General Naval Topics

[Pelican]

HELICASTING


Commandos take plunge in daring leap from helicopters off Devon coast

Royal Marines leapt ten feet from Chinook helicopters into the Bristol Channel as they tested some of their most daring Commando skills.
The Marines from Taunton-based 40 Commando were picked up by Royal Air Force helicopters on the dunes of Braunton Burrows in North Devon to practise what is known as ‘helicasting’.

It’s a technique which gets Commandos into the action quickly, dropping them from the back of helicopters into the ocean – from where they use their Zodiac raiding craft to strike at the enemy ashore.

The training took place alongside 47 Commando – the Royal Marines’ small boat raiding specialists – to keep Marines sharp for operations around the world.

Helicasting takes immense skill and team-work – from those dropping into the raging surf, to the small boat teams and, of course, the pilots who hover their aircraft just above the waves to allow the Commandos to deploy.

The technique is used to quickly get troops ashore but also to access routes inland which a foe would regard as unpassable for conventional forces.

Continues at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... elicasting

Video at - https://twitter.com/RoyalMarines/status ... 5649932295

[Pelican]

DEFENCE BUDGET


Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has formally written to the Prime Minister to ask for a significant 20% uplift in defence spending over the next five years because of the new threat from a resurgent Russia, The News Desk can reveal.

In the letter, Wallace also requested the Government permanently increase its annual budget for the military from the current NATO minimum target of 2% of GDP to 2.5%, and hit that target by 2028.

The development comes on the eve of the annual summit of NATO country leaders, who meet in Madrid from tomorrow. Mr Wallace has also pressed Boris Johnson to use the Madrid summit to show leadership on the international stage and call on the whole of the NATO alliance to increase its minimum spend per country to 2.5% of GDP.

In the letter and subsequent conversations with No10, The News Desk has also learned that Mr Wallace has highlighted alarming shortfalls in the UK’s military capabilities and that the Ukraine conflict has exposed. They include not enough deep strike weapons, such as long range rockets, a gap in the UK's anti-air and anti-drone capabilities, not enough pilots to fly the new generation of F35 jets, too few crew for the Royal Navy's ships and submarines, and a significant shortfall in artillery stocks, that military sources have told The News Desk has left the UK with only enough to supply a month's worth of high intensity war fighting.

Mr Wallace also pressed for the need to increase the overall number of service personnel again after last year's cuts.

The last time Britain spent 2.5% of its annual wealth on defence was in 1999, before significant defence cuts introduced by Tony Blair's Government. In the early 1980s at the height of the Cold War, the UK's defence spending was above 5% of its then GDP.

See - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nwh5qG53Oo

[Pelican]

RFA Argus extended in service beyond 2030



The MoD confirmed this week that RFA Argus will remain in service beyond 2030. Argus was supposed to decommission in 2024 but with no replacement available, this decision will ensure the UK’s afloat medical and aviation training capability is retained.


In a letter to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin made it clear that the Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) will eventually be the replacement for the afloat medical capability (not the FSS as some had speculated). MRSS are intended to replace not only Argus, but the two LPDs, HMS Albion and Bulwark and the 3 Bay Class vessels. With a plan for “up to” six MRSS, this may eventually offer a more flexible way to provide casualty support.

Quin wrote: “The future Maritime Deployed Hospital Care (MDHC) capability hosted by the MRSS will be based around scale and effects required to support Littoral Strike. It is anticipated that this will be broadly equivalent to the level of capability that ARGUS currently provides now. Given there are planned to be more than one MRSS, there could be opportunities to disaggregate medical capability between multiple platforms, with an option to re-aggregate in time of crisis, rather than only operating a single platform. MRSS is still in the concept phase, and the precise laydown of the medical capability is still being developed.

Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/rfa-argus-e ... yond-2030/

[Pelican]

UK providing carrier, troops and more to NATO to deter Russia


Britain has announced an increased contribution to NATO, in response to Russian actions, at a summit in Madrid today.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:
“We have always been clear that our strength and security comes from our alliances, and NATO is at the heart of that. The New Force Model and our presence in Estonia will ensure that the Alliance is able to respond at pace, helping to determine stability across Europe in the decades to come.”

The Ministry of Defence fleshed out the details in a news release:
“RAF Typhoon and F-35B Lightning fighter jets, Royal Navy vessels including Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, and brigade-sized land forces will all be made available to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as part of the New Force Model.

NATO has introduced the New Force Model in support of Leaders’ decision to modernise and strengthen the NATO Force Structure for the future. Allies will declare capabilities, equipment and forces available to support SACEUR, ensuring they are in the right place at the right time. This will allow the Alliance’s military command to plan for emerging threats, safe in the knowledge that these assets will be available to take part in the Alliance’s response. The UK will also contribute to the new Allied Reaction Force: an agile, multi-domain and combat-effective force ready to deploy at very high readiness and to respond to a range of crises.”

The Ministry of Defence says that in addition to increasing its deployments to Estonia, since the Russian invasion the UK has also deployed hundreds of troops to Poland and sent more aircraft to conduct air policing in Romania. Meanwhile, HMS Prince of Wales has led the Alliance’s Maritime High Readiness Force since January 2022.

