Briefings : SAR-H binned?, F136 to be binned?, LEMV

The SAR-H next generation UK search & rescue service announced earlier in the year has been suspended as part of a £10 billion series of cuts announced by the government today. The PFI contract will now be reviewed. Some design work for the Trident replacement programme will also be delayed.

While the JSF programme looks ever shakier, the alternative engine F136 programme for it looks to be on foundations of mash potato. US Defence chief Gates has said funding the F136 would be a serious mistake. Bad news for Rolls Royce.

Good news for fellow UK company Hybrid Air Vehicles however who will design the platform to be used in the Long-Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme, an unmanned surveillance airship intended for use in Afghanistan. The airship is a hybrid design which gets 40% of it's left from aerodynamic lift. Northrop Grumman will build the airships.

Ash cloud halts military training

As well as civilian flights the ash cloud from the erupting Icelandic volcano has bought a stop to RAF military training flights and the majority of all military flights. Forces taking part in the Joint Warrior exercise taking place off Scotland have also been affected. SAR helicopters are still expected to operate as normal because they fly at a lower altitude.

Briefings : Westminster, SAR, GPS spoofing

Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster has completed it's major refit and upgrade. The frigate's Seawolf system has been upgraded to increase the range, the command and control system upgraded, new gun and a transom flap. Westminster will begin sea trials ahead of a return to the fleet in May.

The Royal Navy's Search & Rescue duty crew have broken the "record" for responding to emergency calls. In 2009 there were 447 call-outs, breaking the previous record of 382.

France are still trying to sell Rafale to someone, Kuwait is a likely customer though the sale is now facing opposition in the Kuwaiti parliament. GPS spoofing could be a future terrorist threat it has been warned. More subtle than jamming, spoofing would be harder to detect.

S-92 for SAR-H

Team Soteria has won the competition for the UK's Search & Rescue helicopter competition. 24 Sikorsky S-92 helicopters will be bought to replace the SAR assets of the MOD and the UK government. This is another long-term PFI deal and is service is likely to be phased in from 2012 with a mixture of civilian, RAF and Royal Navy crews.