6th Jackal driver killed in Helmand - Whoop de doo the MOD now have Jackal 2 which will be safer ! Of course it will, and heavier, slower, less agile

E first introduced readers to the "Jackal" (then called a replacement WMIK - lihgtly armoured LOng Whelbase Land Rover) On June 30, 2007 -

> WMIK - Patrolling Afghanistan in a convertible

These vehicles are claimed to have, Longer range, Greater payload, Greater mobility (?) and a take your breath away top speed of "up to 80mph (130km/h)" - now how does that compare with a Toyota land Cruiser ute ?- a WMIK weighs nearly 4 tonnes all up, powered by a 4.2 litre engine. Keen observers will however note that the picture accompanying the MOD article is somewhat short on firepower , which can include "a .50 calibre machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher and a general purpose machine gun, as well as carrying up to four troops with their own individual weapons." let's hope they have ordered some guns as well. Note that no costs are mentioned.

It is encouraging to see from the picture that seat belts are provided, meaning the vehicles can be used on Public Highways throughout Europe. The Road Traffic Act as it applies to Afghanistan is not a subject upon which we can claim any knowledge, but presumably these brand spanking new WMIK's will be fully street legal in Kabul .

Big problem is of course, patrolling all day in the poppy fields , the thing will get mucky and dusty - how do you put it through the car wash

Since then we have continued to chronicle not only the weaknesses in this vehicle but also the rate of deaths / serious injuries caused by IED's and minescaused to driver's , crew etc,.

Now we learn a driver (6th to date) of a Jackal from the 2nd Bn The Rifles (Rfn Sheldon, who was from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts)did after being hit by an IED in Sangin Helmand. The Daily Telegraph report yesteday that the MOD is intrducing Jackal 2 which aims to increase safety. (They initially ordered 130 of these £600,000 death traps.

Major Iain Moodie, Officer Commanding B Company, 2 Rifles, paid tribute to the Rfman, saying: "His quick and dry wit underpinned everything and it was always great fun to be in his presence." But not now he's dead having been asked to use unserviceable sub standard equpment.

This is just another consequence of the continuous and disastrous history of procurement by the MOD.

A bad time to announce bad news.

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. John Hutton): Before I begin my statement (yesterday about Ministers lying about rendition - he said ) , "I should like to pay tribute to the three soldiers from 1st Battalion The Rifles who died on operations in Afghanistan yesterday, and to the Royal Marine from 45 Commando who died yesterday from wounds received earlier this month."

Three soldiers, from 1st Battalion The Rifles, were on a routine escort operation in Gereshk district in Helmand Province on Wednesday in their weapon-mounted "WMIK" Land Rover which was blown up by either a landmine or a wire-triggered improvised explosive device.

Earlier the Defence Select Committee thrid report had been published s the hambles over the plans for equipping the army with troop moving land vehicles - the - Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) ...

The MoD's attempts to meet its medium-weight vehicle requirement have been a sorry story of indecision, changing requirements and delay. It is high time the MoD decided where its priorities lay

At our evidence session on 25 November 2008, we asked how the announcement at the end of October 2008 that 700 new armoured vehicles were to be procured impacted upon the FRES programme. CDM said that "there will still be a requirement for FRES; I am quite clear about that".We asked if the MoD knew what its requirement for FRES was. CDM told us that "I think we are pretty clear we know what it is"

92. Given the number of different armoured vehicles which have been procured for current operations and the different FRES vehicles which the MoD plans to procure, we asked about the MoD's strategy relating to armoured vehicles and, specifically, about the issue of coherency. To our astonishment, the Minister told us that "the coherence lies in having the widest possible suite of weapons for commanders in the field to choose from".

They concluded (bold type theirs)..

95. The FRES programme has been a fiasco. In February 2007 we concluded that the MoD's attempts to meet its medium-weight vehicle requirement had been a sorry story of indecision, changing requirements and delay. Two years later the story is, incredibly, even worse.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said: "This report shows that the MoD is riddled with incompetence.(BBC)

"The government must make sure our troops have the equipment they need to do their job today and in the future."

Your Defence News a PR sheet from the MOD says today ...

The MoD today welcomed the House of Commons Defence Select Committee's report into Defence Equipment 2009. The report praises the impressive performance of DE&S (Defence Equipment and Support) in delivering equipment and supplies to two theatres in 'very challenging environments' and commends the UOR (Urgent Operational Requirement System) as 'highly effective' in meeting rapidly changing threats.

A good day to bury bad news

Amidst all the brou - ha - ha over Fred the Shreds modest pension, it was an ideal time for the clerk like John Hutton to clear up a minor misunderstanding.

A delightfuly sanitised version of events can now be told about how Ministers lied to the House of Commons.

MOD officials in 2004 were aware that 2 prisoners captured by UK forces in Baghdad had been handed over to US forces.The 2 prisoners were of Pakistani origin and members of Lashkar e Tayyiba, a proscribed organisation with "links to al Qaida".

Re classified as "enemy combatants" by US forces they were moved to Afghanistan because of a lack of relevant linguists (Pashtun speakers) necessary to interrogate them effectively in Iraq. Hmmmm.

Quote from Hutton"A due diligence search by US officials of the list of all those individuals captured by UK forces and transferred to US detention facilities in Iraq has confirmed that this was the only case in which individuals were subsequently transferred outside Iraq."

With a wonderfully straight face Mr Hutton told the silent and nearly empty and incurious House of Commons that said "inaccurate" information had subsequently been given to the Commons about UK-held detainees, based on the information available to ministers at the time.

Even though 2 Ministers had misled / mistated / lied to the House a review had ....". shown that brief references to this case were included in lengthy papers that went to the then Foreign Secretary (Jack Straw) and Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) in April 2006." An antique and well used ruse to slip inconvenient truths past a Minister.

"It is clear that the context did not highlight its significance at that point to the ministers concerned." You can be absolutlely certain that the "context did not highlight its significance" ....

However we are grateful that a member of the Special Frces involved in dealing with cases of rendition did acually reveal the truth a long time before the MOD did - who leally gagged him.

It was just 1 year ago that Ben Griffin then 29,who had left the British army in 2005 and sevred in Baghdad with US Delta forces was served with a High Court Order that meant he could be jailed if he makes further disclosures about how people seized by special forces were allegedly mistreated and ended up in secret prisons in breach of the Geneva conventions and international law.

The full statement from the dismal Hutton can be read at Hansard here,
26 Feb 2009 : Column 394 Records of Detention (Review Conclusions)

It is worth noting that the stateent was timed so ...."Madam Deputy Speaker (Sylvia Heal): Order. I appreciate the significance of the statement and the interest of Members, but the main business of the House is still to follow, so I ask for brief supplementary questions and a concise response." How unfortunate.

Anyway some members (Nick Harvey (North Devon) (LD): + Mr. Crispin Blunt (Reigate) (Con): ) did manage to get in a reference to the public remarks of Ben Giiffin and Blunt managed to quote into the record the remarks of BenGiffin .

“Throughout my time in Iraq I was in no doubt that individuals detained by UKSF and handed over to our American colleagues would be tortured. During my time as member of the US/UK Task Force, three soldiers recounted to me an incident in which they had witnessed the brutal interrogation of two detainees. Partial drowning and an electric cattle prod were used during this interrogation and this amounted to torture. It was the widely held assumption that this would be the fate of any individuals handed over to our America colleagues. My commanding officer at the time expressed his concern to the whole squadron that we were becoming ‘the secret police of Baghdad’.”

Even David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden) (Con): who forms the "Crumple Zone" of the libertarian wing which they have infitrated managed to make some disigenuous remarks.

