Tugboats. Part-Three.

Gas/Oil Rig Support Tugs.

These are perhaps some of the largest tugs that are in operation today around the world, they perform the moving of Rig platforms from builder shipyard to deployment for drilling in their various fields. Recently two tugs of this class came from the west of Ireland Bellmullet Gas field to Swansea Bay, the Mainport Ash and the Sentinel Star.

In recent filming one can compare the sizes of these vessels compared to the local Svitzer tugboats who deal with Bulk Carriers in and out of the Port Talbot roads, serving the TATA steel works.


This is where the money is today in tugboat work from large shipping to the oil and gas industry. I noticed in a recent TV programme that India was still using the older steam tugboats, that Britain had in the 1950s. 

Meanwhile some of the former Svitzer Tugs have now been sold to the Ukraine and are operating in the Black Sea from Odessa.

Ballooning.

First solar powered.

We tend to forget about the balloon in the age of machines, but it was the balloon (Montpelier's) that opened modern society to aviation well before the invention of the (Wright brothers) aeroplane. Today ballooning is a major sport and can be a dangerous pursuit.   

Recently Bristol University in England have been the first to develop the totally Solar powered balloon and fly it safely, this a a major breakthrough that will perhaps spread to Micro-Lights and Gliders/Hand-Gliders in the near future.

Solar scientists in Wales have been developing a flexible solar panel skin and I had wondered if this had been Incorporated into the Bristol project.

Wales Airshow 2015. Part-Three.

Military Armour.

This like many other airshows throught the United Kingdom is about fresh recruitment to the British Armed forces and apart from the aircraft on show were a variety of military vehicles from heavey armour such as the Vickers Challenger-II Main Battle Tank boasting a 122mm gun to various logistics vehicles Mack refuelling tanker, MAN trucks, and the Okohosh heavy transport.

The Supacat Coyote 4x4 three man armoured car and the Alvis Scimitar with a 30mm canon, which is part of the Scorpion tracked Armoured Reconnaisance family.  The Vickers AS90 Self-Porpelled Gun 155mm was another of the heavies, in service since 1986.

There were reported to be a Warrior APC and 105mm field Artillery on display, but I did not see them! There wer also a selection of Land Rovers and Range Rovers both Army and RAF and various Civil Scania tank and heavey transporters.

Security and Paramilitary Vehicles. Part-One.

Specialist Field.

Armies tend to have heavy vehicles for serious fighting, but not all conflict situation develop into full scale wars and so to meet this need the police are armed. From Northern-Ireland to South-Africa and many other places from Colombia to East-Timor these specially adapted light armoured cars have been developed. 

Shorts developed a land rover into an small four wheel Armoured Personnel carrier, known as the Simba, which has seen service in various versions from the early 1970's to the present day, where they are now painted white.

During the 'Troubles 1969 to 1999 these vehicles were painted Grey and deployed to all riot situations, which of were of a sectarian or anti-British nature and the RUC had to keep the two sides apart, backed up by the British army. The vehicles sadly where no match in the countryside for IRA landmines.

Many of these vehicles have since laid the basis for the British Army Snatch Rovers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan along with the Supa Cats. Meanwhile there are several different types exported worldwide one being the Dav'id used in Israel by the Border police.