Skinny Dragon spotted in Lossiemouth!

[grober]

No this is not an anorexic Loch Ness Monster but an American Locheed p-3c Marine reconnaisance aircraft spotted flying out of Lossiemouth in the North East Of Scotland.

Since scrapping their Nimrod maritime reconnaisance planes the UK has been forced to ask the USA for help tracking an increasing number of Russian submarines seen recently round our coasts.
Latest sightings rumoured to be Russian sub stalking the one of Britain's four Vanguard-class ballistic missile boats as they leave the Clyde estuary on patrol

Skinny Dragon ? FighterControl ? Home to the Military Aviation Enthusiast

 

[Satch]

This is the main future of Marine Recce:

Triton

US has already ordered 68 of them and UK has people training on them already for trials purposes

 

[BTB 500]

This is the main future of Marine Recce

allowing for coverage of 1 million square nautical miles of ocean, in a single mission.

 

[Dryce]

Since scrapping their Nimrod maritime reconnaisance planes the UK has been forced to ask the USA for help tracking an increasing number of Russian submarines seen recently round our coasts.

This isn't the first time we have needed help.

Latest sightings rumoured to be Russian sub stalking the one of Britain's four Vanguard-class ballistic missile boats as they leave the Clyde estuary on patrol

The Russians didn't really send their boats to sea much for almost two decades. They used to do this a lot and UK or US SSNs would be about to brush the intruder off the tail of the bomber.

Bear in mind that the US and UK typically have at least one SSN skulking about somewhere up north doing the same sort of thing we seem to think the Russians are doing. I guess it gets less pubilcity because the Russians don't have to call on France, Canada, or Russia for help.

 

[Dryce]

This is the main future of Marine Recce:

Triton

US has already ordered 68 of them and UK has people training on them already for trials purposes

It's not an ASW platform. It's really for looking at the type of vsesel that has positive rather than neutral bouyancy.

That's not to say that you can't do ASW with a RCV (airborne or otherwise) but ASW is a lot harder.

 

[Satch]

It's not an ASW platform. It's really for looking at the type of vsesel that has positive rather than neutral bouyancy.

That's not to say that you can't do ASW with a RCV (airborne or otherwise) but ASW is a lot harder.

That is correct it is a Recce solution but then finding the damn things in the first place is the hard part.

So the idea is that Tritons will do their stuff in conjunction with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, which is a very serious piece of ASW kit, effectively extending their capability by operating as long duration remote sensing devices.

But Tritons do have hard points on its wings and can carry a 1000kg external payload. So that remote sensor capacity may one day turn into remote offensive capacity.

 

[grober]

In August 2012, AirForces Monthly reported that "Boeing sees the UK as a prime market for its P-8A Poseidon" following the cancellation of Nimrod MRA4. The British government has declined to comment on rumors of the UK leasing four Poseidons; the official position is that a decision will be taken in the next Strategic Defence and Security Review after the 2015 UK general election.

Boeing Sees UK C-17 Lease as Model for P-8 | Defense News | defensenews.com
http://www.jeffhead.com/usn21/p8.htm

 

[Dryce]

So the idea is that Tritons will do their stuff in conjunction with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, which is a very serious piece of ASW kit, effectively extending their capability by operating as long duration remote sensing devices.

I did a quick search and it would appear that the claim is rather that using the Triton would free up the likes of a P-8A to do more ASW while the drones do other stuff.

There are ASW RCVs and other related stuff being developed but they are not necessarily airborne.

That's not to say there are not some interesting strategies for using drones against submarines.

 

[Dryce]

The British government has declined to comment on rumors of the UK leasing four Poseidons; the official position is that a decision will be taken in the next Strategic Defence and Security Review after the 2015 UK general election.

I think there's been a general assumption for a while about the inevitability of this and that UK gov will have no choice to go for the Poseidon or some other platform.

Even speculation of just *4* shows how utterly pitiful the UK's aspirations have become (or how its aspirations are seen to have become).

 

[trapperjohn]

Bring back the Mighty Shackletons.

 

[Satch]

Bring back the Mighty Shackletons.

Ah yes: 100,000 rivets flying in close formation

 

[Dryce]

Bring back the Mighty Shackletons.

We used to know when a Shackleton was approaching because the 405 line TV in the house would flicker and show horizontal dark bands before we could hear it. I have no idea if they could do the same thing to Freeview.

Anyway ..... here may be one to bring back yet:

Shackleton Preservation Trust - Home