" .... there are one of three explanations. First, the Government are deliberately turning a blind eye. I hope that that is not true. Secondly, possibly, the covert agencies are using deniability to operate outside the law. We hope that that is not true. Thirdly, there is a reprehensible lack of control of our agencies in their operations abroad."

Anyway the whole thing is nicely swept under the carpet, beautifully obfuscated and as John Majr might say ... a line drawn under it.

Dutch upgrade Troop carrying capacity - lessons for the MOD

The Dutch Armed forces have just introduced new tracked heavily protected and armed toop carrying capacity - the CV90

This is a frame from video released today of the brand-new Dutch CV90 troop carrier during the test ride on the Bernhardkazerne in Amersfoort. This Dutch infantry tracked fighting vehicle will take over from the Boxer . It has a top speed of 70 kmh, a radius of action of 600 kilometres and offers a great deal of protection to passengers 3 crew and 7 fully equipped infantry.

It is equipped with the Bushmaster III 35 mm Cannon with a 2 Km. range , a 7.62 mm a machine-gun and 10 catapults for smoke and shard grenades all with internal remote controls . It also has laser locking detection equipment to warn the crew of aerial attack.

Earlier versions of CV90 are already in use with the armed forces of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Switzerland.

The Jackal with the soft underbelly

The taxonomy of UK Military vehicles is a fascinating field for study but which requires some considerable care and caution as the military mind, whilst given to an obsession with detail and order can suprise any sleepy sub-editor.

Therefore when Royal Marines , Robert McKibben and Neil Dunstan who were part of Task Force Helmand's Information Exploitation Group were reported to have died in their new in a new £600,000 Jackal mine-resistant armoured car (Daily Mail) after a hit from a roadside bomb in Garmsir district of Southern Helmand, Afghanistan, on Wednesday afternoon , the normally well informed technical section of our military staff were non-plussed. (MOD report)

This follows the death of 21 year old Trooper James "Magpie" Munday, of 1 Troop, D Squadron, the Household Cavalry Regiment, on Wednesday 15 October 2008 who was serving as a Jackal driver on Operation HERRICK 8 when he was killed in action in Helmand province. His Troop was conducting a routine patrol approximately 23km north of Forward Operating Base Delhi when he was killed by a contact explosion. (MOD report)

The "Jackal" first saw life as a military vehicle when on Monday 25th June the MOD announced that under an Urgent Operational Requirement for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan , (which as Lord patel's old batman pointed out they don't hand out with the rations.Sir.) 130 new new MWMIK 's , (Mobility Weapon Mounted Installation Kit) will begin deploying out to operational theatres "early in 2008", Lord Drayson, Minister of State for explaining shortages, overunning costs, and delays in Defence Equipment and Support, said:

"These vehicles are well armed, swift, and agile and will boost our capability with some serious firepower. MOD and the Treasury have worked hard to get these powerful vehicles to our troops in quick time, and they will start going out to theatre early next year." see Saturday, June 30, 2007 WMIK - Patrolling Afghanistan in a convertible

Then in September they announced the purchase again ..Wednesday, September 05, 2007 MOD announce ordering 130 MWMIK air cooled 6 x 6 Supercats at £250,000 each for Afghanistan next year - AGAIN

Sharp eyed readers may note the absence of protection of the crew - all handily placed immediately over the axles, where if contact is made with a mine they can expect the maximum explosive force.

The vehicle was based on 6x6 wheel drive design from Supacat Ltd from Honiton in Devon, with a claimed top speed of 80 mph. Universal Engineering Ltd manufacture the steel framed chassis, Cummings the engine, and Allison the transmission.

Sharp eyed observers might also notice that any mine protection is - if present, fairly minimal.

Quite when the name Jackal was applied to this hybrid vehicle - when the Mail on Sunday introduced it in September 2007 it was "80mph "Mad Max" monster targeting the Taliban"

Looks like it is becoming a soft target for Taliban ... as we said at the time ... Patrolling Afghanistan in a convertible .. not forgetting Friday, January 27, 2006 Reid sends ill equipped troops to certain deaths in S Afghanistan

Britannia will rule the waves - the follies of Empire Pt. 3,456

The Stock Market may tumble, the currency may crumble, but it looks like we are starting to spend serious moolah on the 2 seriusly useless aircraft carriers the Navy wants.

Orders / contracts placed worth £235 million,are announced today for gas turbines, generators, motors, power distribution equipment, platform management systems, propellers, shafts, steering gear, rudders and stabilisers.

1. Thales UK, together with BVT, Babcock Marine, BAE Systems and MOD, have formed the catchy titled Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) to manufacture and assemble the new carriers. Thales UK has responsibility for leading the power and propulsion element of CVF. The company is responsible for procurement, systems design, overall systems integration, ship integration (with shipyards), programme management and safety analysis. Thales has reached a sub-alliance agreement with Rolls-Royce, Converteam and L-3 Communications

2. Rolls Royce (Bristol, Dalgety Bay and Portsmouth):
* MT30 36 MegaWatt Gas Turbine Alternator sets
* Total package integration of the propulsion plant
* Shaft lines and propellers
* Steering gear including rudders
* Stabilisers to keep the ship level and enhance operation of weapons systems
* Low voltage electrical distribution system.

Converteam (Rugby and Glasgow):
* High voltage equipment
* Electric power control and monitoring system
* Propulsion equipment
* High voltage system and electric propulsion system analysis.

L3 Communications (Bristol and Barrow):
* Integrated Platform Management System (provides automation needed to control and monitor the power and propulsion systems)
* Condition Monitoring System.

3. A contract for emergency Diesel Generators has previously been awarded to Wartsila Lips Defence, which will provide a dedicated power supply to retain a fire fighting capability, even in the unlikely event of a total loss of electrical power.

Ina novel arrangement ,each carrier will have two propellers powered by two electric motors which will make them the largest warships in the world to use electric rather than mechanical drive technology.

This physical arrangment allows the primary power untis - gas turbine driven generators that power them to be located high in the ship which provides greater space in the hull and providws greater resilience to battle damage.

The pic shows some aircraft using the decks - what they will be and where they will come from is a decision not yet finalised. More pics here

PS: Dear Worried of Wolverhampton : Just think of the 2 CVF's and the aircraft they may eventually field ,as say, 20% of the cost of nationalising the Bradford and Bungle.

Army "Shoot to kill" policy in Northern Ireland and Drumnakilly Massacre remembered 20 years on

This Video recreates the The Drumnakilly Ambush which refers to the killing on 30th August 1988 near Drumnakilly, County Tyrone, of the brothers Martin and Gerald Harte and Brian Mullen, who were Provisional Irish Republican Army (pIRA) members.

The IRA version is clear .The three IRA men were on active service in a car patrolling the area, armed with two AK-47 rifles and a revolver. They spotted what appeared to be an abandoned lorry on the road. They stopped and SAS officers hidden in trenches and a nearby building fired a lethal barrage of 236 bullets. It is claimed this shoot to kill ambush was a consequence of the bombing of an army bus which has caused eight deaths 10 days previously.

The army "official" version is (of course)different. The security forces had obtained information that the three members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (pIRA) were intending to murder a coal man who was also a soldier of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).

They had no idea when, where or how the killing would take place and drew up a plan to provoke the Provisional Irish Republican Army (pIRA) into action. A scene, covered by two Operation Posts (OP's), was created with a lorry, a flat tyre and an officer disguised as the coal man. Martin, Gerald and Brian showed up. With high speed the car approached the scene and, while hanging out the windows of their car, they opened fire to which the SAS reacted.