It comes as the Alliance has agreed a new posture of stronger forward defences to reflect the radically changed security context since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK increased its presence in Estonia to include the temporary deployment of a second battlegroup, doubling the total number of deployed personnel to over 1,600. The lethality of these deployments will be enhanced with advanced capabilities including helicopters and artillery systems. Meanwhile, the UK’s existing HQ in Tallinn will be expanded. Led by a Brigadier, it will support the rapid deployment of high readiness forces at the brigade level.”

Full article at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-prov ... zMaFZF7Q44

[Pelican]

HMS Echo reduced to low readiness as Royal Navy considers options for replacement capability


Survey vessel, HMS Echo arrived in Portsmouth on 29 March. For the last few weeks she has been de-storing and has now joined RFA Wave Knight laid up in the non-tidal basin. She has not been decommissioned but her future is undecided. Here we look at why the RN will, at least temporarily, make do without another ship.

The RN will not officially confirm the status of HMS Echo as they do not routinely comment on readiness levels, although there may be a more formal announcement in the future. Reliable sources say the decision has been made to place Echo in reserve to free up funding and people in order to deliver the next generation of hydrographic survey capabilities. Echo has been moved onto 7 berth in 3 basin which is rarely used, and certainly not for maintenance work.

No formal decision has been taken on the immediate future of HMS Echo and Enterprise (SVHOs) that will reach the end of their intended service life in 2028. They may be retired early but this strategy could also mean their replacements are ready sooner. With some life left in these ships, they could also be viable for sale to other navies. Ocean survey vessel HMS Scott was recently extended in service for another year at least, although she is older than the SVHOs.

Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/hms-echo-re ... apability/

See also - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 4463438848
And - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 6070957065

[Pelican]

BETTER NEWS

More life extensions...

The Royal Citadel, Plymouth (Home of 29 Cdo Royal Artillery that support 3 Cdo Bgde) was due to close in 2024 now postponed until 2035.

RM Stonehouse due to close in 2027 delayed until at least 2029 (if it does not fall down in the mean time)

Photos at - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 2795396096

[Pelican]

"In 1982, the Navy deployed no fewer than 23 escorts – 4 more than our current order of battle. Whilst there may be arguments over individual capability, the truth of the matter is that a ship cannot split itself between two locations and multiple taskings; something has to give. In ‘82, the frigates and destroyers proved themselves to be the workhorses of the fleet, variously providing point defence for the high-value shipping; CTG, ATG and the logistics flotilla through which the lifeblood of the land forces flowed. The idea that today, in a world of democratised sensor and shooter capabilities, a single frigate can provide sufficient escort to a littoral response group, is frankly wishful thinking."

See - https://wavellroom.com/2022/07/01/falkl ... m-the-sea/

[Pelican]

UK rules out ‘international competition’ for support ships


The Ministry of Defence has once again confirmed that the Fleet Solid Support ships will, for the most part, be British built.

Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, said:
“For the purposes of procurement the Fleet Solid Support ships are considered to be warships. This has significance in the procurement route we choose to adopt, and we are not pursuing an international competition. This does not preclude international bidders from participating if they can meet the UK’s national security requirements, for example through a close partnership with UK companies.”

The Ministry of Defence also said previously:
“A competition to build three Fleet Solid Support warships – which will launch in Spring 2021 – will help revitalise British shipbuilding by requiring a significant proportion of the build and assembly work to be carried out in the UK. International companies will be invited to work in collaboration with UK firms to feed in their skills and expertise, but the successful manufacturing team must be led by a British company. This will have a huge impact on the local economies across the UK where shipbuilding is a prominent feature.”

So, what does this mean? Well, it seems foreign companies are expected to be involved in the project, perhaps with some small level of building work done overseas, and their modules will be shipped to the UK to be integrated with the ships.

Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-rule ... ort-ships/

[Brian James]

The Admiral's Barge off HMS Hood at Istanbul Museum...http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr/istanbul/e ... -of-honour.

[Pelican]

FROM NAVY LOOKOUT - TWEETED UPDATES

Tobias Ellwood warns that the Defence Budget will effectively be reduced by £1Bn in the next year due to the effects of rising inflation.
B Wallace MP says this will be partially offset by theoretical under-spend of £800M.

the Defence Secretary indicated today the RN has resurrected the plan to purchase an interim anti-ship missile.
Rr Adml Paul Marshall says "negotiations in progress"
This article considers the likely anti-ship missile contenders that were being considered in the original ISSGW competition.
https://www.navylookout.com/contenders- ... quirement/

VAdm C Gardner says 12-month delay to first Type 26 frigate, HMS Glasgow caused by 3 main issues:
COVID, Inadequate engineering maturity, Supply chain issues
B Wallace MP says the MoD will contribute to the cost of the new covered build hall at Govan shipyard, although implies BAES Maritime will make the bigger contribution.


B Wallace MP confirms the plan to convert a Bay class ship into a Littoral Strike Ship is in flux.
RFA Argus(!) and LPDs are also being considered for conversion *
* See attached.

SRO Rr Adml Paul Marshall confirms Fleet Solid Support ship contract is £1.617 Bn for 3 ships (+inflation relief).
The 4 bids due to be recieved for evaluation by end of this month.
Contract award by end of Q1 2023.
First ship in service 2028.
All 3 ship delivered by 2032.