UK Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Yes, I did mean less, not no at all. It seems the UK in Jan might also decide to not buy 2 LRIP aircraft and save the money, while buying those A/C later when the price is lower and at stantart production rate.
That would then mean the US has to pay all the high priced early production aircraft, further increasing the financial burden.

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Paveway IV reaches next stage with Typhoon test flight

Raytheon's Paveway IV precision guided bomb (PGB) has been integrated and flight tested aboard a Eurofighter Typhoon as part of the multirole combat aircraft's Phase 1 Enhancements (P1E) programme, Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) announced on 27 October. ...

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The (british) EF made another step towards full multi-role capability. It will be ready for a broad range of strike roles in the near-med future.

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BAE Systems Is in Talks on Eurofighter Deal With Oman, FT Says

By Tim Farrand

Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- BAE Systems is in talks to sell up to 24 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft to Oman in a deal worth at least 1.4 billion pounds ($2.1 billion), the Financial Times reported, citing unidentified people in the U.K. defense industry close to the negotiations.

The Gulf state wants to replace its 24 ageing Jaguar jets with Typhoons within the next four years and the company has been talking directly to the Omani government about the sale without using external advisers, said the newspaper.

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The mid east seems to find interest in this new bird. This may be a way for the UK to reduce it's numbers without actually cancelling any planes.
Also, exports are slowly moving ahead. Hopefully this will enable faster final decisions on the T3 EFs.

British and American forces fighting the guerilla insurgence in Iraq and Afghanistan could soon be protected by an anti-sniper device that can pinpoint the position of the shooter within a fraction of a second.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 7:58PM GMT 21 Nov 2008

‘The palm-sized device designed by Qinetiq, the British defence firm that was once the government research laboratories, is pinned to the uniform and uses acoustic technology to calculate the exact position of the rifle fire.
Then a electronic voice passes on the "bearing and range" to the soldier allowing him to jump to safety and return fire.
The machine has already been purchased by the Americans for deployment in the New Year and the British are looking at a vehicle mounted version.
After roadside bombs, snipers have been the biggest cause of the 301 British fatalities in both wars, and army chiefs are convinced the device could save dozens of lives.
"It is all about saving guys' lives," said Don Steinman, one of the leaders of the project at Qinetiq North America who developed the device called EARS for Early Attack Reaction System.
"Knowing immediately where the shots come from means that it eliminates the confusion and allows soldiers to find cover and return fire.
"It helps to make combat scenarios, especially in urban areas, a lot less confusing. Everybody immediately knows what side of the vehicle or building to jump behind when taking fire."
The device, which costs around £2,500, works by isolating the crack of the sniper rifle thanks to four microphones, a GPS system and a powerful microprocessor.
It takes less than a tenth of a second and provides the results in audio and visual formats. It can even send a grid reference via radio to supporting artillery and aircraft.
The system, which weighs less than 6oz, is so sensitive it can tell the difference between outgoing friendly fire and incoming enemy fire and can distinguish a sniper even in a gun battle.’’

Looks like a snipers job is made even more perilous, any suggestions on how one might circumvent such a device?

You got a company that wants to make money out of it? Are you certain it would work? Talk about all the equipment a soldier has to lug around all day, now he has to include this. A soldier in Iraq, carries more weight as equipment and backpack, 50% more than a medieval knight in armor. It doesn't sound Murphy's law immune either.

Yes I suppose 6ozs makes a difference when you are carring a hefty backpack.

In my opinion When it comes to soldiering and fighting face to face with your enemy a sniper was a low life, creeping and hiding, etc etc , I would equate it with shooting someone in the back. But I suppose theirs a role for a sniper, but it doesn't seem like a noble one. However his task has been made harder with this device, on the basis the device does work, I wonder what his options might be, to circumvent it.

bladerunner said:

Yes I suppose 6ozs makes a difference when you are carring a hefty backpack.

In my opinion When it comes to soldiering and fighting face to face with your enemy a sniper was a low life, creeping and hiding, etc etc , I would equate it with shooting someone in the back. But I suppose theirs a role for a sniper, but it doesn't seem like a noble one. However his task has been made harder with this device, on the basis the device does work, I wonder what his options might be, to circumvent it.

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Notions of chivalry like that are foolish and antiquated. You'll be honorable but dead if you think like that.

This seems like a truly fascinating device. Obviously I don't think that it works quite as well as advertised, but the technology will get there. Expect militaries all over to start ordering these things if they perform well.

The Iraq War and the Afghan War show the classic offense-defence technological struggle that long wars inevitably produce. Military tech evolves at a vastly increased rate when there's a war on. Look at the Enigma code story in WWII. And we can see it here too. Look at the various tech solutions that the US has come up with to counter IEDs, and the various low-tech ways the insurgents have evolved to get around them. Also look at the secret-targeting/tracking system that the US has developed and was alluded to by Bob Woodward in his latest book. The problem-solution process is sped up massively in war, and both sides do it. This is the latest example.

A question that comes to mind with this device,is this.
Is this a device that works in isolation?,or is it reliant on being part of a network? As in, does the whole squad have to be equiped with them,and then the various units triangulate the snipers position,or can say a lone unit perform this task?
Also,how does it deal with th fact that a Sniper will quite often use a suppressor?
Or the fact that a sniper will most times change position after a shot?
Not meaning to sound negative,as,if this device works as well as claimed then its a fantastic invention,that will save lives,and I'm all for it,however before I would entrust the live of my men to it I would certainly have a lot of questions.

I should again reiterate I'm not a military man,the above is written from a laymans perspective

I read some time ago about that already, I think in an article on it's development.
There, four devices were mounted on a HMMWV, to cover a full arc. But they did not triangulate if I remember correct. That means a sole system should work alone. It gives you a relative bearing of the "target". It's also not a precise counter-sniper tool. But just tells you roughly the direction from wich the shot came so that you can look into the right direction and take porper cover. Then you can look for the shooter.
Besides the muzzle bang, the device also senses the noise of the by-passing bullet, I think even when flying subsonic. So a silencer will not definitely defeat it.
But in the end it will have to prove itself in the field.

Had a look on the web to find out a bit more,apparently the system is acoustic based,in that it uses the sound of the muzzle report to locate the sniper.
It is in fact already deployed by the US forces,(for the last two years),and is credited with saving countless livesSadly at the time the MOD deemed it too exspensive:nono:
The system is known to the US forces as SWATS,Soldier Wearable Acoustic Threat System.
Heres hoping our boys get this soon.

I have taken some stick in the past on this subject, but what can I say?Its step one of the same old dance.

British Carriers delayed for two years.



Or any other major K media outlet to care to mention.

Yup two years already and all this before the General Election! just watch the schedule slip, the specs revise and the dimensions shrink afterwards. If we get a single 60k tonner before 2025 I will be very surprised.