About a dozen soldiers in camouflage were lying in a shallow ditch nearby and more were manning a heavy machine gun at a nearby derelict building.A helicopter arrived immediately after the shoot out, airlifting a number of soldiers away from the scene.
The subsequent inquest failed to establish who had opened fire first.

In 2003 a man claiming to be one of the SAS soldiers appeared in a Channel 4 documentary claiming the IRA trio were 'lured into an ambush'

The Drumnakilly Martyrs Commemoration Committee, in partnership with the families of the three volunteers arranged a weekend commemoration of the deaths of the 3 men last weekend.

Brian , a bricklayer was gentle giant and from the well known Mullin family from Foremass, known locally as the 'Bards' whose grandfather was renowned as poet.

Martin Harte was captain of Loughmacrory Saint Teresa's Gaelic Football team and married to Brian Mullan'ssister and had a son, Declan.

Gerard was a popular player and manager with St Teresa's GFC. He was married with a young son, Colm.

At the unveiling of a memorial in 2004 at the aniversary events West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty said: "The Drumnakilly ambush was an example of the British shoot-to-kill policy in Ireland and gave lie to the British Government's claim that there was not a war going on here. Republicans throughout Ireland hold in high esteem the three Volunteers killed at Drumnakilly and their families, and any initiatives taken to honour their memory has my support."

On Sunday West Tyrone Ógra activist, Aidy O’Donnell said

"20 years on, and a new generation are spurred on by their sacrifice, and by the example that they left. They viewed their struggle as a community struggle, and dedicated their lives to ensuring their people where organised and empowered, whether it be through the community association or the GAA."

"The flame they carried still burns on among the youth of Tyrone, and as Martin Ferris passionately put it, they will remain our inspiration to achieve the 32 County Democratic Socialist Republic. Beir bua!"

A song whose authorship is unknown and unclaimed remembers the event.

Once again black flags are hoisted in the county of Tyrone
Three more good men lie butchered by the forces of the crown
We shed tears of grief and anger as the news spreads quickly round
How the SAS had waited and without warning gunned them down.

Now the green flag is wrapped around them
Gloves and berets on their chests
We salute three gallant soldiers
As we lay them down to rest.

On the road past Drumnakilly sorrow shrouds the roadway still
There the SAS men lay in ambush to do Maggie Thatchers will
Like Loughall and like Gibralter, British justice has no frills
They came to Tyrone for vengeance and their orders were to kill.

Now the green flag is wrapped around them
Gloves and berets on their chests
We salute three gallant soldiers
As we lay them down to rest.

Gerry and Martin Harte we've lost you we, remember you with pride
You both had so much to live for, now your dreams have been denied
Brian Mullin we shall miss you, with your friendly smiling face
Though you died with your fond comrades in our hearts you hold the place

Now the green flag is wrapped around them
Gloves and berets on their chests
We salute three gallant soldiers
As we lay them down to rest.

Three brave volunteers are gone what is there left to say
It was Ireland's love that called them when they joined the IRA
So let Thatcher send her murderers to the hills of green Tyrone
It is she who will be mourning when we send her soldiers home.

Air Force - Daily Air Power reports have been discontinued, stopped, finished, ended...

Many readers must have read the post Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Bombing civilians from the air is addictive ... once you start you can't stop

They may have followed the link in the part of the story "In Afghanistan a total of 60 close-air-support missions were flown as part of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols. In following Air Link Daily reports for a long time this looks like a record daily number of missions."

A link which took them to daily "Air Power Summary" on the Air Force Link the website the US Air Force maintain as a promotional site explaining activities of every sort and in every branch of the massive organisation.

Curiously, even though there has been this daily report since the start (at least) of Operation Iraqi Freedom ..... there hasn't been one since August 10th.

Psst - wanna buy a (very) short range supersonic fighter ...er, well it's dropped one bomb so far ..aircraft that's taken 20 years to design , build .

UK tries to offload Typhoon fighters

The Financial Times has a most extraordinary story today - in trying to deal with a looming £2 Bn deficit - say 1/9th of the taxpayer funded "loans" that have gone down a Black Hole on the Tyne - are hawking around the Typhoon / Eurofighters the MOD have "ordered but can no longer afford." see post Saturday, May 17, 2008 Typhoon production to be halted, one carrier scrapped. see also Thursday, November 22, 2007 Typhoon Order faces Axe - Exclusive

Please note there is as yet no commitment (and probbly no money) for the Joint Strike Fighter which will litter the decks of the 2 mega aircraft carriers just commissioned.

Bae will exact severe financial penalties for cancelling or cutting Tranche three which everybody at Bae Warton has known for months will never be built. see Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Typhoon Tranche 1 final deliveries made - contract decisions loom for Tranche 3

India , Japan and Saudi are touted as likely prospects but unlikely buyers .

The Eurofighter contract, designed by lawyers to discourage countries such as Germany from cutting back orders, is written so tightly that it would be almost as cheap to take delivery of the aircraft as to incur the penalties.

To date the Eurofighter has dropped 1 (one) bomb , and that was when accompanied by a second plane that "lit" the target. Wednesday, November 21, 2007 RAF Typhoon drops bomb in sea off Wales. They can fire rockets, but fully loaded the already short range is dramatically reduced, as is the aerobatic peformance. The German machine gun is installed but will never be used.

There have been several cases of the nose wheel , which is under software control, failing to emerge when landing. Thursday, May 01, 2008 Typhoon crash - software fails.....again

MOD electronic sniffers to improve battlefield sensing and awareness ?

This is SATURN (although SATAN may be a better name), it is the winning entry in the “Grand Challenge” competition, launched by the MoD in 2006 to produce a vehicle capable of identifying threats encountered by UK troops on current operations.

Entrants could be autonomous flying or ground vehicles capable of identifying threats such as marksmen, vehicles mounted with heavy weapons, IED's, roadside bombs and armed militia.

Team Stellar led by Julia Richardson,representing members Stellar Services Ltd, Blue Bear Systems, Cranfield University, SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Ltd, TRW Conekt, and Marshall Specialist Vehicles - who make Bomb Disposal Robots and remote controlled diggers, finally beat off six finalists (out of 23 original entries) to win the R J Mitchell trophy (he designed the Spitfire) . This is described as integrated system with one high flying and one mini UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), and a UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) with a control station fusing data from visual, thermal and radar sensors.

Baroness and ex MP Ann Taylor was ecstatic .. "It is this type of vision and dedication which makes the United Kingdom a world leader in science and technology." she said and then carried on .. "in universities, schools and even garden sheds across the nation."

Team Swarm consisting of Swarm Systems, the University of Essex, the University of Surrey, Orrcam, Ardware and Scazon was awarded the prize for the “most innovative idea” after designing a multiple autonomous quadrator (flat helicopter with four rotors) called Owls, capable of flying in swarms, allowing them to view the area from all angles using high resolution visual cameras.

Team Thales despite their name had a solid academic base University of Reading, the University of Bristol, CARVEC, Ryland Research and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET), which included three schools Chilton Trinity Technology College, Woking High and Amersham School.

They were awarded a prize for “best use of national talent” for their use of a mini helicopter fitted with daylight and thermal imaging technology alongside two custom built ground vehicles.

Will they be sniffing out the Taliban or nests of Russian Spetnatz troops in Georgia in the Ukraine any time soon... ? Well they don't look really battle ready yet Sir.

Meanwhile can we have some more helicopters ...and a few trained pilots, crews, mechanics ? New troop transport aircraft and tankers to replace the 42 year old ones we struggle with, maybe some armoured land rovers, the new Nimrod AIWACS to replace the 37 year old ones we daren't re-fuel ... and possibly a clear idea what the fuck we are doing in Basra and Helmand.

