10 more Lynx to be upgraded

10 more Lynx AH9 helicopters are to be upgraded to AH9A standard in order for them to be able to used in Afghanistan. The upgrade includes more powerful engines, a strengthened structure and upgraded avionics. This further contract is on top of the existing upgrade currently being carried out on 12 Lynx the first of which will deploy to Afghanistan next month.

Briefings : Type 26, RAAF, RMAF

A contract has been signed for the assessment phase for the next Royal Navy warships the Type 26 Combat Ship which will replace the Type 22 and eventually the Type 23 frigates. Calling the Type 26 a Combat Ship and not a frigate from the off is interesting, personally i think the terms like destroyer and frigate are obsolete. Though even more interesting perhaps is the fact the "combat ship" will be also suitable for non-combat missions like humanitarian relief. But its the MOD, its not supposed to make sense. Work on Astute #5 will also begin and long-lead items for #6 will be bought. A long term service agreement for the Astutes has also been signed with Babcock.

The first of the Royal Australian Air Force's new Super Hornets will be making their first flights over their new home tomorrow. Malaysia is looking to buy some new fighters and AEW aircraft.

Defence budget real-terms increases and cuts

In the wake of the budget today in the UK the various government departments had to spell out how they would save money. The MOD is to made £700 million "efficiency savings" by doing things like using less consultants and better IT. If they say so though some of these savings are a little vague, working in IT as i do i know that just buying new systems does not guarantee you will become more efficient and save money - sometimes the total opposite! The MOD meanwhile claim that the defence budget will have real-terms increases in 2010-11 with several billion earmarked for Afghanistan on top of the defence budget. Though of course they at the same time have to save over a half a billion.

JSF and CVF : an Admiral's dream. A Treasury official's nightmare.

Cheerfully a committee of MPs say the defence budget is facing a black hole of up to £36 billion and major projects may need to be cut. After the election we will just have to see where we stand. The days of gravy are over for awhile though, unless you work for a bank of course.

Briefings : Red Arrows, JSF, More fighters

Two Hawks from the RAF's display team the Red Arrows were involved in a mid-air collision during training in Crete. One Hawk was destroyed and the pilot had to eject, he suffered non-fatal injuries. The other Hawk was able to land. The Bear is active it seems, RAF fighters have been scrambled 20 times over the last year to intercept Russian aircraft approaching British airspace.

Scratch one BAE Hawk, even Scotty couldn't fix this

The JSF may be a project rapidly stampeding out of control, at least cost wise, but at least there is being made some decent progress with the flight testing. The V/STOL F-35B has now made a vertical landing. Denmark is delaying it's decision as to whether to buy the JSF or some other fighter until 2014. Romania meanwhile is to buy 24 second-hand F-16s to replace it's Soviet era MiG-21s.

Briefings : Combat ISTAR, Endurance, F-X

The RAF now had "combat ISTAR" over Afghanistan thanks to platforms like the Reaper and views the combination of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities at the heart of it's new concept of operations. The RAF say it's emphasis has now moved from precision attack to exploting the information space. You can read more jargon in the article. A long-endurance UAV is next on the RAF's list, a competition to procure a medium altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle will be launched. BAE's Mantis and the Predator C Avenger are considered contenders.

A lack of training has been blamed for the engine room flooding which nearly lost HMS Endurance in 2008. Incorrectly connected air control lines to a hull valve allowed water into the ship which ended in the ship nearly capsizing off the Straits of Magellan. Thales UK have won a contract to support the Daring destroyer classes' communications systems.

Frustrated by a fruitless wait for the F-22 Japan is moving ahead with it's F-X competition and will buy 40-50 fighters to replace it's F-4EJ Phantoms. Contenders include the Typhoon and the Super Hornet. The Rafale will not be a contender, Dassault say Japan will never buy a European fighter. Which is probably true to be honest.

UK to buy 3 Rivet Joints (updated)

The MOD seems to be clearing the decks before the election. Not content with announcing the FRES-SV winner it also confirmed the purchase of 3 RC-135 Rivet Joint ISR planes off the US. The Rivet Joints will replace the Nimrod R1 fleet which is due to be withdrawn next year.

Update : the RAF Rivet Joints will be conversions taken from the USAF's KC-135 tanker fleet and won't be available until 2014. To fill the gap some USAF Rivet Joints partially crewed by RAF personnel will be made available.

FRES-SV to be built by General Dynamics UK

Despite some last minute attempts by BAE Systems to win the FRES-SV contract for new armoured vehicles for the British Army the contract has been won by General Dynamics UK as previously rumoured. The ASCOD SV, 73% is said to be built in the UK, will be used for scout, recovery and protected mobility missions. 580 will be built in the first instance replacing vehicles like the Scimitar.