FATHER CHRISTMAS!

 Is on His Way?

No matter how old you are lets keep our Father Christmas, who gifts his gifts to children and all at heart and may this be a peaceful Christmas season for all the different denominations, east and west!

By tradition he is coming on his sleigh from the north pole, but one is not sure how he operated down under, and with come gifts for good ones and not for naughty ones?

St. Nicolas of Greece is the one who gave toys to the children in a village were he lived and this is marked by the feast day on the 15th, which is also Chanukkah the festival of lights in the Jewish faith and both religions are combined in many ways and share much!

The United states will be monitoring Him as he flies over N-America also a good time for the U.S. Air and Space forces to check their missile defenses from the cold war era?

Happy Christmas and a peaceful New year to All!

Chamchat Earthquake in Eastern Russia!

 Loss of a Pacific Submarine base?

It  may be true that this base has been seriously damaged, but Russia has many in the region that one believes remained close to prying eyes and it is believed that much Uranium is mined in this region to sell on to France, U.S.A. and the U.K, with other precious metals, what about sanctions, what about them?

Losing one base might be sad, but this will not deter the largest submarine fleet in the world and the largest types ever built the Typhoon class! Russia and the former Soviet Union has had a long history of accidents and loss, but so has the west, only not reported?

Russia has a military philosophy in warfare that the sub is a better launch platform, than aircraft carries, since they can dive and disappear after firing cruise and ICBM missiles, more so than being a large fairy lights sitting duck?

Wales-Swansea Bay Air Show 2024. Part-Two.

 Westland Wasp.

The second vintage visitor to the Swansea Bay Airshow was the Westland Helicopter, the Wasp was the naval version of the British Army Scout and was used initially for general purpose duties and introduced in 1962, while entering service in 1963, since the potential in naval operations was much needed during the Cold War years!

She could be fitted with two Mk44 torpedoes, but trials following were to upgrade from HAS.1 to more of anti-submarine warfare and the first sixty machines were deployed on various frigates and other shipping across the Royal Navy,

Later over one-hundred machines were fitted with the French AS.11/12 missile systems and other equipment, forty were sold to South-Africa and eleven to its navy, another seventeen went to Brazil.

By 1978 in British service, they were being replaced by the Lynx helicopters and despite this these three to six manned machines remained in service into the 1980;s when they were withdrawn.

Warships Part-One.

Design and concepts not much changed?

The modern warship has one advantage over all past designs and concepts and that it is now invisible on sonar, this major advance is known as stealth and it has been around since the 1980's but now it is the norm for most of the rich nations of the world!

History shows us that armour had always been part of a key element, from ancient times with shield and metal bands to having a battering ram. Through history the cannon replaced crossbows and catapults of various types and that was over four hundred years to the development of the ironclads and modern metal ships.

The layout of all current vessels is almost the same guns being now replaced by rocket and missile systems, with the addition of the helicopter deck for one or two craft! Prior to this was the extra boats needed for exploration or pillage? 

Russian Armour!

Upgrades and new Equipment?

Russia is advancing at an alarming rate with their armour, aircraft, ships and missiles far more advanced than the U.S. claims! Already Turkey, Saudi-Arabia and Iran with China have some of the best systems on the market in modern warfare and sadly the U.K. and NATO are getting left behind if there was an outbreak of hostilities?

We do not get to see as much as was claimed that we saw forty years ago during the so called, 'Cold War! But many upgrades have been made to armoured cars and APC's while missile and drones are much of a closed book to the west today?

Aviation on the other hand boast much new aircraft with hypersonic speeds, while the U.S. administration tells lies and Britain's 'Aurora has been a bit of a damp squib ie Novichok and the Salisbury business?

Nations Gathering for War?

What we have not been Told!

Last Saturday the world held its breath as the U.S, and Europe attacked Syria with guided cruise missiles on three insignificant targets? But what we were not told in our media, was that many other nations to had their battleships in the Mediterranean ?

China has come to the support of Russia and Syria, with ships in the Red sea and Persian gulf some being diverted from anti-pirating work in the Arabian sea off Somalia and Yemen!