PS : For those interested there is a fascinating site run by amateur UAV enthusiasts here .. here is a pic from Thomas in France from his UAV ... a good Picasa public library of his pics is here.

Here is an unexpected use of UAV's during the Olympics

Klimov jet engine sales pitch reaches a climax at Farmborough

How the cunning Russkis sell their jet engines at Farnborough...ooops adults only, are you over ..er.. 21 ? You don't look it, take a peek anyway..Just watch that "cobra " strike on those big , powerful thrusting jets, screaming sidewinding on a "Cobra" strike as the missile fails to penetrate the Sukoi jockey's airspace ..oooh

Thank goodness the authorities have stopped all that. Let's hope BAE don't do any of that sort of thing .. or did for the Al Yamamah .. Typhoon deals.

PS : Boeing say Dreamliner's OK, doing fine, OK, no weight problems, certainly not on the stretch versions, no problems... share price is well up in a bad week...
Maybe it was US$119 a year ago.737 sales are booming ... A380..coming to New York, San Francisco, superb luxury Emirates .. fluff man, I'm telling you fluff. Passenger mile seat costs are lower .. don't give me that BS man..the tanker deal is ours ..nudge, nudge , Know what I mean ?

It's a strong bet that Boeing and Airbus don't use tactics like the Klimov...

With a Snatch in mind ... a message for the servicemen in Helmand from Gemma the TESCO Party Girl

It is now two and a half years ago when we posted ... Friday, January 27, 2006 Reid sends ill equipped troops to certain deaths in S Afghanistan - reinforced again recently as little has changed since by a post Friday, April 11, 2008 - Don't worry about faulty equipment, shortages, make do and mend ... shore up the breach with our English dead

With the 13th death of UK troops reported in Afghanistan today the situation gets worse daily, as the attrition rate on equipment gets worse. This has been the second bloodiest month (so far) since the US-led invasion of the country six-and-a-half years ago.

From the Army friendly Daily Telegraph on 20th June 2008

In November 2007, only 38 per cent of the MoD's Armed Forces front-line helicopter fleet of 538 was found to be "fit for purpose". It was also 141 crews
short of the required 1,611.

Now the "filling up the breach with our English dead", has become an embarassment and the Sunday Telegraph report today that belatedly the Army is to "review" (whetever the fuck that means) the use of the "Snatch" Land Rovers in which 30 soldiers have been killed while patrolling in them in both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

Patrick Mercer, Tory MP and former infantry commander, has recently , speaking from experience described the vehicle as a “death trap”, during a debate in the House of Commons.

Brig Mark Carleton-Smith, the commander of British forces in Helmand, told The Sunday Telegraph that Snatch Land Rovers were not safe for use in high-risk areas.

Ah! But they, like the lives of our soldiers are cheap.

Of course this is merely PR bullshit . The weaknesses are fundamentally the result of wasted years and the diversion squandering of money on pet projects (see FRES below) . The clear and simple tasks of feeding soldiers and moving them around the battlefield has been overlooked, forgotten , dismissed, sidelined .. as has providing decent living accomodation whilst resting, recuperating and also for their families.

It is interesting to note that Gemma Garretts outburst at the stupid fucking Desert Rat General Cordingley's guffaws about the uneatable rations troops are consinged to eat for months on end featured on BBC 4 Feedback in a complaint from a lady listener this week.

Gemma , our TESCO party girl and the rest of the team do not support the continuation of occupying Iraq and Afghanistan another minute longer .. but whilst we are sending our soldiers to fight, we owe it to them to feed them adequately and correctly, to protect them as best as possible and to have concern for their families back home.

The Sunday Telegraph says Des Browne the intellectually challenged Scottish part time defence Secreary met last Wednesday with Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt Gen Andrew Figgures (Ex Officio RUSI council) , the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (equipment capability), and Lt Gen Nick Houghton, Chief of Joint Operations, all agreed that the vehicle’s suitability should be reassessed.

Well that must send a warm glow through the hearts of the lads setting out on patrol in Helmand today... as the 38 year old Nimrods circle overhead, unable to be re-fuelled from a 40 year old Tri-star tanker because it is too dangerous. As the lads count off the days to be carried back to blighty in a 40 year old VC -1- or Tri - star troop carrier to damp cockroach infested barracks. .. or try to communicate using the over weight Bowman comms.

They might however peruse the National Audit Office report on defence procurement in 2006 Page 161 which outlined the fantastic sounding FUTURE RAPID EFFECT SYSTEM whilst bumping around in their spartan , lightly protected Snatches.

FRES will deliver a new, medium weight armoured vehicle fleet with higher levels of deployability and survivability than the current fleet, with the potential to grow its capability as new technology becomes available. The current planning assumption is to deliver 3,775 vehicles. The original requirement was for 1,757 vehicles but this was increased in 2004 under an equipment programme option when the Total Fleet Requirement had been established.

FRES will be part of a balanced force consisting of heavy, medium and light brigades giving the ability to deploy forces rapidly with higher levels of firepower, protection and mobility than Light Forces can achieve, but with deployability and agility that cannot be achieved by Heavy Forces. The current threat on operations, particularly from rocket propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and mines/improvised explosive devices, has reinforced the need for adequately protected armoured vehicles. FRES will replace the Army’s obsolescent Saxon, FV 430 and CVR(T) vehicles.

This project, conceived in the 80's originally developed in conjunction with the German forces in 1999 (stopped in 2003) haas not yet produced even a prototype vehicle. A written statement (ie in the House of Lords and not subject to questioning) from the UK Defence Equipment and Support Minister Baroness Taylor on May 9th this year described the Piranha V an off the shelf vehicle from General Dynamics of the USA as the "preferred design" but only a "provisional selection".

As the MoD's announcement stopped short of a production order, industry executives and UK MoD sources told Jane's they feared that the FRES programme had fallen victim to the UK defence "budget crunch".

So the lads will be riding shotgun on Snatches for a long time yet ... at least they can think of Gemma think of them.

Feel any better now Corporal ?

Major General Patrick Cordingly shows what a Desert Rat he is on BBC Radio 4 - Feed the men rations, not food

Early this morning , well very early actually, Gemma was sleepily listening to the BBC4 Today programme and then she woke with a jolt.

Major General Patrick Cordingly , retired Desert Rat ( he commanded 12,000 men in 7th Armoured Brigade, in the Gulf War) was on the Renta Quote for Iraq spot for the day (closely follows Thought For the Day usually) and he was jokingly describing the "Combat Rations" UK troops are given in unrelenting 40 degree heat.

Ho.Ho.Ho, Laughed this genial General, Beans and skinless sausages for six months every day. Terrible stuff.Ho. Bloody Ho.

"Dear General", shrieked Gemma, "we have been sending troops to the Gulf sice 1995 ,illegally invading Iraq in 2003 , 7 years bringing education to little girls in Afghanistan and you feed the men this shit."

A presenter choked on the "Tuna Bake" which was inedible. Ho.Ho. Ho. laughed the genial General again.

"You daft bastard" shouted Gemma (she really looks lovely when she is angry)..." the bloody Generals and Admirals like you spend squillions on military toys".Sh paused for breath. " Bloody millions , then you send them to Afghanistan in 50 year old designed ,unprotected "Snatch" Land Rovers...and the most important part of that Land Rover is the men in it"... another pause for breath, her bosom was heaving, and well..moving about a bit." Then you give them this muck"

There is of course powdered drinks, helps that stuff go down, disguises the taste. Ho Ho Ho laughed the genial General again. Of course water is in short supply ... desert, dry .. er.. sandy.

Well Gemma really, really got cross and used language ..like ..well.. a trooper living on baked beans and chlorinated water and washing once a week for six months.

