Demise of the MBT?

 A New Kind of Warfare!

The battlefield is a developing place in tactics and technology, ever since Cain killed his brother Able out of jealousy and ever since then most wars stem from bitterness and hatred of each other and at the cost of human life soldiers and civilians?

Enemies come and go, so do causes, but also criminal cartels, dictatorships and maniacs wanting to rule the world. The origins of the Main battle tank stem from World War I (1914-18) and was invented by the British with everyone following to this present day, but not all nations use this type of vehicle opting more for the personnel carrier or armored recon vehicles.

These first tanks were clumsy, but one has to start somewhere and by World War-11 very little had changed, since it was believed that the last war would be the one to end all? The Soviet Union developed a light machine known as the T-34 to outrun the Nazi-German heavy tanks, which were better in pack operations but not isolated in the open steppe!

It was after 1945 that what we understand in shape and design of these vehicles came to the fore, the U.S. Sherman and successive designs up to the present Abrahams, Israel Merkava, Russian t-90 and their electronic countermeasures or deflection equipment. 

But the last few wars in Iraq proved that the days of this type of armor were really coming to and end, missile guided and drones can be very effective now in most weather conditions and the role of helicopters and lighter vehicles equally.

More Drones?

For Now!

It would seem that there are limitless roles for all the new high flying drones and glider types that are available on the market, over that of conventional propeller types?

These new aircraft are unmanned, agile, light and can stay up now for days rather than hours and with the various sensors and optics provide 24/7 coverage!

This does not mean that we are done with conventional commercial aviation, since people still need to get from A to Z and so does cargo! Despite the much protest world-wide one does not think that aviation will slacken off since we are now comfortable with it?

Mid-sized and small airlines may be the short future, but the long haul will continue, despite the demise of the giant Airbus A380, the ageing Boeing 747 Jumbo and the problematic 737-MAX?

Many new types are coming to the fore from Japan, China and Russia, along with Brazil, while others are being maintained to extend their operational lives!

Demise of the Boeing 747?

Boeing 747/100/200/SP/300/400 and -8.

The Boing jumbo jet is a sixties baby and was really operational from 1971, it has had a great success world-wide as the first clipper of the skies but is now in demise or is it? It is not clear how many new orders have been placed for either the series 400 or the -8, but the Boeing 777X may be the true replacement since its proceeds a tried and tested 777 class after twenty-four years of service!

Boeing has had stiff competition from Airbus and its A380-800 Super Jumbo, but it to has declined, due to the more popularity of its new Airbus A350-900/1000 XWB extra wide body aircraft. 

Competition is ever on the increase in the aviation world with newer designs and improved technology, many aircraft that are smaller can do the job now of the Jumbos and they are cheaper on fuel consumption? 9/11 terrorism has also played a key factor, but so has Airbus and its popular A330, which is one of the best sized aircraft in the world today?

Railways Infrustructure!

Investment well overdue?

Britain is seeing a revolution in its railways from newlines to stations and ticketing, but the older stock is still a problem to shift on as new trains are being introduced? Line re-building and repair is taking up valuable time and cutting in to shedual but it is hoped that there will be enough equipment purchased to cover the long term investments being now in place?

London despite much new ideas, Cross rail and extensions, new stock and planning, still is suffering from lack of investment! Brexit is not helping the economic climate and there is a lack of initiative by the London Mayors to ask for the money!

The other cities in the U.K. are pressing on with trams as the future, we can be critical that they should not have stopped but the new lines are far more versatile than what was in place before? The introduction of electric vehicles will be an ever needed factor in our future transport needs, cutting carbon emissions from fossil fuels now in the advent of the end of the Diesel engine!

Container Shipping is Changing?

Framed Supported.

The problem with container shipping is that boxes can be lost in rough weather conditions and so a new framed structure system has been adapted to compensate for this. All vessels will have to be updated to this new design and many more vessels will now be on the market for sale?

The new ships will restrict size and capacity for the first time, this will be a sort of standardisation? These vessels will be the largest built and will remain in service until technology demands what is to come next?

Another reason is the demise of smaller container ships is China's plan to build railways networks across Asia, Russia in to the Europe and the U.K. via the channel tunnel.

Also into the Middle-East, Arabia and on into the African continent. It is not clear if they also want to build a tunnel from Eastern-Russia into Alaska and on down through N-America into S-America?

Rail would now dominate land routes and call for less need of shipping, being restricted to Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands, and the Caribbean?

Hovercraft. Part-One.

A British Invention.

Sadly the 'Hoverspeed hovercraft Saunders-Roe SR.N4 Mk3 Mountbatten Class came to a demise with the completion of the Channel Tunnel. This vessel weighed 200 tons, travelled at 70 knots and carried 20,450 litres of fuel. She was powered by four Rolls-Royce Marine Proteus gas turbines and carried 282 passengers and 37 cars.

As a child it was always my ambition to travel on that particular craft to Calais and back, just for the experience. 

The Hovercraft began with Sir. Christopher Cockerill in the 1950's and by 1956 aircushon sea vehicles were in commercial service.  

Twenty five years ago I got the opportunity to travel to the isle of Wight and then enjoyed travelling on a much smaller  craft. It was a bumpy ride across the Solent, but nice to be flying so low to the sea.

That is what the hovercraft does and they are still popular today around the world as they ever were. The RNLI have a few employed in large sandy areas of Britain to rescue those who get stuck in quicksand.