All these ships remain shadowing each other with submarines in all the mentioned above locations and showing us that things are not over yet?

May 14th is the next key day in the Middle-East, when the U.S. moves its embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem and recognises it on Israel's 70the anniversary?

The Palestinians and many Iranian/Syrian backed terrorists groups are planning a world-wide anti-American backlash!

This is a region of elusive victories, when you think you have it all wrapped up, it all just unravels before you back into more disaster? But since 9/11 and 7/7, with many other attacks around the world, everything has changed and we will have to just wait and see if World War-III is coming?

Logistics. One.

Behind every great Army!

Logistics is a specialist field of organisation that is in its own right a calling and discipline and when it is implemented in a right manner any military, civil or humanitarian operation will be a success to only the point of human failure somewhere in the machine of organisation?

When we see the last of these great military parades today of tanks and missiles, artillery and marching soldiers around the world and even the changing of the guard, there is much organisation and infrastructure behind all this pomp that is never seen by the mainstream general public?

If one has worked as a caretaker or specialises in events management, then you have the advantage of having the ability to change the seating layout for over one-hundred people at short notice?

This means moving whole rows without dismantling them down to individual seats and so this is the same with support and logistics?

Aircraft Carriers Viability. One.

Real estate at Sea.

The United States today posses the largest fleet of Nuclear powered aircraft carriers in the Nimitz class, these ships carry several hundred aircraft of various types from fighter jets, to ELINT and AWACS. They also carry a host of different helicopters from Anti-Submarine warfare ASW to medium transport and the CH-47J the latest version of the Boeing-Vertol Chinook to the CH-53.

Many other nations have smaller carriers such as Brazil, France, China, Russia, Britain, Australia and India, Spain and Italy. Some are nearly as big and nuclear, while the others are conventional diesel and have to be replenished at sea.

These ship carry up to 5000 crew, combing air arms, marines, seals, commando's with their military equipment  and vehicles than can be landed by landing craft or large transport helicopter's?

The military philosophy one would think is the same, but every nation has their own take on how to deal with the foe and these ideas have been developed over the last one-hundred years from the first British one decker's right up to the mini carrier six aircraft VTOL jump jets and six rotary wing.

 

Defence is provided by sophisticated missile systems both anti-aircraft, missile and ship to land such as the Tomahawks. Raptor and Predator drones along with others such as Helli star and Scout/rangers are also used to cut the risk of loosing valuable pilots in hostile territory

North-Korean Crises.

Intermediate Continental Ballistic Missiles.

We start off with the Nuclear capability of North-Korea as tensions build with the unstable and changeable U.S. President Trump? This is not the best of subjects to be covering at this time, but these types of missile systems are what keep the worlds communications systems and Space exploration possible?

It is hard to find accurate data for what kind of missiles N-Korea possess, but we can say that the three basic types come from the Peoples Republic of China and the former Soviet Union! China developed two types the CSS1/2 respectively from 1970/71, there ranges are 1100km to between 2500 and 4000Km.

These two systems were copies of the Soviet SS-4 Sandal medium range ballistic missile, which entered service in 1968. The Sandal was a development of the SS-3 Shyster and it was itself an upgrade of captured Nazi-German V-2's.

The third system is the former Soviet Unions SA-4/5 Guideline/Gammon which was widely exported and is an air defence missile system. The wheeled and track carriers seen are all based around the former Soviet and Chinese versions of the SS-14 Scapegoat carried on the Iron Maiden Chariot. These have a range of 4000Km plus and are capable of launching a 1.5 tonne Nuclear warhead, where the CSS-1/2 up to a one tonne warhead.

We must not underestimate them after their failed launch, because it is estimated that in every one-hundred U.S. missiles fired only forty will actually launch.

N-Korean targets, will be Seoul in S-Korea, Tokyo in Japan, the U.S. Marshall Islands and Hawaii islands!

Arms Sales!

Big Business?