She is right of course.. another example of the military masters failing to get their priorities right.

So we soon got her back to her old fighting self with some scrambled egg with smoked salmon and some delicate fried fresh mushrooms.. and champagne.. she likes champagne at breakfast.

Anyway the jovial General is all for some sort of research johnnies having a look at what they feed troops .. jolly important.. So fucking important that no-one has looked at how you feed our fighting machines properly. 3,000 calories a day .. what more do you want ... meals in the Officers mess ?

UPDATE Thursday 26th June

The Daily Mail have a story today following the ppearance of Major General Patrick Cordingly , retired Desert Rat on BBC4 Today programme

Yesterday the Ministry of Defence revealed the 20 menus, plus six each of Sikh, Hindu, vegetarian and halal, which should be ready for the forces in Iraq and Afghanistan next year.

GAO upholds Boeing Bid Protest for EADS/NG KC- X Air Force Contract FA8625-07-R-6470 -"Buy America" campaign pays an early Dividend, war not over yet

EADS CEO Louis Gallois was a model of calm this morning when he spoke to Lord Patel prior to the publication of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's "Bid Protest decision" on the protest by Boeing (69 page protest June 18, 2008) of the contract FA8625-07-R-6470, issued by the Department of the Air Force, for up to 179 KC-X aerial refueling tankers (see pic) . The initial contract announced on February 29, 2008, for EADS and their partners Northrop Grumman Corp. was to supply an initial 80 of their innovative and low cost tankers to the Air Force.

It is worth noting that on Page 2 the GAO say,"Our decision should not be read to reflect a view as to the merits of the firms’ respective aircraft." which doesn't lighten the burden on the Pentagon of the GAO's damning indictment and conclusion ; "We recommended that the Air Force reopen discussions with the offerors, obtain revised proposals, re-evaluate the revised proposals, and make a new source selection decision, consistent with our decision."

Louis' early morning calm will have evaporated as the GAO have backed Boeing’s protest on the contract award process for the EADS / Northrop Grumman contract , saying the Air Force made errors during the process and recommended that the Air Force should reopen the bidding and obtain revised proposals for the squilion billion dollar contract.

The Air Force (as does the RAF) need to replace their fleet of ageing aerial tankers - some dating back to the Eisenhower administration.

It is more than a battle over planes. It is a trans-Atlantic battle. Gallic and Teutonic pride, lost jobs , lost contracts as delays pile on delays. This involves not only the major players directly, but many hundreds of global subcontractors and suppliers depending on the outcome.

The February decision wounded the pride of Boeing ,who see the Air Force an essential teat for Government cash - and some claim, is a hidden subsidy for their civilian plane programs. To some it was proof (if needed) of the growing influence of foreign influence pedlars at the Pentagon - rather than , as some would claim ,signs of US technological leadership being eroded and overtaken , and plump overfed and complacent aerospace contractors used to getting contracts having to sharpen up their act.

Boeing have always held the inside track and their decision to protest about the Air Force choice whilst reflexive , carries some worrying baggage. Whatever the decision it delays provision of a much needed fleet and force requirement - in a global world they will have upset some major players with their multi million "Buy America" campaign - not least the Northrop Grumman workers in Mobile, Alabama , and NG managment who counter claim how they support American jobs on the contract. see pic (clickto enlarge or goto the website for more info) .

Boeing claimed the Air Force decision-making process was flawed (which is rich , considering their recent history of bribery and influence mongering - resulting in jail for a former senior Air Force procurement official and a former senior Boeing executive) and that their rebuilt and revamped Boeing 767 ( a smaller plane than the Airbus 330) — would cost less over the life of the plane than the EADS-Airbus tanker. They also questioned the maths of the Air Force when it concluded that the costs of the two planes were about equal - a point the GAO have upheld.

The GAOsay in the 6th of their 7 stated objections (page 3) -"6. The Air Force’s evaluation of military construction costs in calculating the offerors’ most probable life cycle costs for their proposed aircraft was unreasonable, where the agency during the protest conceded that it made a number of errors in evaluation that, when corrected, result in Boeing displacing Northrop Grumman as the offeror with the lowest most probable life cycle cost;..." sounds fairly damning. "Errors in evaluation" ...these guys are spending Billions of tax payers dollars.

If the decision is reversed (and the Air Force are given only 60 days by the GAO to resolve the issue) the GAO say the contract FA8625-07-R-6470 should be cancelled , and the Air Force pay Boeing's bid protest costs.

Boeing shares rose nearly US$3 on the news, about 5% ,but then settled back , up 50 cents. EADS shares reacted promptly and fell 50 E cents of about 3.5%. The Northrop Grumman website has an official response from Randy Belote, Vice President of Corporate & International Communications , "We respect the GAO’s work in analyzing the Air Force's tanker acquisition process. We continue to believe that Northrop Grumman offered the most modern and capable tanker for our men and women in uniform. We will review the GAO findings before commenting further." (see NG KC25 website)

This show won't be over until the fat lady has sung her song.

The Washington summer will be loud with well paid counsels hornswoggling, wheeling, dealing, ducking and diving, and sweaty browed Pentagon procurers busy at their lap tops - the result ? Yet more delay, a lower initial cost and an untidy and grubby compromise that will allow Boeing a share of the spoils.

Everyone has to win, their must be no losers. Watch out for Boeing having to ditch some over priced unwanted projects like the Hummingbird... and some lobbyists hospitalised with hernias hauling their wallets to the bank.

PS: An Associated Press report in the International Herald Tribune says "The Government Accountability Office said Wednesday that it found "a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman." - those words do not appear in the official bid protest report on the GAO website and haven't been attributed to any source by AP. ... the lobbyists lies , counter lies, claims, and counterclaims have just begun.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 The GAO Reminds Us Why The Republicans Can't Be Trusted to Defend America

"... the Taliban ..on the back foot.... leadership ... severely dislocated and fractured.."licking their wounds" Brigadier Gordon Messenger June 1st

In a well-coordinated attack , which had taken 2 months to prepare, at 9pm on Friday a huge tanker truck bomb blew open the front of Sarposa prison, Kandahar. After a brief battle between 30 attackers on motor bikes and prison staff / police 1,000 prisoners including 380 Taliban "insurgents" escaped many in minibuses ready to take them away.

Wali Karzai drugs overlord, Governer of the provincial council and brother of President Hamid Karzai (in Paris currently begging for more money from the West to give to his crony warlords) was amazed.

"There is no one left," Wali Karzai said after the jailbreak.

----------------


British Troops Put Taliban On The Run In Helmand Province


The Taliban have been tactically routed in southern Afghanistan, with enemy forces "licking their wounds" after a series of emphatic defeats, say senior British military commanders.

In one of the most bullish assessments yet of the conflict in Helmand province, Brigadier Gordon Messenger said the Taliban's command structure had been "fractured" and its fighters forced on to the back foot.

As British forces continue to consolidate positions throughout the Helmand valley, Messenger said latest intelligence indicated that the ferocious fighting that had defined Helmand for the past two summers was unlikely to be repeated. "It's become apparent that the Taliban are very much on the back foot. Their leadership both south of the border [Pakistan] and also their local leadership has been severely dislocated and fractured.

"We are not complacent and suggesting that they do not have the capacity to regenerate, but they are very much off the front foot and licking their wounds." ... Read more of this gung ho shite here in the Guradian - Observer Sunday June 1st

Royal Navy ships at sea without Sea Dart guided missiles - to save money - but helping Sebastian Faulks make lots of it

Captured by the Iranian Plod. HMS Superb hitting the rocks and her crew hitting the headlines. "Rusty Lusty" HMS Illustrious off to the Indian Ocean sans her complement of Harriers, sorely needed in Afghanistan - where the intense heat and dust is shortening the life of equipment in a way not expected on the Lunenberg Plains, more T class subs crashing .... nothing about the Senior Service surprises any more.

