Fact Amazing: British Air Force

Showing posts with label British Air Force. Show all posts

Saturday, April 26, 2014

5 Killed in UK Helicopter Crash

We cannot confirm based on current available information that it was a Lynx helicopter .

Five people have died in a UK helicopter crash in Afghanistan and Sky sources say all those on board are believed to be British.The victims were service personnel who were killed in the south of the country, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The ministry said it was investigating the circumstances of the incident but could not confirm the nationality of the troops who died.An MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm that a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today."The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until families have been notified."Kandahar provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani said the helicopter went down in the province's Takhta Pul district in the southeast, about 30 miles from the Pakistan border.

It was the bloodiest day for foreign troops in Afghanistan this year.The cause of the crash was not immediately known but it was not believed to have involved any enemy action.It brings the number of international troops killed in the war-hit country in April to seven. A total of 23 have died in 2014.Nato is preparing to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan at the end of this year, 13 years after the US-led invasion to topple the Taliban for sheltering al Qaeda.

http://news.sky.com/story/1249905/five-die-as-uk-helicopter-crashes-in-afghanistan

Monday, January 20, 2014

UK Ministry of Defence amasses £4BILLION fleet of 657 military drones for use in deadly warzones

It includes 10 Reaper MQ-9s, which are armed with Hellfire missiles plus laser-guided 500lb bombs and can hover 20,000ft above targets for more than 20 hours. Britain has amassed a force of 657 military drones, the Sunday People can reveal.The £4billion fleet of unmanned aircraft built to probe deep into the deadliest warzones is one of the largest in the world.

And they include 10 Reaper MQ-9s, which are armed with Hellfire missiles plus laser-guided 500lb bombs and can hover 20,000ft above targets for more than 20 hours.Drones have been blamed for a series of civilian deaths in Afghanistan in recent years – but top brass claim they have also saved the lives of scores of British troops lives by killing hundreds of Taliban insurgents.

The Afghanistan Reapers are piloted by a two-man crew sitting 3,500 miles away at RAF Waddington, Lincs.But most drones aren’t armed – they just spy or fly recce missions.A Freedom of Information request found the biggest number of UK drones are the 324 Black Hornet Nano micro-helicopters, only four inches long and an inch wide (100x25mm). They fly over insurgent strongholds to film and take pictures.

Then there are 222 Desert Hawks, plastic spy-drones with a 4ft 3in wingspan (1.3m). David Cameron held one on a visit to Afghanistan last June.For tougher operations, 54 Watchkeepers can stay aloft for 17 hours.Nine more are due in service soon to replace ageing Hermes 450s. By contrast 30 Tarantula Hawks weigh just 20lbs apiece and are used as recce aides by bomb-disposal teams in Afghanistan.

Lastly there are eight ScanEagles, a specialist drone being used in the campaign against Somali pirates.Drones are likely to make up a third of all RAF working aircraft by 2030 but human rights groups fear they could be used to spy on the innocent public. The MoD declined to comment.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

British Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship

Images have been released of the Royal Navy's next-generation frigate - the Type 26 GCS (Global Combat Ship).
Set to replace the Royal Navy's Type 23 Frigates from 2020 onwards, the Type 26s will be tasked with a number of roles, primarily combat and anti-piracy work but also disaster relief and humanitarian operations.
The Type 23 Frigates were pressed into Royal Navy service between 1989 and 2002, with 16 built in all. Following the sale of three examples to the Chilean Navy, 13 Type 23s now remain with the Royal Navy.

Type 26 Global Combat Ship

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme represents a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems and these new images give some indication of this highly advanced frigate's specifications.
Approximately 148 metres long, it will displace something like 5,400 metric tons of water and feature an array of armament. It will cruise at around 28 knots and have a 7,000 mile range and an endurance of 60 days, with 36 troops on board.
Vertically-positioned missile silos will be used to house a range of weapons including Sea Ceptor air-defence missiles, while there'll also be a medium-calibre gun and space on board to accommodate one AW159 Wildcat or Merlin HM2 helicopter and numerous unmanned vehicles including UUVs.

Royal Navy Type 26

"The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be the backbone of the Royal Navy for decades to come", the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, explained in an MoD press release on the Royal Navy Type 26 GCS's launch. "It is designed to be adaptable and easily upgraded, reacting to threats as they change."
"The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a multi-mission warship designed for joint and multinational operations across the full spectrum of warfare, including complex combat operations, maritime security operations such as counter piracy, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief work around the world", added the Royal Navy's First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.
"It will be capable of operating independently for significant periods or as part of a task group and will play a major role in the defence of this country for many years."