There has always been money in weapons from the ancient world right up to the present and the future? Many world conflicts were won through by a third party supplying the appropriate weapons system, from daggers to siege engines to ships and cavalry of one type or another?

One must not think that humans in the past were limited to the types of weapons that could be constructed, because wood was the main source of building material many strange devices were invented to get over walls and to fire pitch or rocks at fortified cities! While many ships were well capable of landing an army with horses, but some where also fitted with catapults, copies of their various land equivalents.

Today we have technology based in the invention of electricity, which powers machines to create machines of the various types land, air, sea and now Space. They say that investing in the arms industry always gives a good return, because there is always a demand for more guns, tanks, fighter aircraft and ships, if not missiles of the various types?

There are also many conflicts around the world some that the media is fixated on, while many more we ever hardly ever or never hear about?

The Typhoon Class.

Worlds largest Submarine.

Soviet Russia was one of the most ambitious nations in the history of the world, especially in the last one-hundred years of civil engineering and the invention of machines. They launched the Space race with the Sputnik and Gagarin and by their fall they had the largest aircraft ever built the Antonov An-224 Miry (Dream), the Buran Robotic Space Shuttle and the elusive Typhoon Class Submarine.

After the fall of Communism came the dismantling of the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons on both sides and there were many cutbacks of fighter bombers and submarines, and other military equipment. 

It is not known, if all as claimed how much was actually cut back, because today it is estimated by N.A.T.O. that Russia is as mighty as it ever was!

The Typhoon was designed to carry the largest number of multiple Inter-continental ballistic missiles that was possible to get on a (36) Submarine, meanwhile each missile was capable of having 12 to 16 warheads!

It was also the first of a new generation of robotic operated systems, with less crew (125) than would be required normally. 

Russia like many nations had discovered that the submarine was one of the most effective weapon systems to have, because they can go undetected for months under the sea.

The Russian Federation and Syria.

Russia pulls out of Syria!

The five year war in Syria is coming to an end and Russia has achieved the elimination of the Islamic Khalifate's infrastructure. The last few months has revealed why we have Boeing EC-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft flying over SW-Great Britain. 

Russia deployed its whole Sukhoi family from the Su-25 Frogfoot to the latest stealth fighter the Su-34. In between were deployed the SU-32 and the Naval Su-27 Flanker, perhaps because this type never has been used in battle before? 

The powerful Nuclear bomber the Tupolev TU-126 Blackjack was also deployed with devastating consequences on ground elimination of targets, this same aircraft is the main delivery system for Russia's Nuclear cruise missile.

The west still faces many threats from hostile nations and groups and one has to remember that the terrorists who carried out 9/11 in the United States in 2001 said, 'That they would be back to do the same in twenty years time?

Gunboats to Fast Attack. Part-One.

The Smaller Navy?

One would like to think so, because big nations that have access to the seas or large lakes have Frigates, Corvettes and Minesweepers? But this is not so, the development of the Gunboat has matured into the FAC (Fast Attack Craft), these newer vessels are now usually armed with the latest missiles, radar and sonar. 

The orgins of the FAC comes from the Cold War years, when the Soviet navy required their patrol boats to work against mini-subs in shallower waters and also to intercept at speed unidentified targets. The patrol boats of World War II were good up to a point, but they were limited compared to what is available today. Many countries initially received these new FAC Soviet boats, such as Angola, Cambodia, China, Vietnam, North-Korea and Cuba and from their on they made their own adaptions to meet their own requirements.

It was the rich Persian Gulf nations in the middle-east that preferred the FAC ability to change platforms and this opened the door to both the United States and Great Britain, with a few other countries to provide the latest versions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016.

More of What?

It would seem that the idea of the drone was the future last year, but now with so many incidents of near misses with aircraft and many other machines perhaps not?

Military and Police drones are perhaps being perfected for future use, but not the near future. NASA has twins with a new rocket propulsion system and the first SpaceEX return rocket from 125 miles up in one piece, this is technology where money is to be made in the commercial satellite market.