Now the Portsmouth News tells us that prt of what is left afloat of the mothballed Royal Navy is sailing without armaments.

Royal Navy Type 42 destroyers HMS Exeter (Motto Semper Fidelis ) and HMS Southampton have been working without their Sea Dart guided-missile system since before Christmas. They have been removed to save cash. The ships carry a 4.5 inch medium range gun, which is maintained for use at any time, and, with a Lynx helicopter embarked, the ship gains further offensive power with Sea Skua anti-ship missiles, Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes and Mk 11 depth charges.

The Royal Navy Type 42 website says (very first sentence) ,"The Type 42 Destroyers form the backbone of the Royal Navy's anti-air capability"

The Sea Dart missiles, for protection of the ship and any accompanying larger aircraft carriers (?) against air attack, have been put in store. HMS Exeter has however sailed on exercises to the Mediterranean twice and joined a NATO-led operation in that time. She is the only remaining warship in service to have served in the Falklands War ( also she is the oldest general service warship in the Fleet). She is today entertaining the public at the Barrow in Furness Festival of the Sea , Buccleuch Docks, from 10am to 4pm and Sunday 8 June from 10am to 4pm.

Perhaps more memorably ,on May 27th Captain of HMS Exeter (Commander Paul Brown - who was awarded a prize on the Anti Air Warfare Officers’ Course, as top student of 1998 ), author Sebastian Faulks and members of the Fleming family were aboard HMS Exeter in the Pool of London to receive copies of the new James Bond novel, "Devil May Care" from lissome blonde improbably named Tuuli Shipster with legs all the way up to her bottom. (More pics)

Removing the missiles has, not surprisingly provoked anger from defence sources who claim the navy is suffering from short-term cost cutting. Editor of Warship World, Mike Critchley, said: "As a taxpayer it is not reassuring to see an expensive destroyer like Exeter engaged in not much more than a PR tour."

Sea Dart – first used successfully in the Falklands War in 1982 – will be phased out as the new Type 45 Daring class destroyers come into service, but Southampton and Exeter are still supposed to be fully operational until 2009. The first of Type 45's , HMS Daring, is currently undergoing her sea trials they will be eqipped with the much admrd and much hyped Principal Anti Air Missile System (PAAMS) joint French / Italian / British Aster 15 and longer range Aster 30 missiles which use the Windows 2000 based command console (let's hope they never upgrade to Vista). They operate using the BAE /Thales S1850M Long Range/Early Warning Radar which will also be used on the monster Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

HMS Southampton's website claims ;" Our principal armament is the Sea Dart anti-air warfare guided missile, an asset that can protect a surrounding fleet from any airborne threat up to 40nm away from the ship. The team, led by a CPOWEA, keeps the system at top line performance."

A Royal Navy spokesman said: 'I can confirm that Sea Dart was deactivated in both ships last year, as part of a short-term financial planning decision to save money.

'It was carried out in Exeter during the summer, and then in Southampton after her deployment to the South Atlantic at the end of the year.

'The ships have a specific operating staff for Sea Dart and they have been transferred to other ships, and the missiles have been moved to storage. (They are visible on this shot of Exeter abaft (behind) the forward Gun turret.)

‘However, (continues the PR bullshit man ) the firing equipment has remained in the ships and that means Sea Dart can be reinstated if operational priorities change.(Probably difficult with bandist at 2 zero) ‘With regards to HMS Exeter and her visits to the Mediterranean, a risk assessment would have been carried out and the level of danger was not felt to be excessive.’

Sea Dart is a British Aerospace (BAE) surface-to-air missile system which has been in use since 1977. Two missiles occupy a cradle and a specially-trained and expert weapons crew and warfare team operate the system, which can protect a fleet from aerial threats up to 40 nautical miles away. Sea Dart was used veryeffectively during the Falklands War and is credited with 7 kills, including a British Gazelle helicopter downed by friendly fire.

One kill was against a high-flying Learjet reconnaissance aircraft beyond the missile's stated technical envelope. A high-flying Argentinian Canberra bomber was also shot down and other successful strikes were made against low-flying attack aircraft. The Argentinian Navy was also equipped with Sea Dart missiles and knew their capabilities. Because of this Argentinian planes, chose to fly below the Type 965 radar ("sea skimming"), frequently dropped bombs which failed to explode: The arming vane on the bomb had insufficient time to complete the number of revolutions required to arm the fuse, in which case, the fuze remained in safe mode and would not function on impact.

It was originally fitted to both the Type 42s and Invincible class aircraft carriers, but was removed from the carriers during refits between 1998 and 2000 to create space on the flight deck for the RAF Harrier GR9 aircraft - which now darken the skies of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since then the destroyers, which are supposed to support and protect the carriers, have retained the system.

The Sea Dart continued to be used in the 1991 Gulf War, and HMS Gloucester was credited with the first validated engagement of a missile by a missile when it downed an Iraqi silkworm weapon. The Type 42s have a range of other weapons including the Phalanx gun which is a rapid fire weapon that puts up a shield of metal which not only destroys but acts as "chaff" to confuse incoming missile telemetry.

HMS Southampton is currently in dock having one of the twin Rolls Royce Tyne engines replaced. The Tyne engines (5500SHP) are used as a ‘low’ power alternative to the mighty Rolls Royce Olympus (25000 SHP) as they are more economical and provide greater endurance for normal running.

No doubt her Commanding Offier since 2006 is anxious for this to be completed. He is Lieutenant Commander Morris trained as a Warfare Officer, specialising in Above Water Warfare and was awarded the Commander Egerton and Saint Barbara Association Prize for 1998.

"...a risk assessment would have been carried out and the level of danger was not felt to be excessive." ... welcome to the Pick'n'Mix school of Naval Warfare and Parsimony and landing leggy models bearing books for promotion. Forgive them oh my Father ......

Coroner grounds entire RAF Nimrod Fleet Des Browne another Scots politician , part time Defence Minister ready for a lonely walk in the countryside ?

We brought attention of our readers on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 to the start of the inquest into the deaths of 14 servicemen, who were killed when their RAF Nimrod MR2 XV230 crashed in Afghanistan on 2nd September 2006 is being presided over by Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker - RAF Nimrod MR2 XV230 crash Inquest opens today.

This provided the reader with a brief introduction to the principal problems highlighted in the official RAF crash enquiry. It is worth noting that immediately after the crash all air-to-air refuelling on the Nimrod fleet was suspended and that suspension remains in force. Nimrod was named for the 'mighty hunter' described in the Bible (Genesis X, 8-12) . Nimrods in Afghanistan operate in their Intelligence Surveillance Targeting Acquisition Reconnaissance (ISTAR) role. This will have a crew of 12 or 13 depending on the role and the RAF claim fly for around 9 hours without air-to-air refuelling. The plane is based in the Gulf States and does not operate FROM Afghanistan so much of the time in air is flying to and from work.

This week the BBC reports that a senior engineer from BAE Systems told the inquest that his predecessors, who made the Nimrod some 40 years ago, failed to fit a fire protection system on a key area of risk on the aircraft.

Subsequently BAE's Head of airworthiness Tom McMichael when giving evidence claimed that if the evidence heard was correct, the Nimrod fleet were at the time of the crash and for 37 years been flying in an unairworthy state . The fact that the dry bay was not fitted with a fire-suppressant system meant it should never have been passed fit to fly, he said.

