Realigning the British Army after Ukraine

[Deleted 59779]

No, the point's made in the blurb: if you give it to someone else, they've got to take it apart and learn it before they can put it together again and improve it.

There are also intellectual property issues.

I don't see why anyone should have an issue with this being single-source. For one, it's the quickest and simplest way to get things done. For two, many of those platforms work - they just haven't had the love they should have in recent years.

I was being sarcastic. Putting it simply, I have a car still under manufacturers warranty, I do not take it to the manufacturer for repair or service, the manufacturer still honours the warranty and does not seem to have any issues with IP.

I agree single source for maintenance seems a good way ahead.

 

[Portree Kid]

Liz Truss at the NATO Summit.

Liz Truss has defended plans to cut the British army by nearly 10,000 troops as she called on other Nato countries to “step up” their defence spending.

Liz Truss defends plans to cut British army by nearly 10,000 troops

Foreign secretary calls on other Nato countries to increase defence spending and support Taiwan over China threats

www.theguardian.com

Oops

 

[alfred_the_great]

To your last - I don't know. That's not to say I don't think they exist, one of my takeaways from RUSI was that people I thought at first glance were young Majors were in fact Major Generals!

That has to be a good thing, right?

Ok boomer.

 

[Cold_Collation]

Liz Truss at the NATO Summit.

Oops

Yes, that takes a certain amount of brass neck, doesn't it.

 

[rampant]

Change of Heart

 

[medwaymud]

Liz Truss at the NATO Summit.

Liz Truss defends plans to cut British army by nearly 10,000 troops

Foreign secretary calls on other Nato countries to increase defence spending and support Taiwan over China threats

www.theguardian.com

Oops

WTF ?!

 

[Londo]

Change of Heart

WTF We should be spending that by the end of the month , never mind the end of the decade .

 

[medwaymud]

WTF We should be spending that by the end of the month , never mind the end of the decade .

Is there some kind of parallel Universe running alongside us with Russia helping old ladies across the street etc ?
We're doomed .

 

[ImNotABot]

Yes, that takes a certain amount of brass neck, doesn't it.

It's all good, we're beefing up our Cyber capabilities...!

 

[Andy Farman]

I've spent a bit of time in the Solomons and frankly, they can have it.

More seriously, the inhabitants would rather the SI government had stuck with the Taiwanese instead of going over to China, rough seas for those 'in charge' (I use that phrase advisedly).

Australia, NZ and the US will be watching this very closely and as the Queen remains Head of State, perhaps we should send a gunboat.

I thought it sweet of China to offer to send its police to help out the locals, like they do in HK?

Anyway, I won't add to this until a 'Chinese Troop Movements Reported Near Queensland' becomes necessary.

 

[Andy Farman]

I've spent a bit of time in the Solomons and frankly, they can have it.

More seriously, the inhabitants would rather the SI government had stuck with the Taiwanese instead of going over to China, rough seas for those 'in charge' (I use that phrase advisedly).

Australia, NZ and the US will be watching this very closely and as the Queen remains Head of State, perhaps we should send a gunboat.

A, 'Solomons Missile Crisis'?
Australia is the thorn in the side of China, doubly so now that Australians have woken up to the fact that China was buying their country and demanding they contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.

China and the Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia

To support its allies and partners in South Asia, the United States should assist South Asian countries in assessing Belt and Road Initiative risks and benefits.

www.cfr.org

China does not do benevolence and altruism, never has, never will.

@Listy Oz is too big to subjugate by an invading land army, but starvation, NBC warfare? What does Australia have to counter China's two million men under arms and US$229.4 billion budget? (2022)

 

[Andy Farman]

It's all good, we're beefing up our Cyber capabilities...!

And any moment now, droves of females will be hammering on the recruiter's doors, begging to join combat arms to do their bit for equality.

Is anyone, male or female, even joining the reserves these days?

I had a nephew who was set on a commission in the RM, but he had a complete about-face after attending Uni.

 

[MOzanne]

Defend the UK mainland and infrastructure from external threat

But surely the Army can't do that until the enemy has attempted a landing? Isn't it (shouldn't it be?) the Navy and the RAF's job to stop that happening?

 

[Portree Kid]

What do we do from here?

Keep on juggling.

Ever increasing benefits / freebies / insert your own - Take precedent over the Armed Forces.

I think Liz Truss's speech ( which I posted yesterday ) said it all - Whatever peoples views are on the chances of the Russia / Ukraine escalating into something bigger, now isn't the time to be chopping another 10,000 troops*.

* Ignoring the fact that we don't actually have some 6000 + of those troops anyway.

 

[Listy]

A, 'Solomons Missile Crisis'?
Australia is the thorn in the side of China, doubly so now that Australians have woken up to the fact that China was buying their country and demanding they contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.

China and the Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia

To support its allies and partners in South Asia, the United States should assist South Asian countries in assessing Belt and Road Initiative risks and benefits.

www.cfr.org

China does not do benevolence and altruism, never has, never will.

