E criza nene si prin UK

Viata-i scurta si grea, chiar si pentru un gen 5

In timp ce China se bate cu caramida in piept amenintand B-2-uri si F-22-uri, Rusia inventeaza avioane pe banda rulanta, India le cumpara, Iranistanul atinge noi culmi ale progresului iar Chavez ameninta pe orice e suficient de posedat incat sa-l asculte, restul taie la greu presati de cheltuieli. Bine, restul inseamna nu americanii.

Aliatii lor din aceeasi muma, britanicii, ca de ei e vorba de data asta, au cam festelit-o cu efortul lor de a se ridica pe culmile Royal armiei lor. De ce? Pentru ca s-a strans surubul la buget. Fapt anuntat de mult timp, va genera taieri dramatice de costuri si abandonarea sau regandirea unor proiecte strategice de viitor.

Cea mai afectata va fii Royal Navy. Saraca, Iulian o sa se bucure cu ochii pe Malvine. Pai sa vedem….proiectul Trident va fii intarziat cu un an pentru un mizilic de economie de 750 mil de lire (nu turcesti bre). Dar, cele doua portavioane din clasa Queen Elisabeth vor ajunge sa pluteasca cu Union Jack in varf. Numai ca unul cica va fii trecut pe dreapta foarte repede si pus la pastrare pentru ca implica costuri de operare prea mari. Mda, senzational.

Unii vor plange, nu si rusii. F-35B, versiunea VSTOL a JSF-ului, va ramane necumparata lasandu-i pe marinariii din USMC sa planga cu lacrimi de crocodil. Pai si ce dracu pun pe portavioanele pentru ca Harrier-ele sunt si ele de tras pe dreapta la anul. Cica vor modifica portavioanele pentru a opera F-35C, alti bani, alta distractie. Ma rog, ei tin cheltuielile.

Ah da, si din 24 de nave de razboi, raman numai 19. Restul, probabil ce a mai ramas din fregatele alea de gen Coventry, vor fi vandute pe la tampiti. Poata asa fac si eu rost de bani sa tina portavioanele alea mai mult la apa.

Royal Army….astia se imputineaza cu 7000 de soldati si ceva mai mult de 100 de tancuri si alte vehicule blindate.

Royal Air Force…..5000 de tropaitori si doua baze aeriene. Sa vina la noi, ca le dam noi de toate. T

Eh, nu toti intra la apa. De exemplu, SAS-ul e pe o cale ascendenta urmand sa primeasca mai multi bani pentru dotare si chiar sa creasca numeric, cica semnificativ. Cam ca la noi asa, nu?

Si, ca o bomboana tarata de pe coliva, cuceritorii britanici se uschesc in sfarsit din Germanica. Punct.

Sursa: Dod Buzz

 

Sukhoi PAK FA vs Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor

Sursa: Flightstory

The Russian military is proud to present their newest and most advanced bird of war: the 5th Generation Sukhoi PAK-FA. As the second airplane of its class, the Russian bird should be a serious competitor to the American Raptor. This is the news but….is this all?

Military blogs around the world are covering the story. My friend at Resboiu did the same. Like him, many others are content with the arrival of a plane that should challenge the F-22. Many voices already say that this is better because it’s newer and….Russian. Wishful thinking I say. Both planes are impressive but only on paper, none has seen and probably won’t see for a long time combat action. I don’t put much stock in the figures deriving from computer skirmish actions against Eurofighters or F-35 (another plane that exists only on paper).

But what’s the deal here? The Russian are already selling it when the F-22 is untouchable even for Americas most trusted allies? It appears so, I don’t buy that either….but this proves that the Sukhoi actually works and it’s a terrible weapon….of propaganda. Uncle Sam trembles at the idea that this plane, capable in theory to shoot down its 125 million dollar a piece jets, would fit into the arsenal of Iran. Hehe, or Venezuela, right Resboiu?

For me, this is the most important issue. This clearly shows the difference in doctrines between Russia and US. It’s a bold move for the Ruskies who want back in the big game. They want to prove to the world that they are not gone. They are back people and they will try to present this plane as more than just another great upgrade. Cause they are so good at this. Why buid a new one when you can improve what you have? Why spend top dollars on new specialized designs that can be shoot down by a towel-head armed with a Stinger?

