New Technology

[4z5]

Hey, I used this site for a while a few months ago, but had to register again because I can't remember my password for the life of me

Anyway, What does everyone think of the new technology the British Army is splashing out on?

The Bowman comms system is a good idea, IMO, purely because every soldier gets his personal radio, Instead of relying on a few Radio ops.

The FIST system (Future Integrated Soldier Technology) is not a good idea. We shouldn't rely on technology too much. If the kit is shot to bits, or damaged, you're in the shit. I understand the need to upgrade our equpiment, but we can't let the soldering slip because we use technology instead of personal initative.

what do you think?

[chunky from york]

The MoD were wittering about this magic new radio kit when I joined the TA in 1969 still waiting for it, millions of pounds later.

[lew]

hmm it worries me that, kids can text and email there friends and family anywhere I the world but the British squaddie still has squat in the ways of communication equipment...


lew

[Aldo]

hmm it worries me that, kids can text and email there friends and family anywhere I the world but the British squaddie still has squat in the ways of communication equipment...


lew

Tell you what why don't we all just take whistles into battle and if anyone gets into trouble just give a few toots and everyone'll come running

[sp10122]

I posted this on the Infantry Units to get New jobs page....Thought it might be relvant

The point about kit....there is no doubt that we need Apache. Our capability to deploy an Air mobile force is massively reduced without a generic ground support / deep strike platform the Army can command itself. Harrier...doesn't have the avionics and firepower. It is a massive step forward and yes we definitely need it. Of course it's exoensive...it's undoubtedly the best attack helicopter in the world. New arty.....ok. But rather than saying we need to cut troops we need to increase funding. It just proves that the budget is under funded rather than that we are buying over expensive equipment. The money the RAF get thrown at them is staggering...10 billion on Eurofighter already and how late is it? Now the Army is moving into the realms of technology we shold not be perceived any longer as a cheap option.

One last thing.....radios. There was a report yesterday in the mail that a pl of Paras could have helped and possibly saved the 6 RMP blokes if they'd known they were in the shit. The guy bascially summed it up by saying for years we've struggled along with dodgy kit with the senior people hoping that it wouldn't go pete tong. In this case it did with blokes hanging out of windows with aerials trying to get comms. They couldn't get hold of a Chinhook as well that was flying into an ambush. I know Bowman is now finally coming in but it just isn't good enough.

[rabby]

it's undoubtedly the best attack helicopter in the world.

I wouldn't say that. Look at This page and then on the right hand side under Russian click "KA 50" and you might actually change your mind. We should have bought that instead of Apache, it's American and soon we wont have any kit that isn't American at this rate.

[sp10122]

The KA-50. A capable bit of kit but the major difference is it's avionics and radar. Even without Hellfire Longbow Apache's radar and defensive aids suite are so ludicrously capable it will completely change the way we are able to fight. The Ka-50 relies on other helicopters to locate and designate targets which is one of the main reasons Apache is so capable. We don't have other helicopters...BLUH will not have anything like the capability of Apache and relying on it to find you targets would not be good news, we don't have the numbers of airframes to work like that.

Apache can sit a long way back, stick up it's radar (dome only) then tell other helicopters (and JSTAR) what to shoot at or do it itself.

Plus buying Russian kit would be entirely unnacceptable for security reasons. People in their government would have no qualms about telling many of the countries they export/support exactly what the capabilities of it are. If they're willing to pass high grade intelligence to Iraq then I doubt information on a heli would be much of a stretch.

The Americans can afford to develop kit. We've spent £10 billion on Eurofighter already and it's questionable wherther it will be any better than an F-16 with better avionics. Let's buy the best kit and right kit and adapt it for our needs. WAH-64 is now better than the yank version because we took the airframe, put better engines in it, better avionics...and here's the important bit....better pilots.

[Smilie-man'81]

Has anyone scene the yanks new stelth chopper, the camanche (dont know how to spell it)

[rabby]

Ah the commanche, another huge joke. That's been in the pipeling since Vietnam, it's objectives have changed over the years that they almost hard to start from scratch a few times. It may be stealthy, whoop-dee-doo.

[lew]

Man thats a beautiful mechine...

lew

[chunky from york]

Sp 10122, I would agree with you IF THE KA 50 WORKED, but it does not. the port rockets if fired destroy the tail rotor with debris, for starters. You mention better pilots, where are they??


I still say we should have bought the Hind



Oh by the way do not let Loz hear you refer to aerials, they are ANTENNAS

[sp10122]

Chunky, I'm guessing you mean the Apache???

And yes it does work...the rubbish in the press is just that...rubbish. I take it you're reffering to firing Hellfire from the left hand (tail rotor) side. In peacetime there are constraints on firing as there is a small chance that debries from the missile firing could interfere with the tail rotor but that is a peacetime constraint only. It's always been the same on the American helicopter.

Hind....no. For not only security reasons but the Russians (and the French) shafted us over Iraq.....should we now give them arms contracts to say thanks? The Hind is a vastly inferior attack helicopter to Apache. Hind does what it does very well but the Russians work heli forces in large numbers using other helis to scout for attack helicopters. Why bother if you don't even need to do it visually and can sit a good distance a way lobbing missiles at targets without risking your airframe. And do it with better armaments.

We undoubtedly have some of the best pilots in the world. We select to a much higher standard and expect people to pick it up quicker. The yanks, if you cock up they just put you back a few weeks until you get it. To be fair to them they have numbers to fill, we don't and can select to a much higher standard. We have to, we can't afford for people to fail the course.

[Aldo]

The Hind is a vastly inferior attack helicopter to Apache

Maybe so but it's fu**ing scary peice of metal

[sp10122]

Can't disagree with that. Wouldn't fancy it shooting at me anyway.......

[voodoo sprout]

Personally I'm of the view that the Hind is the best aircraft in the world, not for capability of course, I just like it . Plus it would suit the UK defence budget very well, bung a few sleeping bags in the back so you don;t need crew accomodation, and stuff as many jerry cans of fuel there so you don't need any chinooks playiong petrol tankers . Of course it would be a highly vulnerable death trap, but since when did that owrry the government?

As for the Commanche, it used to be a good idea, but I think it's taken so long to do anything with it the stealth capability is of negligable value now, let alone in the future. If it does come into service it will be little more than down-gunned Apache.