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[Fish&Chips]

Incoming chairman of Heckler & Koch's supervisory board, Gen. (ret.) Harald Kujat: New German service rifle will fire a battle rifle cartridge

So, back to 7.62 mm? That would rule out the new HK433, but the 417 might enter the race.

 

[muck]

More tragic news from German military aviation: Today a helicopter crashed near the town of Aerzen, Lower Saxony. At least one person is reported dead.

Article in German

A piece of well-meaning advice, don't read the news. Or rather, the atrocities committed in the comments' sections.

So, back to 7.62 mm? That would rule out the new HK433

Nay. Heckler & Koch carries a 7.62 variant of the HK433, called the HK231.

 

[Fish&Chips]

A piece of well-meaning advice, don't read the news. Or rather, the atrocities committed in the comments' sections.

You're spot on. I don't even want to know the BS that gets posted there, so I always try to avoid news sites with a comments section.

Nay. Heckler & Koch carries a 7.62 variant of the HK433, called the HK231.

That's interesting. A fact that is very well hidden at their website.

 

[Fish&Chips]

In other news, the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is battling what is said to be the largest forest fire in its history. Some 430 hectares of woodland on a former military training ground are on fire, but the area itself is heavily contaminated with UXO. This makes effective firefighting almost impossible, because a safety perimeter of 1 km has been established around the fire. Also, aerial extinguishing can only be used to keep the fire in check, but it will not put out the whole thing.

Allegedly, the smoke could be smelled as far as in Berlin (200 km), and 3 villages have already been evacuated. So what happened 3 years ago in Brandenburg when an old bomb went off in a forest and caused a big fire, seems to be small-ish compared to this one.

 

[guest0001]

More tragic news from German military aviation: Today a helicopter crashed near the town of Aerzen, Lower Saxony. At least one person is reported dead.

Article in German

Rest in peace!

 

[muck]

Per tabloid 'Bild', the deceased soldier was a 26-years-old female 1st Lieutenant. Her co-pilot was seriously injured, but managed to escape the burning wreckage under his own power. Both soldiers were training to become qualified flying instructors.

 

[TheKiwi]

Incoming chairman of Heckler & Koch's supervisory board, Gen. (ret.) Harald Kujat: New German service rifle will fire a battle rifle cartridge ()

i.e. 7.62 NATO? Why??

 

[muck]

@TheKiwi

Why??

Cynically speaking, 'cause…

1. …Kujat is almost eighty years old, and Cold War generals like him were the originators of the pejorative term "lego boomstick" to show what a true Landsknecht is to think of modern lightweight assault rifles.
2. …Heckler & Koch is the only contender capable of offering a 7.62 NATO battle rifle that would meet all the requirements right off the bat.

Having said this, the fact is the German Army's Infantry School has been lobbying for a battle rifle. Their reasoning goes as follows:

1. The 5.56 doesn't pack enough of a punch.
2. The fact (as in № 1) that the 5.56 doesn't pack enough of a punch is understood to be of lesser relevance in combined arms warfare, with the infantry operating under an air umbrella and with a wide array of heavy weapons at her disposal. However, in a scenario where she is unlikely to have the army's entire arsenal by her side, the individual soldier is believed to need a showstopper.
3. The know-how of the industry now allows for lighter battle rifles with reduced recoil and smaller dimensions, negating once-valid concerns about the unwieldiness of rifles such as the G3.
4. Curiously enough, an argument that also gets thrown into the mix regarding the bigger caliber's heavier ammunition somewhat softens the punch of argument № 2: doctrine. Per German military doctrine, even the light infantry operates in conjunction with armored personnel carriers as big as the Boxer. Under most conditions, they figured, the ammo's additional weight isn't going to be a problem since the troops are going to keep supplies on the vehicle.

Mind you, while Kujat is indeed an insider of the highest order, the jury is still out on this one. Who knows what they'll end up buying. I'm ready to believe anything at this point; the German Army's procurement agency has a great sense of humour.

 

[TheKiwi]

Unless Germany is planning on revisiting sandy places or places with vast open stepes (ha ha) then I can't see this reasoning making any sense.

 

[muck]

There are no dogs in that race though, to be honest. The premier argument against the larger caliber is the additional weight resulting in a reduced capacity to carry supplies. Then again, the reason why the caliber debate was never settled to universal satisfaction is that it could (at least partially) be boiled down to 'being able to carry less while requiring less' versus 'being able to carry more while requiring more'. Both calibers have their fair share of pros and cons.
Considering this, and considering what are the most likely scenarios throughout the new rifle's service life, buying the gun that is better suited to the immediate future might not be the worst idea.

 

[muck]

The European Council i.e. the 28 heads of state of the European Union have nominated German minister of defence Ursula von der Leyen as the new President of the European Commission, the quasi-government of the European Union. Center-right German daily 'Die Welt' judges: Germany's soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief today since they'll be rid of her soon.

