Warships IFR
@WarshipsIFR
Putting the spotlight on the World's navies.
The new edition of the magazine has now deployed, with @USNavy aircraft USS Nimitz (and cruiser Philippine Sea) as the cover stars. USN pic by MCS3 Elliot Shaudt. For relevant news and more try shops or get the hard copy or digital variant direct warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/
Politician suggests reverse Dunkirk solution with 'little ships', demonstrating no understanding that the evacuation effort in 1940 was carried out by dozens of destroyers and merchant vessels. Which Britain does not have. Better way is to get it all in via land, so focus there!
To break the Israeli blockade causing Palestinian children to die of malnutrition the British navy should escort a Dunkirk style fleet of small boats like this to deliver the essential food & medical supplies Gaza needs. Surely no civilised country can stand by & do nothing
Despite mounting sorties almost every day they are at sea, honing naval aviation skills and exercising with allies around the globe, Greg claims the F-35s deployed with the carrier strike group are being "under utilised for 8 months". Jets are obviously not flying during port…
This article made a very important point about operational readiness. But a single broken F-35 waiting to be fixed for a month isn’t the real issue, but perhaps 18 of them being under utilised for 8 months is? Will the UK’s Lightning Force be more battle ready after CSG25? 🧵1/22
Astute has. Anson recently conducted equipment trials in the Med, then returned to Faslane. It's the other three which have not been to sea.
The status of the RN SSN fleet should be a national scandal but it isn't... Billion pounds worth of assets stuck alongside delivering no output for the defence of the UK, but few people seem to care and no one is accountable. For the record none have been to sea for over 2 years.
Ambush = 12 years old Artful = 9 years old Audacious = 5 years old. These are young Boats. Triumph just decommissioned after *34* years service. So what's up with them?
In the news this week - mine warfare vessel Stirling Castle transferred from Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) to Royal Navy (RN). A significant change that will happen soon: Stirling Castle will be repainted warship grey, tho' the poss of 'dazzle' has been mooted by @HMS_Str_Castle
UK-led Carrier strike group arrives in Darwin, northern Australia on its deployment to Japan and back. @HMSPWLS #CSG25
UK Carrier Strike Group flagship HMS Prince of Wales @HMSPWLS has sailed into Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia - the first visit by a @RoyalNavy aircraft carrier to Australia since HMS Illustrious in 1997. The UKCSG has been taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre #UKCSG25
The Russians are pressing on with a potent mix of advanced SSKs & nuclear boats, which, so @WarshipsIFR suggests, the UK must do & with alacrity. China also operates SSKs & SSNs plus SSBNs. From our current edition (a 4-page piece) - worth a read 👇 @LukePollard @JohnHealey_MP
Putin: ‘increasing the strategic submarine force’ a priority; ‘at least nine’ LADA-class SSKs to be built; ‘comprehensive targeted programme to create a fifth-generation’ SSBN approved 2024; ‘like to discuss…submarine multifunctional robotic systems’ en.kremlin.ru/events/preside…
Read it & weep: from the 2006 edition of our @WarshipsIFR 'Guide to the Royal Navy' (then 3rd ed since '02). Came out 30.9.05 - Fleet List + also commemoration of units being axed 2003-2006. Some went due to time being up others not so much. The next 'RN Guide' is in production.
But the harsh reality is that for all the good words & plans in the 98 review - new carriers, submarines, frigates, tankers - the means to make them a reality in steel, in terms of yards & workforces, was all but dead by 06 & has been on a slow, painful crawl back ever since.
The real beginning of gutting the RN, as descent down the slippery slope began in earnest. All the more remarkable coming in the aftermath of the spectacular Traf 200 Fleet Review. A slide accelerated by the 2010 SDR wrecking ball. Tory-Lib Dem cuts following Labour's series.
#OnThisDay 20 years ago MOD announces that 12 ships will be paid off. T45 order reduced from 12 to 6, personnel reduced by 1,500. 1SL at time said 'I am confident that these changes will leave the Navy better organised and equipped to face the challenges of the future.'
Japan is making a major bid to persuade Australia to opt for the Mogami design as its future frigate including an early 2025 visit by two ships of the type (JS Noshiro, see video) and JS Yahagi. Competition is being offered by the German-origin MEKO A-200 (again, see video).
Fascinating h/t @MtarfaL
The Ukrainian Air Force integrated UK missiles onto its planes in 10 weeks - which the RAF had previously taken 4 years to do on their aircraft. @DrSophyAntrobus's was asked to review the RAF's approach by the MOD, and found a trend towards risk aversion in the past three…
SEVEN 6,600t Frigates to be commissioned into Indian Navy between Jan 25 and end 26 🤷🏻♂️
India’s Nilgiri-class frigates are poised to soon form the bulk of surface combatant inductions with six frigates set to be commissioned over the next year 🇮🇳 navalnews.com/naval-news/202…