At an "acceptance conference" in August 1968 it had been decided the Nimrod was airworthy.On the 2nd October 1969 the RAF took delivery of its first aircraft, the Maritime Operational Conversion Unit (MOCU - later 236 OCU) at St Mawgan in Cornwall .

As a consequence, yesterday Mr Walker, Assistant Deputy Coroner for Oxfordshire, (whose writ does not extend to the skies over Afghanistan) said he was considering a number of safety recommendations, including the grounding of the entire Nimrod fleet.

Thirty recommendations were made after the 2006 crash report and Des Browne in a letter to Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson, who represents the Nimrod home base of RAF Kinloss, said that said 21 were being implemented, three considered and six put "on hold" "because they were related to air-to-air refuelling. "

Angus Robinson is quoted by the BBC saying ""The secretary of state has assured MPs that Nimrods are safe, however as he makes clear in his letter not all the necessary changes have been made.

"It must be concluded from Des Browne's letter that current risks to the Nimrod aircraft are not 'as low as is reasonably practicable', and this is not acceptable."

Coroner determines that entire RAF Nimrod fleet should be grounded

Coroner Andrew Walker today , recorded narrative verdicts on the deaths of the airmen .

In summing up he stated that the Nimrod fleet had "never been airworthy". Mr Walker said that opportunities to spot inherent dangers on the 37-year-old plane were missed and that a design fault which led to it exploding went unnoticed.

Mr Walker said in his view the entire Nimrod fleet had "never been airworthy from the first time it was released to service" nearly 40 years ago. The men could not have known this on the day of the crash, he added.

The BBC's Rob Watson said the ruling was "quite extraordinary" and would clearly be embarrassing for the government.

"Clearly his judgement creates a huge problem and embarrassment for the Ministry of Defence, which has declared the aircraft safe and which sees the surveillance plane as vital to the mission in Afghanistan," our defence and security correspondent said.

On BBC4 World at One News , Retired Air Vice Marshal Tony Mason , now a professor at Birmingham University said the coroner's remarks were "well founded" .. and pointed to the unique role of the Nimrod in Afghanistan which can only be partially replaced by unmanned craft (now deployed) , and space satellite observations.

It is worth remembering what Ian Liddell-Grainger MP (Con. Bridhewater) said on Tuesday 17th April 2007 after a visit to Afghanistan .

" .....the wreckage of the RAF Nimrod that came down last September was still in the desert. The plan was to lay a wreath there for those killed in the accident, but the last resting place of this huge aircraft was slap bang in the middle of an effective Taliban firing range. So I had the great honour of laying a wreath at the memorial in the Kandahar base on behalf of the Knight family...."

Replacing Nimrod

Lord Patel discussed at length the problems facing the replacement of Nimrod. Wednesday, January 30, 2008 AirTankers - MOD PFI financing suffers from Ambac credit rating downgrade - will / can the banks agree a financing deal ?

No 1 . Nimrods need re-fuelling - which has had different problems.

In 1996 the RAF were told that they could have 24 converted Airbus A310s re-fuelling tankers. This has now been whittled down to 14 owned by PFI partners - 14 available at any time and the rest with a notice period. The aircraft are to be owned by the private sector partners, who are meant to be able to charter them out whenever available.(See MOD Press release 6/6/07)

Now the Government / PFI funding of a desperately needed new fleet of Airbus tankers for the Royal Air Force - a 27 year 13 Bn projecty has hit the buffers. The AirTanker consortium (Cobham EADS, Rolls-Royce, VT and Thales) - will supply the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) based on the supply of A330-200 aircraft with banks led by Deutsche Bank, the initial £2.5bn expected to raise a combination of bank debt and a bond issue supported by guarantees provided by Ambac.

In January Fitch's Ratings credit re-rating of Ambac below AAA - and maybe followed by further downgradings has made those guarantees unattractive to bond buyers. Spreads on monoline-wrapped bonds have suddenly shot up with market concerns about the ability of the insurers to stand behind their commitments.

That suggests the Government and the AirTanker consortium are likely to revert to the original plan to finance the deal solely through bank debt - involving a higher (and probably variable) interest rate.Discussions continue unresolved.

The Nimrod (MRA.4 ) replacement program is now 8 years overdue and 800Mn over budget and introduction has been delayed delayed until 2010 (at least) . It is worth remembering that these originated in the 1993 ASR420 issued calling for a Replacement Maritime Patrol Aircraft (RPMA) for the RAF, the initial name of Nimrod 2000 was quietly dropped as production delays set in.

A fixed-price contract was awarded in December 1996, under which existing MR Mk 2 aircraft fuselage and empennage structure would be re-lifed and reassembled, with redesigned wings and current technology BR710 turbofan engines. The most controversial decision taken by BAe to reduce costs in their study to determine the design for the MRA4, was to refurbish and reuse the fuselages of a number of old Nimrods for the new aircraft. This contract was determined to have In-Service Date (ISD) of April 2003 in 1999 with "re-baselining talks with BAE a new ISD of March 2005 was agreed.

Fortunately under the Smart Procurement Initiative, the Nimrod MRA4 had been identified as one of the pilot Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) in November 1998, led by Air Commodore Barry Thornton. (It was the same Barry Thornton who was reported saying on BBC 4 news today at 3 pm saying the Nimrod fleet was "safe" to fly.)

It was 2003 when assembly of the first prototype MRA.4 (ZJ516) to be carried out. Unfortunately, when the second set of Airbus-build wings were offered up to the second prototype fuselage, it was found that they didn't fit.

The first prototype MRA.4 took to the air on 26 August 2004 . In September 2004 a round of politically inspired defence cuts sponsored by far sighted Gormless Gordon at the Treasury resulted in the planned order for MRA.4 being reduced from 18 to 'about 12'.

On March 27th the Times reported New maritime reconnaissance and attack aircraft, Nimrod, should be scrapped, MPs say. The Commons Defence Select Committee in their 10th report had just suggested that the new Minister for Defence Equipment and Support [Baroness Taylor of Bolton] needs to look closely at this programme to assess whether it is ever likely to deliver the capability that our Armed Forces require within the timescale needed.” If it doesn't , the MoD should withdraw from this programme, they add. The MPs are concerned that the MoD “does not appear very alarmed” by the rising cost of the programme.



For those who enjoy reading the deviousnes of public oficials put under the cosh to explain cost overruns we recommend the section where the Committee draw their attention to the Nimrod MR4A.

One fascinating bit is when DE&S Chief Operating Officer, Mr Gould explained that Regarding the age of the MRA4 aircraft, Mr Gould told us that most of the aircraft was new, such as the wings, engines and undercarriage. The fuselage was not new. - Indeed it wasn't. It finds it's origin in the original Comet (circa 1950's) upgraded by the brainy boys at (then AVRO) BAE Chadderton who sklapped on a lower fuselage bubble in the early 1980's.

Or enjoy Para 129. " At the end of 2006-07, the Nimrod MRA4 programme had experienced a forecast cost increase of some £687 million, almost 25% greater than the approved cost, and has experienced further cost growth in 2007-08 of some £100 million. Given the huge cost growth seen on this programme, we are concerned that the MoD does not appear very alarmed by the additional cost growth in 2007-08, referring to it as "just a little less than three per cent of the total programme cost". The programme has also experienced further slippage in 2007-08 which now totals 92 months, some 7.5 years. "

Finally ...

"This is a programme that has been beset by one problem after another and neither the MoD nor the contractor appears to be able to get a grip on it. We hope that the new Minister for Defence Equipment and Support will look closely at this programme and consider whether it is ever likely to deliver the capability our Armed Forces require in the timescale needed. If it is not the MoD should withdraw from the programme."