@Listy Oz is too big to subjugate by an invading land army, but starvation, NBC warfare? What does Australia have to counter China's two million men under arms and US$229.4 billion budget? (2022)

I'm no geopolitical expert on the area, however, I will make the following observations.
Starvation: Australia is an exporter of food stuffs. Indeed not so long ago (last year) there was diplomatic bust up between China and Aus, where Aus the food exports from Aus were halted by one side or the other. Any NBC use is going to result in massive malleting form the US and the world community, as Russia is currently finding out. Equally you'd need to use a lot of NBC to take out Australia.

Look at the larger map. You said that the Solomon population is generally aligned with the Aus point of view. Well we know that Papa New Guinea has a refugee handling agreement with Australia, which indicates they're aligned as well. No Idea on Indonesia though. New Zealand, the US and Japan would be very much against China. That gives an effective ring on hostile countries around China's east side, so anything placed in the Solomon's will be cut off from resupply. Equally, the Solomon's are not big landmasses. Thus are prone to naval bombardment and attack, or Special Forces types sneaking in (doubly a risk if the population are as you say anti-Chinese). And oh look, Australia has just suddenly decided to massively upgrade its Sub fleet.

 

[Andy Farman]

I'm no geopolitical expert on the area, however, I will make the following observations.
Starvation: Australia is an exporter of food stuffs. Indeed not so long ago (last year) there was diplomatic bust up between China and Aus, where Aus the food exports from Aus were halted by one side or the other. Any NBC use is going to result in massive malleting form the US and the world community, as Russia is currently finding out. Equally you'd need to use a lot of NBC to take out Australia.

Look at the larger map. You said that the Solomon population is generally aligned with the Aus point of view. Well we know that Papa New Guinea has a refugee handling agreement with Australia, which indicates they're aligned as well. No Idea on Indonesia though. New Zealand, the US and Japan would be very much against China. That gives an effective ring on hostile countries around China's east side, so anything placed in the Solomon's will be cut off from resupply. Equally, the Solomon's are not big landmasses. Thus are prone to naval bombardment and attack, or Special Forces types sneaking in (doubly a risk if the population are as you say anti-Chinese). And oh look, Australia has just suddenly decided to massively upgrade its Sub fleet.

Cross NZ off that list, certainly as long as the Socialists are in government.
Air power, China will outnumber Australian airframes just with what they can have on the islands, ditto the naval assets, and Australia does not have those new submarines yet so your 'ring' is nothing more than wishful thinking.
NBC? The majority of Australians live in cities, so they do not have to blanket the country.

I have no idea how fond, or not, the SI islanders are with Oz. It is a Commonwealth country that has been seduced by the gold China has offered, and HMG has not reacted to the treaty which allows Chinese troops, police, and laws on British sovereign territory.

What the China-Solomon Islands Pact Means for the U.S. and South Pacific

The recent China-Solomon Islands security agreement has sparked concerns among the United States and its allies about a Chinese naval presence in strategically important waters. In response, Washingt…

www.cfr.org

 

[Graculus]

Change of Heart

How's that work out with inflation around 10%?

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

I thought it sweet of China to offer to send its police to help out the locals, like they do in HK?

Anyway, I won't add to this until a 'Chinese Troop Movements Reported Near NSW' becomes necessary.

Bring back the Brisbane Line.

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

Ahem, Panguna...

"Recently, the battle for Panguna entered new territory when rumors emerged of a Chinese delegation having offered $1 billion to fund the transition to Bougainville independence along with offers to invest in mining, tourism, and agriculture. An independent, resource-rich Bougainville would be a valuable ally to China as it seeks to have more influence in the South Pacific.

In a public presentation to ward councillors and MPs, filmed by a crew from 60 Minutes, Sam Kauona, a former Bougainville Revolutionary Army general, unfurled a large map of Bougainville with Chinese script highlighting proposed bridges, highways, ports, airports, and luxury hotels.

“This is the first holistic offer, which has come from China,” he said. “Where is Australia and the U.S. and Japan? Earlier this year I met representatives from Fortescue mining, but I have been waiting 10 months for them to make a commitment.”

It’s estimated that Panguna mine still holds around $60 billion worth of copper, gold, and silver.

With the independence referendum beginning on Saturday, many local leaders admit that they would like to see the mine reopen as a way to boost revenue, yet distrust of giving a foreign mining company access again still looms large. No matter the results of the referendum, any company looking to make a buck is sure to find opposition in Panguna. This is, as long as past mistakes are not forgotten.

As Bougainville Revolutionary Army leader Francis Ona once said, “Land to us is our lifeline, and we cannot be separated from it.”

The Diplomat, Nov 19

 

[Andy Farman]

Bring back the Brisbane Line.

Well, the most surprising thing about that was that it wasn't proposed as, The MacArthur Line.