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[derekwarner]

Yes, and full aluminium construction is problematic against any form of close-in missile attack 


Loved the way, the cracking of the [US built vessels, with US produced aluminium] still reached it's way to make a snide remark...that the builder's head office Company Austal was Australian


Derek

[Akira]

With all due respect, the hulls built by Austral have a long history of cracking ad other defects. The "Cat" ferry running from Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, a mere 100 miles, rarely completed a trip n time. It was frequently delayed or trips cancelled due to "hull irregularities". On top of that, it almost never had all engines in a serviceable condition( to be fair, not the hull manufacturer's fault).Lastly, US made aluminum isn't really all that bad. It got us the P-40 Warhawk, the P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang( Thanks RR for the engine), the P-39, P-38... I could go one, but I would run out of space. All of the "high speed" transports that the Navy bought and lease from Austral are under speed and sea height restrictions.BTY, The original Bluenose ferry running the same route, Canadian built, only missed a hand full of trips in it's twenty + year life. And it NEVER had to turn back due to sea state.

[JimG]

You do need to allow for the fact that those aircraft were never expected to have a long life so would never suffer from metal fatigue. Most still flying today have been extensively rebuilt with in some cases little of the original left.
Jim

[derekwarner]

Hi Akari.........it's all a little murky    in them there waters


The history of Austal Patented ship designs goes back quite some years, within Australia for success in worldwide applications and markets


I understand the US wanted their own variation of the Austal hull designs, but the US Constitution does not allow Naval hull construction to be outside that of the US build/ownership, so hence this is why the US is building hulls in America under Licence to Austal in Australia


The murky bit is where three executives from the US facility were found apparently lacking in their management of procedures and quality, and have since found themselves looking for alternate  employment


I understand certain Naval vessels for the US Austal boatyards whilst still in commission, have as you correctly note are subject to restricted speed and sea-state conditions


Having said all of this, the US Congress has approved the construction of 40+ additional vessels from the American facility of Austal


We had one of our newer HMAS Armidale Class [aluminium patrol boat built by Austal] guttered by fire, reported as by an electrical spark for an improperly earthed welding lead    .....resulting with the vessel engulfed in fire and literally melted on the slipway


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Bundaberg_%28ACPB_91%29


Pretty sure HMS Sheffield suffered a similar aluminium fire when hit by an Argentinian missile off the Falklands many years ago


Derek

[Circlip]

Yep, the 'Shiney Sheff' turned into the 'Glowing Sheff' after the application of a missile supplied by one of our (at the time) EU compatriots. (Never forgave us for Agincourt).


 Just read that the UK is deficient in AWACS coverage due to the retirement of the A3 Sentrys (Nimrod killers) and delays for its replacement from boing (as in clang)


  Regards   Ian.

[KitS]

 Just read that the UK is deficient in AWACS coverage due to the retirement of the A3 Sentrys (Nimrod killers) and delays for its replacement from boing (as in clang)

And our 'Government' seem to think that 3 of those Boeing Wedgetails will do the job that 7 of their predecessors did. I've no idea what planet they're living on, but it doesn't seem to be this one. 

[Colin Bishop]

These comments by the current defence secretary demonstrate the appalling ignorance our politicians have when it comes to defence:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12486523/Grant-Shapps-insists-wont-posting-TikTok-despite-calls-new-Defence-Secretary-quit-Chinese-owned-social-media-app-security-fears.html

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/is-the-defence-secretary-interested-in-defence/

More recently it has been reported that the Prime Minister 'doesn't do defence' i.e. not interested.

It makes you want to weep.

Colin

[Martin (Admin)]

 
Utube - HMS Prince of Wales departs HMNB Portsmouth for NATO Exercise:

https://youtu.be/BFtSVSA5uAA?si=PnPMVwkghgnANWpV

[Circlip]

Should we start counting the hours to it limping back home? One reassuring fact is the billions of razor and scalpel blades (Swan Morton No 10s?) it will eventually make. Could quite easily be in my lifetime.   


  Regards  Ian.