Watch this space.
When (if) the MR4 gets into service it should have a range of over 6000 miles, an endurance of over 15 hours, carry a much wider range of offensive weapons and have a significant ISTAR capability.In service it will add precisely the Network Enabled Capability sought by the MOD and considered essential for the type of conflicts that UK forces are likely to be involved in over the next 3 decades.

RAF Nimrod MR2 XV230 crash Inquest opens today.

The inquest into the deaths of 14 servicemen, who were killed when their RAF Nimrod MR2 XV230 crashed in Afghanistan on 2nd September 2006 is being presided over by Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker. These notes may be helpful to the interested observer...

This graph can be found in the online reports of the Board of Inquiry Into The Accident Involving Nimrod MR2 XV230 here )Click to enlarge)

Elswhere it is worth noting ..

64 Observations - the Board observed that :

b. Changes to RAF Kinloss management structure as a result of Project trenchard removed the SO1 engineer (OC Engineering Wing) from the station structure. Engineering personnel are now distributed betwen the station's 2 remaining wings under non - specialist leadership : QR 649 responsibility is delegated to a squadron leader. Both operational and engineering witnesses ( Witnesses32,33,34 ) believed this change had a negative effect on availability.

c. Service training course were perceived by a number of witnesses( Witnesses32,33,34 again ) no longer to impart the skill of hand and depth of knowledge necessary to maintain an aircraft built around a design pilosophy now some 40 years old. This combined with a taultly manned engoneering establishment and recent outflow of skilled personnnel has led to an effective dilution of engineering skills ....

Witnesses 32/33/34 are identified elsewhere (unnamed) as Operation Wing , Kinloss. Nimrod Line Squadron, RAF Kinloss and Logistics Support Wing and Depth Support manager , Nimrod IPT , RAF Kinloss

In a letter from Group Captain J B Kessell, Station Commander (date not known) commenting on the Board of Inquryies findings it is worth noting ....

6.a RAF Kinloss Management Structure. The Kinloss managment structure has now been revised to include an SOI engineer. This individual now commands the Station's Forward Support Wing and holds QR 640 responsibilties.

A BBC Online Report in December 2007 ..."A worker at RAF Kinloss has revealed that technical faults still happen regularly on the Nimrod fleet, BBC Scotland has learned. " is also worth reading. Westminster SNP group leader Angus Robertson MP whose Moray constituency is home to the Nimrod fleet at RAF Kinloss is quoted ..."There are, however, a host of unanswered questions about the safety of the ageing Nimrod fleet as a whole which the Ministry of Defence must answer..... "I have sent Secretary of State Des Browne 15 key questions about Nimrod safety which must be answered if confidence is to be restored."

It is worth noting he raised a Parliamanetary Question of the Secretary of State for Defence how many Nimrod Line personnel at RAF Kinloss (a) requested premature voluntary redundancy and (b) took redundancy in 2006; and how many have done so in 2007. He received a written answer on Monday, 10 December 2007 that Nimrod Line personnel who left the RAF under redundancy terms was 5 in 2006 and 10 in 2007. he has also persistently raised question about Nimrods at Kinloss which can be reviewed here.

He also participated in the recent debate about Afghanistan (28th April 2008) rasing the report from Quinetiq produced in March 2006 about the Nimrod fleet (ie before the Afghan accident). This was reported on by the Times on April 13th 2008 after Jimmy Jones, the Nimrod trials engineer obtained the report under Freedom of Information legislation, and is headed " Des Browne misled MPs on Nimrod"

Amongst many other matters the Times stated that The QinetiQ report found that during air-to-air refuelling fuel was flowing at twice the speed deemed safe for vital parts of the fuel system. It also showed that a light on the flight engineer's panel that would flash if there was too much pressure in the fuel system had been deliberately disconnected.

BBC Online report at (10/11/07) stated ..."Qinetiq's findings, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, make it clear that the team had grave misgivings about the equipment and methods used to identify and repair fuel leaks on an aircraft under huge operational pressure.
The highly detailed Qinetiq report speaks of the sealant used to maintain joints on wing panels "peeling like masking tape". It describes repair teams having to use out-of-date manuals and equipment, and the "considerable loss of expertise and experience as trade specialists have left the team".

The QinetiQ report highlighted a shortage of skilled RAF engineers at Kinloss, caused in part by an increased use of civilian contractors and in part by defence cuts.

"There no longer exists an in-depth knowledge of working on the Nimrod aircraft," the QinetiQ report said.

It was just then when Defence Secretary Des Browne announced that Charles Haddon-Cave QC will lead the independent review to examine the findings of the Board of Inquiry into the crash of Nimrod XV230 in Afghanistan, September 2006.

Should be a fascinating inquest .. but don't hold your breath.

How ill-equpped the UK forces sent to Afghanistan were - finally exposed. Top Brass, as ever blame the politicians.

Daily Telegraph today Headline : Coroner: MoD guilty of unforgivable betrayal
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

"A coroner has accused the Government of causing an “unforgivable and inexcusable breach of trust” with the Armed Forces by sending soldiers into combat with “totally inadequate” equipment.

Troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan were not defeated by terrorists but “by the lack of basic equipment,” Coroner Andrew Walker told the hearing into the death of the first British soldier to be killed in Helmand province. "

22/12/04 “Official” Terrorist lights fires of resistance in Afghanistan

"Watch this space for an announcement about troop movements from the Scotsman John Reid AKA Minister of Defence – augmenting NATO forces (now approx 500) – beefing up the response – sharing the burden – spreading the load – part of a widening response in the War on Terror – blah blah … pulling US chestnuts out of the fire – re-run history reel .. Terrorist aided by US bites the hand that feeds … Osama ? Hekmatyar ? "

Postman Patel : Friday, January 27, 2006
Reid sends ill equipped troops to certain deaths in S Afghanistan

"Well John Reid sent our soldiers to a certain death, under-equipped and without a clear military or political objective ."

More Lord Patel posts on old, faulty, delayed equipment here...endlessly.

There is a degree of pointless satisfaction in being right, but anger that the twats at the top of the armed forces just let the Politicians destroy the capability of the fighting forces.

Meanwhile ..."Well, something is afoot in Pakistan that is really dangerous for Pakistanis. There is a real insurgency coming out now that the country has never experienced before, and it's aimed at the Pakistani state and it's gaining ground. It's been cooking up in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for a long while, certainly in the last several years it's been gathering strength." see An Interview With Steve Coll on Pakistan, the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden and Bush's Foreign Policy - Pakistan is Burning By WAJAHAT ALI Counterpunch. 15/2/08

UPDATE : 16th Feb 0900 GMT

If it's any consolation :

Feb. 16, 2008, 12:05AM
Refusal to send trucks blamed for casualties
Bomb-resistant vehicles requested years ago, but cost too high, study says (AP)

• A February 2005 "urgent" request from a Marine Corps commander in western Iraq for nearly 1,200 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles became bogged down in bureaucracy when it reached the United States.

• Rather than send the more expensive MRAPs, which cost as much as a $1 million each, the Marine Corps decided Humvees with more armor were the best solution to beating increasingly powerful improvised explosive devices.

• The defense industry could have begun rapidly producing MRAPs if the Marine Corps had told contractors they wanted the heavy vehicles in large numbers.

• By March 2007, with IEDs causing the majority of deaths and injuries to U.S. troops in Iraq, the Marine Corps commandant made sending the MRAPs to Marines a top priority.
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes.

The study, written by a civilian Marine Corps official and obtained by The Associated Press, accuses the service of "gross mismanagement" that delayed deliveries of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks for more than two years.

A story which has been detailed in many, many posts over the last 3 years here