SAAB RBS-15 Mk4 "Odin's Spear"...

I am the Storm

Open Comment Post. July 2, 2018

UK's Military is half the size it was in '82!

pic via Paul Lewis Twitter page.

Looking at the above graph can it credibly be said that the UK is a first tier military?

Looking at the above graph can it credibly be said that the UK is a reliable partner to the US in anything but limited warfare?

Are they even capable of engaging in a peer vs peer conflict involving the US and China as our allies?

You tell me.

Aviation Porn. F/A-18F in flight....

Open Comment Post. 30 June 2018

Latest flight footage of the S-97

Here's the latest footage from Sikorsky and @lockheedmartin of the S-97 Raider in flight. Sikorsky pilots Bill Fell and John Groth flew the S-97 Raider for 90 minutes at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 28. Sikorsky also participated in the U.S. Army’s industry day on its draft solicitation for a new attack reconnaissance aircraft (see link in our profile for more details). According to Tim Malia, Sikorsky director of Future Vertical Lift, "We believe that the X2 aircraft family offers the military a scalable solution that will meet the evolving demands of a multi-domain battlespace. We are energized by the speed in which the Army is proceeding and our team is excited for the opportunity to provide a tremendous capability to our warfighter." #helicopter #sikorsky #lockheedmartin #s97 #usarmy #futureverticallift

A post shared by Vertical Magazine (@verticalmag) on Jun 29, 2018 at 10:42am PDT

Aviation Porn. British Army Wildcat helicopter of 661 Squadron, 1 Regiment

A Wildcat helicopter of 661 Squadron, 1 Regiment, Army Air Corps during Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance with US F-16 jets over the skies of Estonia

Australia's Hunter Class Frigates...

via The Great Guys at Defense Aerospace!

The Turnbull Government will deliver one of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates, create 4,000 Australian jobs and secure a local naval shipbuilding industry for decades to come.

The frigates, to be designed by BAE Systems and built by ASC Shipbuilding, are central to our plan to secure our nation, our naval shipbuilding sovereignty and create Australian jobs.

BAE’s Global Combat Ship – Australia will provide our nation with one of the most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world - a maritime combat capability that will underpin our security for decades to come.

The Future Frigates, named the Hunter class, will be built in Australia, by Australians, using Australian steel.

This $35 billion program will create 4,000 Australian jobs right around the country and create unprecedented local and global opportunities for businesses large and small.

The Hunter class will begin entering service in the late 2020s replacing the eight Anzac Frigates, which have been in service since 1996.

The Turnbull Government is committed to give our military the potent naval capability it needs.

Story here. 

I didn't follow the program.  Is this the best of breed in the competition or is it a case of pure politics, jobs and favoritism carrying the day?

Baltic Operations 2018