delaying the RN’s new carriers

[Royzee617]

Watch out USAF: Iran is set to receive Russian S-300 (SA-10 'Grumble') surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar stated on 26 December 2007.

Also on SAMs, India is to begin series production of Akash - its locally designed, but long-delayed, medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) - following 10 days of extensive user trials last month at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on the eastern seaboard.

The good news (esp for Nimrod crews) Britain is set to spend more than $1 billion to buy 10 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

The bad news (esp for JSF fans maybe) - British defense officials are considering delaying the Royal Navy’s 3.9 billion pound ($7.7 billion) program to build two aircraft carriers for up to 18 months or longer to help plug a yawning hole in the defense budget....Another source said the program could be delayed by as much as five years.The move comes as the defense sector here is bracing itself for spending reductions of about 1.5 billion pounds a year for at least the next three years as the MoD attempts to balance its books.

[freebird]

Originally Posted by Royzee617

Watch out USAF: Iran is set to receive Russian S-300 (SA-10 'Grumble') surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar stated on 26 December 2007.

I remember those things from "Harpoon", they were some bad-ass SAM's!

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Does anyone believe that the UK armed forces will ever take delivery of the Carriers? ‘Cos I don’t.

The whole programme has been an expensive technology retention and social welfare programme funded from the defence budget (to prevent thousands of highly skilled employees being thrown onto to the unemployment roll) ‘spun’ (ie lied about) by this wretched excuse for a government as a long-term commitment to defence investment. When the Treasury is faced with the actual ongoing running costs of the Carriers they will be ‘chopped’ at the very first opportunity; probably just as the first keel is being laid.

The blame for another mismanaged defence programme can then be laid at the door of the “Brass Hats” (ie the Armed Forces Senior Officers who the Left still like to portray as Public School [Eton] types with nothing between their ears) rather than with the Treasury politicians and Civil Serpents who really are responsible. The contractors involved in this programme realise this and are milking the programme for all its worth while its still there, thus costs are going through the roof which gives the Treasury all the excuse its needs in the future.

[Royzee617]

I like the phrase 'Civil Serpents' !

I used to work for Plessey on radar related 'R&D' developing chips for AESA etc. What a con, what a milking they gave the MoD. Each of us was nominally working on several separate projects each one charged as a unique individual. Sadly our pay did not reflect this.

Odd that the MoD 'sponsors' turned a blind eye - well, we used to get them tanked up in the VIP Restaurant replete with blondie serving wenches (and a few young men for some of the ex-Eton chaps!) so that we could give them the bad news about why we had not met targets in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, each sponsor had a car plus driver waiting all day to drive him back.... they were sozzled at the least by then.

We were happy coz it was a nosh up but it always troubled my conscience as a taxpayer.

[Matt308]

Russia continues to deny that they are selling S-300s to Iran. They have sold M1-TORs short-med range missile platforms. The proclaimed range of the S-300 technology of being 600km seems mighty high in my opinion. Sounds like an overestimation against any credible force.