With the drop in oil prices and other fossil fuels, the demand for alternative's has been put on hold. With diesel at less than a pound in the U.K. 'I am afraid pollution or carbon emissions are going to be a problem despite the recent Paris, France conference.

One has to wonder sometimes about all this climate change, when military jets and missiles are being fired again in the middle-east how much of a carbon footprint do they make?

Military Trucks. Part-One.

Multi-Role Amphibians.

Military requirements for their need to mover troops and other equipment means that they have to be far different from civil or commercial vehicles. Most military trucks are higher from the ground and today the amphibious capability, even on limited scale is a standard requirement.

The British army at one point relied on a limited number of home built British designs from Bedford TM 6-6 to heavy lifters and recovery such as the Scammel and Foden Alpha A36R. But today with the international market being so open and the various alliances which have had to be formed over the years to fight various wars and International terrorism the choice is limitless. 

The German Man HX77 8x8 and Japanese/U.S. Izuzu-Okhosh has been one of the biggest providers to the U.K., with Japan providing other specialist trucks. These trucks are required to move Main battle tanks and missiles, from Nuclear to Surface to surface. 

Many trucks are used for munitions re-supply, recovery, and hauling field artillery. ambulances, chemical, radioactive and biological units, radio, radar, and other command and communications. 

But many Bedford and Foden's are still in use, by the British and have been exported to the commonwealth and other buyers.

Rockets. Part-One.

1938 to the Present.

The German V2 rocket was the first intercontinental ballistic missile targeted from Southern-Denmark to London. In 1957 Soviet Russia changed the world with Sputnik, the first signal received from Space. The 1960's marked out the Space race from Gagarin to the Space shuttle and the establishment of the International space station (ISS).

Today we have the Internet and space communications, satellite TV, GPS and many other things, due to the development of the rocket. On the other side we have nuclear weapons from Trident here in the U.K. to many other sophisticated U.S and Russian counterparts. Missile warfare is now standard, ad seen in the Middle-East with captured Surface to air SCUD systems and we hear of Iran testing a newer system nearly every month.

ICBM. Part-One

The Inter-continental Ballistic Missile.

From the development of the atomic bomb to the Sputnik, the ICBM was the launch vehicle to get payloads into space. The highlight of the ICBM development was the Saturn V rocket, which took the first man to the Moon and many other Americans into space. This rocket was developed from those that had earlier failed.

Soviet Russia built their own versions, while both super powers raced to develop better and faster and larger multiple launchers to bomb each other.

Today the world has changed with many other nations such as Iran, Pakistan, China, and N-Korea now possessing their own versions of the ICBM. With the capability of a possible nuclear strike or their own need to get into space.

New Nations in Space.

China, India and Japan.

Japan landed a probe on a meteor, China has sent a man into space and a rover to the Moon, while on a first attempt India has reached Mars. These are some of the achievements of the new space ager's, there are many other nations such as Brazil, Iran, Israel, North-Korea and Pakistan who have regular military satellite launches and test their inter-continental ballistic missile programmes.

America, Russia and Europe are now being side-lined in space exploration, but there will always be a demand for many nations to visit the International space station. As technology progresses and the possibility of commercial flights come nearer, there will be more people wanting to achieve firsts.

Nigeria wants to be the first African country to joint the space race this century and by the end of it many more achievements such as bases on the Moon and Mars, if not further afield will have been made.

Rockets. Part-One.

Rockets and Missiles.

Here in the British Isles 'Halloween and Guy Fawkes nights are almost upon us and it is a traditional time for the buying and firing of Fireworks. Millions of pounds will be spent for that moment of joy and fun. The origins of the rocket as a firework goes back thousands of years to ancient China, were they were used for entertainment, but we now know that they were also used as a weapon.

Modern rocketry is associated today with Space launches and military missiles, rockets have become an engine driving a payload up and over.

There is much more to the rocket and the concept of the projectile, which today combines the weapons of the past. Such as the Spear, Javelin and Arrow. Next year (2014), I will cover this in more detail, with the relationship to Artillery and the weapons such as the Bazooka and Rocket Propelled Grenade.