviously put some restrictions on postings so in 2011 IIRC the first mixed berthing arrangements were approved. There is somewhere between 8-10% of submariners are femaLE
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
Journalist from AviationWeek (Tony Osbourne) reported that the MOD says that "several" Sea King ASaC helicopters will fly beyond the ISD of the rest of the Sea King fleet until 2018, this would fill the gap from the shortened time frame of Crowsnest.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
Cool -I heard we were buying up some Sea King bits from somewhere and I guess this is where they're going. If that retains us coverage, that's brilliant news.
 

rnrp

New Member
Cool -I heard we were buying up some Sea King bits from somewhere and I guess this is where they're going. If that retains us coverage, that's brilliant news.
Believe the Aussie sea kings are going to a private company to strip down.
As for keeping the seaking whiskey in service is so much common sense, why they couldn't think of it before!:)
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
apols if already in here:

Women make naval history as they become submariners

THREE women have made history by becoming the first female submariners to serve in the Royal Navy.

Lieutenants Penny Thackray, 39, from Hightown in West Yorkshire, Maxine Stiles, 29, from Ashton-under-Lyne, and Alexandra Olsson, 26, from Tranmere, have completed months of specialised training to earn their "Dolphins" the clasp worn by qualified submariners – becoming the first women in the 110-year history of the Navy’s Submarine Service.

For years women were unable to serve on submarines because of possible health risks but, after an independent review found that only pregnant women should not serve, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond lifted the ban in December 2011. Mr Hammond said: "This is not only a huge personal achievement for these three outstanding officers, as they take up their new roles supporting the ultimate safeguard of our national security, but also an historic moment for the Royal Navy and our armed forces." Following the arrival of woman officers, female ratings – non-commissioned personnel – will start training later this year with a view to serving on Vanguard submarines in 2015.

Source : The Yorkshire Post

– DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 126 Distribution : daily to 29400+ active addresses 06-05-2014 Page 17
 

kev 99

Member
Journalist from AviationWeek (Tony Osbourne) reported that the MOD says that "several" Sea King ASaC helicopters will fly beyond the ISD of the rest of the Sea King fleet until 2018, this would fill the gap from the shortened time frame of Crowsnest.
Has the MOD had a sudden attack of common sense?
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
Janes is reporting that seven Sea King ASaC's will be retained until 2018 to keep the gap closed, it'll be interesting to see how it'll work out if the Searchwater proposal is selected for Crowsnest because then it'll be a case of will they be refurbishing the sets at a low rate to maintain availability or selecting brand new sets?
 

HurricaneDitka

New Member
Janes is reporting that seven Sea King ASaC's will be retained until 2018 to keep the gap closed, it'll be interesting to see how it'll work out if the Searchwater proposal is selected for Crowsnest because then it'll be a case of will they be refurbishing the sets at a low rate to maintain availability or selecting brand new sets?
I'm ignorant on the subject, but curious about your perception: How do the capabilities of a Sea King ASaC compare to other ASaC platforms?
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
Compared to E2? Not as good in terms of endurance and max altitude, which in turn limits range.

However, the radar is supposed to be pretty good at tracking ground targets as it's a modern AESA type I believe - and in fact it's been used as a mini JSTARS in theatre in Afghanistan.

I'd sooner have E2 but I'm glad ASAC/Crows Nest is being taken seriously, put it that way.
 

swerve

Super Moderator
Compared to E2? Not as good in terms of endurance and max altitude, which in turn limits range.

However, the radar is supposed to be pretty good at tracking ground targets as it's a modern AESA type I believe - and in fact it's been used as a mini JSTARS in theatre in Afghanistan.

I'd sooner have E2 but I'm glad ASAC/Crows Nest is being taken seriously, put it that way.
Afraid not. Searchwater ASAC is a mechanically scanned radar, albeit a rather good one, by all accounts.

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/content/searchwater-asac
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'm ignorant on the subject, but curious about your perception: How do the capabilities of a Sea King ASaC compare to other ASaC platforms?
As said before, it's pretty much inferior to the E-2 in a lot of characteristics, range, altitude, endurance, the E-2 can probably carry more equipment than the Sea King too as well as higher power radar equipment.

That being said, rotary based AEW is the method being used by Russia, China and India with the Ka-31, an AEW platform which is less capable than a Merlin based system.

the ASaC's have had good service though, when there's been no carrier to fly them from some of them have been based in Afghanistan tracking ground targets and acting as fighter controllers.

Our method of helicopters doing AEW isn't the best, but it's at the top of it's class.

Plus the kit will be pallatised and all 30 Merlin HM2's will receive the adaptations necessary to mount the sensors meaning that when they're embarked on the QEC we would have a pool of Merlin airframes with the kit being transferred around the airframes eliminating the issue of any particular AEW aircraft needing maintenance and reducing availability.

WRT availability, a group of 3 Merlins can sustain a tasking of 1 Merlin in the air 24/7.
 

exPrivate

Member
Hi gents, haven`t been here for quite some time.
Is this fake or real thing?
"The government could be just months away from ordering the Royal Navy’s next generation of frigates.
The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will become the backbone of the surface fleet, replacing the ageing Type 23s.
A decision on the first batch is likely later this year, and could have lasting repercussions for the shipbuilding industry.
Watch our report here - British Forces News
Pictured: a computer-generated image of a Type 26 combat ship"
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
Nah it's legit, but the timing is a bit off.

The first batch of 8 frigates will be ordered relatively soon, but not until the 2015 SDSR where a final decision on design & numbers will be made. Presumably announcements of the class type and names of the initial ships will be released too.

Steel to be cut first in 2016, ISD 2020+

BAE wants a firm commitment on frigate numbers for it to put in 200mn into Scottish yards to create a frigate factory. But HMG won't give them that a) until the Scots vote and b) until they publish the 2015 SDSR.
 

exPrivate

Member
Thanks! I was thinking more or less the same :)
AFAIK the total number was dumped down to 13 frigates? But can`t remember how many of them should be of the general purpose type. :smash
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
13 ships, 8 ASW configuration and 5 general purpose (FFBNW ASW kit). 2015 will be a crucial year for the Royal Navy's future in the SDSR, it has the possibility to go south real bad.
 
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