In the end, I hope it flies. I’ll settle for that. The rest will come later.

 

Eurocopter Romania completed the 50th delivery of an aircraft

Romanian Puma naval helicopter, in King Ferdinand frigate's hangar

Sursa: Navy.ro

From Romanian News Agency ActMedia site:

Ambassador of France in Bucharest Henri Paul, and Ambassador of Germany Andreas von Mettenheim on Friday visited the Eurocopter Group Romania on the IAR Ghimbav platform in the county of Brasov (country center).

Head of the Eurocopter Group subsidiary Jean Louis Face presented the two diplomats the economic situation of the unit founded in 2002 and which has since grown into one of the most advanced subsidiaries of the group that is expanding on the IAR platform.

According to Mascle, Eurocopter Romania completed this month the 50th delivery of an aircraft of the Puma and Super Puma family, with maintenance and capital repair works carried out in Brasov. Eurocopter Romania, Mascle added, has become the main global competence center of the Eurocopter Group for the maintenance of this helicopter family. Most orders come from military contracts won around the world: Africa, Europe, Middle East, South America and Asia.

‘Thus, in less than five years Eurocopter Romania has become one of the most important players in the Romanian industry of aeronautics. The current industrial capacity of Eurocopter Romania allows the simultaneous repair of eight medium-sized Puma and Super Puma helicopters per year. In addition, on the local market, Eurocopter Romania further develops support activities for EC 135 and Dauphin helicopters used by the Romanian state authorities, alongside the marketing and maintenance-repair activities of new generation helicopters for civilian customers from Romania and the neighboring countries,’ said Jean Louis Mascle.

The cited source remarked that Eurocopter Romania also provides technical support for the helicopter of Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili. The company also has revision and repair contracts ongoing for eight helicopters of the British Royal Air Force and another 20 British military helicopters are also supposed to reach the Eurcopter Romania subsidiary.

At the same time, the Eurocopter Romania subsidiary is in talks with representatives of the Ministry of Administration and the Interior (MAI), the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Health to conclude repair contracts for the entire range of helicopters MAI and the other two institutions need.

Because of the crisis, the turnover of the Eurocopter Romania subsidiary fell from 32 million euros in 2008 to 26 million euros in 2009, although repair activities have doubled. The two Ambassadors visited the overhaul and repair division, and were shown the helicopters bound for Hungary, Chile, Morocco and Congo on the assembly line.

 

Hard Times for The Royal Navy

Some days ago, talking with Alex about a what if in the near future, a second conflict between UK and Argentina, I said I do not know exactly if 25 de Mayo, Argentina’s aircraft carrier, is in actual operational service at this moment. And he is not, from what i read in Wikipedia:

The Argentine Navy could not procure the funds for a modernization and new engines, leading to decommissioning by 1997. By this time she had already been stripped of various major pieces of equipment that were used as spares for the Brazilian carrier NAeL Minas Gerais, another Colossus-class ship which had been heavily modified in the Netherlands.^[4] Finally in 2000, she was towed to Alang, India for scrapping.

Although the Minas Gerais was offered to the Argentine Navy as a replacement in 2000 she was rejected due to her poor condition and high restoration and maintenance costs. Argentine cooperation with Brazil has meant that the naval air wing has continued to operate from the deck of carrier NAe São Paulo in joint exercises

But, even the Royal Navy has its problems now:

In the midst of a vividly simulated wargame last month in the English Channel, complete with attacking aircraft and blank ammunition, this last piece of information meets with concern. It isn’t part of the game. The fire is real. Ark Royal is one of the two carriers that the Navy has in service, but for how much longer? The ship and its sister, Illustrious, are 30-year-old veterans and although the sprinkler system put the fire out, it was the third Ark Royal has suffered since a £12 million refit ended in September. The Government cut the first steel on Queen Elizabeth, the first of the two replacements, in July. Yet even at this stage the future of the twin-carrier project is not guaranteed because of the economic backdrop and the Navy is worried.

Source: Times Online

Source: MilitaryTimes