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British Military Current Events

Nothing's too good for our Signalmen, so nothing is what they'll get ;)

That tweet could have been sent from anyone living in Carruther's Hall or B6/7 at Vimy Barracks.

*Signallers are what we in the Corps used traditionally to refer to non-Signals pers performing a signalling job (I.e. Pl Signaller). Signalman/Signalmen was the rank and collective term for our lot (and still is the term used in the R SIGS). The CAF, in it's pursuit of modernity, pissed on that tradition and conflated the two in calling RCCS folk "Signallers" .
 
What goes down.... might come up ;)


DEEP TROUBLE

Major malfunction on Royal Navy nuclear submarine plunges warship into ‘danger zone’ almost crushing 140 crew to death​

The worst Royal Navy disaster since World War Two was averted at the last minute

A ROYAL Navy nuclear sub sinking towards its crush depth was saved moments from disaster.

A depth gauge failed on the decades-old Vanguard class vessel, carrying 140 crew and Trident 2 doomsday missiles in the Atlantic.


 

Investigation into soldier's death finds armoured vehicle crew lacked training​


An investigation into the death of a soldier killed in a training incident involving an armoured vehicle on Salisbury Plain has found the crew lacked the proper qualifications to operate it.

Private Jethro Watson-Pickering died after the gun turret of the Scimitar he was driving struck him on the head after hitting a tree in October 2021.
Private Watson-Pickering was serving with 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment on Exercise Iron Storm when the incident happened.

 
Storming has broken out on Ex Wessex Storm, apparently ;)

That popped up on my Twatter feed...reminded me a bit of Op HALO, where the folks from 430 Sqn were snivelling about being in country for 6 weeks and still on IMP's...but it sounds a bit like from one of those Tweats/Xcretions that these folks might not even have had many of their combat rations left.
 
Heads exploding everywhere...


Beards in British Army under constant review amid rumours of rule change​


The British Army has said its dress and appearance policy is "under constant review" amid reports it could be about to relax its rules on beards to aid recruitment.

The Army is supposedly considering lifting a ban on soldiers wearing beards for most ranks, but the service responded to the claims by saying there had been "no change" in its beard policy, with one only being able to be grown with the Commanding Officer's authority.

Only a handful of Army ranks, such as Pioneer Sergeant and Bugle Major, are currently permitted to wear a beard or mutton chops on traditional grounds.

The British Army's policy on facial hair has been under the public spotlight following suggestions that potential recruits could be put off joining up because they cannot sport a beard under its current regulations.

An Army spokesperson told Forces News: "Exceptions are usually only granted on medical or religious grounds, or where tradition permits. However, dress and appearance policy is under constant review."


 
Heads exploding everywhere...


Beards in British Army under constant review amid rumours of rule change​


The British Army has said its dress and appearance policy is "under constant review" amid reports it could be about to relax its rules on beards to aid recruitment.

The Army is supposedly considering lifting a ban on soldiers wearing beards for most ranks, but the service responded to the claims by saying there had been "no change" in its beard policy, with one only being able to be grown with the Commanding Officer's authority.

Only a handful of Army ranks, such as Pioneer Sergeant and Bugle Major, are currently permitted to wear a beard or mutton chops on traditional grounds.

The British Army's policy on facial hair has been under the public spotlight following suggestions that potential recruits could be put off joining up because they cannot sport a beard under its current regulations.

An Army spokesperson told Forces News: "Exceptions are usually only granted on medical or religious grounds, or where tradition permits. However, dress and appearance policy is under constant review."


No different than here when they go ahead was given...
 
The Brits are currently 17 Billion Pounds short in their budget vis a vis funding their intended acquisition programs. This would be a tight squeeze. On the other hand the Typhoon's best before date is 2025. Obviously the Brits don't know how to keep things flying for decades with bailing wire and gun tape.

🍻

OTOH - there has been a lot of speculation from the outset that the programme may end up with a split buy.

The original plan was to acquire 150 F-35Bs; this was scaled to 138, a number which stood until 2015. Since then total procurement has amounted to 48 aircraft plus 27 more in order for a total of just 74.Oct 5, 2023

U.K. Does Not Have Enough Aircraft To Fight A War - Forbes​

 
Of course, the Irish will tend to dwell on the sectarian aspects of the incident...

Murdered British soldier Kevin McCool was member of Parachute Regiment​


A British soldier from a mainly nationalist area in Co Armagh who was killed in Kenya is a former member of the Parachute Regiment.
Tullysaran native, Major Kevin McCool, died on November 29 after being shot.

It has been reported that the 32-year-old received his injuries after being jumped by armed men while riding a motorcycle at a local mountain.
He was due to finish his tour of duty in Kenya three days after his death.