[SailorGreg]

Ooooh dear - doesn't sound good, throws the whole concept of deterrence into doubt.  There are going to have to be a good few successes after this to regain confidence.  I believe our missiles are simply taken from the US stock, so I guess the colonists in the New World are feeling a little worried as well.

Greg

[Colin Bishop]

Yes, it is a common stock, not sure how long the guarantee is!

However, I saw a suggestion that it is possible the the missile was OK but the interface with the Vanguard's systems might have been an issue. All speculation though.

See: https://www.navylookout.com/a-credible-deterrent-trident-missile-fails-during-test-launch-from-hms-vanguard/

Colin

[SailorGreg]

The report said there had been two failures, and I assume the previous one in 2016 wasn't HMS Vanguard.  That suggests either a systemic failure in design or build of the UK systems, or a faulty missile batch.  I guess the US have been test firing as well, and assuming they have gone well, the finger points to the UK vessels.  Oh to be a fly on the wall at the inquiry!

Greg

[NickelBelter]

84-year old shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykk64dAlZYc

With the decreasing cost of sonar equipment and GPS, a lot of amateur and semi-amateur people are out on the great lakes now, looking for wrecks.  There are still a number of missing ships, tho...

[derekwarner]

So SailorGreg says........."The report said there had been two failures," [Trident Missiles]

I wonder if your RN is being too forthcoming with news....good or bad?

So the Trident missiles are common stock and only loaded to RN subs @Kings Bay in the US, https://cnrse.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/SUBASE-Kings-Bay/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Submarine_Base_Kings_Bay

Do the Americans advertise a failure [if they occur?]....were is the US Press coverage of this failure?...the answer is that the news of the reported failure is suppressed from American eyes

@17 million Pounds/missile, where are the plans to retrieve the missile to understand why the 3rd party two stage jet motors failed to function?

Do the Russians tell the world of any of their military failures?

Whatever happened to the 'need to know'.......?

If we live in a world of Political lies and deceit, why not add just another hush-hush ......if the world needed to know, just tell them it was designed as an exercise 'not to work'?


All this talk of a failure is rubbish    ....merely an anomaly

'As for the exact cause of the misfire, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Breaking Defense in a Wednesday statement that reports of Trident suffering a rocket boost failure were “not” correct, clearly pushing back on the Sun report. However, the MoD would not comment on the “specifics of the anomaly.'

Derek

[SteamboatPhil]

I am beginning to think Derek is right


HUSH HUSH


seems to be the new normal.........


So much for the official secrets act (which I have signed twice) 

[John W E]

hi there


One way of looking at the failure of the Trident missile is it is a nice way of telling our cousins in America that it does not work and the whole world now knows about it.   So, they best fix it.  Free of charge to the Brits of course.


So, the Russians are supposedly laughing at us through this failure; but, you do have to give them some lee way because of their massive failures - state of the art jets in their air force requiring the pilot to own a mobile phone with sat nav on it - so they know where they are going and how to return home.


An army with supposedly top rated tanks which use cardboard armour to protect them.   


They reckon they have lost a good percentage of their mobile forces in the hostilities.


An old saying springs to mind - those in glass houses, should not throw stones.


John

[jaymac]

Ah but they have  the Sudden Death Syndrom  which is  accurate and undetectable

[Martin (Admin)]

 
BBC: Bluebird: Campbell's daughter says craft will return to Coniston Water

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-58632814

[tony52]

Looking like a sad ending for paddle steamer "Compton Castle".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-68513664

[Dave_S.]

Such a shame, had a wonderful cruise along the Dart on Kingswear Castle a few years ago the last coal fired paddle steamer operating in the UK.

[jaymac]

Well the Waverley is back this year in the Bristol Channel Albeit not coal fired but the only sea going paddler

[Colin Bishop]

Once older vessels get past a certain point they are really a hopeless cause.

Colin

[Martin (Admin)]

It's Spring here in the UK! 


 
.... Yeah! 
 
 
 

[Martin (Admin)]

 
Daily Mail on-Line - I didn't report my wife's stolen credit card because the thief spent less than she did, says former police boss Lord
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13221541/wifes-stolen-credit-card-thief-spent-police-boss-Lord.html
 
 

[Baldrick]