The Ministry of Defence has declined to confirm which regiment Mr McCool belonged to at the time of his death.

Public records show the Co Armagh native was commissioned from Sandhurst in 2014 as a second lieutenant and three years later was made a captain in the Parachute Regiment.

He was later promoted to the rank of major and has been deployed to Europe, the Middle East, the Falklands and Africa.

While it is not unheard of for people from nationalist areas to join the British army, it is unusual for them to be drawn towards the Parachute Regiment because of its actions on Bloody Sunday and the Ballymurphy Massacre.

Joseph McCool, described his son as “really special”.

A former pupil at the Integrated College Dungannon, he was a successful athlete and musician.

 
Not a bad haul... nice work! Our thoughts are with the (probably burned out) Adjts and Chief Clerks...

Colchester-based Parachute Regiment soldiers dismissed and disciplined​



Eight Colchester-based soldiers from the Parachute Regiment have been dismissed or disciplined this year for offences ranging from sexual assault to affray, records show.

The soldiers, from 2 and 3 Para, range in rank from private to captain.

The offences are detailed in court martial results from the military court centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

The Army said those found to have committed an offence were dealt with through the disciplinary process.

A corporal from 3 Para was dismissed and given a three-year service community order in March for sexual assault and using threatening behaviour.

A lance corporal from 2 Para was given 24 months' detention and a reduction in rank to private in April for unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The highest-ranking officer convicted was a captain in 2 Para fined £624.72 in January for negligently performing a duty.

A lance corporal from 2 Para was given 120 days' detention in April for causing affray.

'Very high standards'​

A second lance corporal from 2 Para was given 24 months' detention and a reduction in rank to private in April for unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm.

A private in 3 Para was fined £920 for unfitness or misconduct through alcohol or drugs.

Two more privates from 2 Para were sentenced to eight months' detention in June for affray.

The same month a third private from 2 Para was detained for 14 months for affray.

A British Army spokesman said: "We expect very high standards of behaviour of our personnel, whether they are on or off duty.

"All those who are found to have committed an offence, including a criminal offence under the Armed Forces Act 2006, are dealt with through the disciplinary process.

 
Of course, the Irish will tend to dwell on the sectarian aspects of the incident...

Murdered British soldier Kevin McCool was member of Parachute Regiment​


A British soldier from a mainly nationalist area in Co Armagh who was killed in Kenya is a former member of the Parachute Regiment.
Tullysaran native, Major Kevin McCool, died on November 29 after being shot.

It has been reported that the 32-year-old received his injuries after being jumped by armed men while riding a motorcycle at a local mountain.
He was due to finish his tour of duty in Kenya three days after his death.

The Ministry of Defence has declined to confirm which regiment Mr McCool belonged to at the time of his death.

Public records show the Co Armagh native was commissioned from Sandhurst in 2014 as a second lieutenant and three years later was made a captain in the Parachute Regiment.

He was later promoted to the rank of major and has been deployed to Europe, the Middle East, the Falklands and Africa.

While it is not unheard of for people from nationalist areas to join the British army, it is unusual for them to be drawn towards the Parachute Regiment because of its actions on Bloody Sunday and the Ballymurphy Massacre.

Joseph McCool, described his son as “really special”.

A former pupil at the Integrated College Dungannon, he was a successful athlete and musician.

Are there Irish Nationalist phuquewits running around murdering British Army Officers in Kenya usually? Kind of wondering the way things are written...
 
OTOH - there has been a lot of speculation from the outset that the programme may end up with a split buy.
Agreed - although this was for the carrier capable F-35B.

I got the impression from this that this was an RAF contemplation to replace their Typhoons which they still have 137 of. I'm not sure if they'd go with the B for commonality or the A variant.

🤷‍♂️
 
@FJAG

This is from back in June but perhaps it applies to the F35 discussion?


There was some earlier speculation that could corroborate the post. So far I have only found the Drummond post and a bunch of reposts by others.


With the increased ranges available from the M270 munitions is the F35 as critical for surface strikes?

The US Army has just taken delivery of the first tranche of the "499 km" Precision Strike Missiles. And they seem to be in the market for a "1000 km" variant.

Lockheed Martin and an RTX and Northrop Grumman team will compete for a subsequent phase of the PrSM program. The Army awarded RTX a $97.7 million contract in February 2023 to advance its design for a Long Range Maneuverable Fires program, planned to become the PrSM Increment 4 effort.

Lockheed received a $33 million contract to develop capability for the increment around the same time. That increment focuses on dramatically extending the range of PrSM, possibly from its currently planned 499 kilometers (310 miles) to more than double that distance.

 
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