Well… sorry, I guess? Just remember that personnel decisions are made unanimously by the Council, so all the governments that'll soon start bitching about Von der Leyen (as I'm sure they will) actually wanted to see her up there.

Good God, we're doomed.
And to think that it'd started rather nicely… that woman had the balls to do a HALO jump with KSK despite being over fifty years of age. Nowadays, she doesn't just look like Hillary Clinton, she's also just as crooked.

 

[BravoZulu]

The UK Ministry of Defence has signed an £85 million contract with engineering company Rolls-Royce to maintain the engines of the Royal Navy’s Type-23 frigate fleet.
The contract includes a comprehensive support package to Spey gas turbines, including the overhaul of engines, provision of spares, as well as engineering and safety support.
As explained, updates to the turbines are vital as they boost propulsion in the Type-23 frigates. They are also key pieces of equipment for anti-submarine warfare.
The Type-23 frigate is able to carry out a wide variety of operations, from securing the UK’s vital maritime trade routes East of the Suez Canal to safeguarding British interests in the South Atlantic.
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced the contract at HMNB Devonport where he saw Thursday War training which prepares the Royal Navy for war-fighting, humanitarian relief and emergency situations through a variety of drills and exercises.
“This £85m contract demonstrates the UK’s commitment to modernisation through the maintenance of our formidable Type-23s,” Minister Andrew said.
The contract will see Rolls-Royce overhaul thirty Type-23 engines from the UK and NATO partners Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands.
The contract is expected to deliver a £35 million increase in savings to the MOD over the next eight years, by incentivising Rolls-Royce to improve repair schemes, minimise unnecessary work and procure spares at a lower cost. This will result in shorter, less expensive overhauls, the MOD said in a statement.
Rolls-Royce will project manage the support contract, while the main overhaul and repair work will be carried out by RWG based in Aberdeen.
“The Type 23 frigate is central to Royal Navy operations around the world and keeping it at the forefront of operations is critical,” Defence Equipment and Support Chief of Materiel Ships Vice Admiral Chris Gardner noted.

https://navaltoday.com/2019/07/05/u...ls-royce-to-boost-type-23-fleet-capabilities/

 

[BravoZulu]

On July 3, the French Navy’s nuclear attack submarine Saphir (S602) reached the Cherbourg port, prior to her retiring from the navy’s fleet.
After 35 years of service, Saphir will be the first of six Rubis-class submarines to be retired from active duty at the end of this month.
Launched in 1981 and commissioned three years later, Saphir has a displacement of 2,600 tons, a length of 73.6 meters and a beam of 7.6 meters.
Since its commissioning, Saphir has traveled 1.2 million nautical miles, spent more than 120,000 hours underwater and made hundreds of stops. She has participated in a number of missions from the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean and from the Far North to the South American coasts.
The Rubis-class submarines will be replaced by Barracuda-type newbuilds, as part of France’s 2019-2025 White Paper that includes the construction of six new submarines — Suffren, Duguay-Trouin, Tourville, Dupetit-Thouars, Duquesne and De Grass. Suffren is expected to be delivered to the navy in 2020.

https://navaltoday.com/2019/07/05/french-submarine-saphir-arrives-in-cherbourg-before-retiring/

 

[muck]

German Army acquires 400 'Widder' (eng. ram, a militarized Volkswagen T6) as replacements for the oldest units of the ageing fleet of 'Wolf' mobility vehicles

?‍

It's not a bad vehicle per se, but for heaven's sake – it's a standard market derivative. Standard market vehicles are designed in such a way that only the authorized repair shop can undertake maintenance. We truly are governed by reckless botchers over here.

 

[Fish&Chips]

The procurement department should go the same way as those old Wolf trucks....

The Widder T6 comes with an automatic gear (standard maintenance service much??) And reportedly, the airbourne units from Seedorf have already complained about this vehicle not being airmobile - it does not come with any attachment points to tie it inside an aircraft.

PS: I'm also sceptical about the Widder's chassis clearance as compared to the Wolf. Might be a step backwards in terms of all-terrain mobility.

 

[muck]

Well, with Parachute Infantry Regiment 31 (the first unit to receive the Widder) being an airborne unit, it might seem counterintuitive to deliver the vehicle to them – but the fact is, despite being categorized as "airmobile" the Wolf would've never been deployed by plane or helicopter either. There are dedicated vehicles for that kind of thing.

The undercarriage should be suited to the vehicle's tasks as well, considering ex-factory T6s have successfully been participating in rallyes.

It seems to me the main issue is maintenance will not be able to fix their own rides. They're going to have to move the bloody thing to an authorized repair shop, get an appointment like an idiot and wait for the civil mechanic to deign to do his craft. Besides, I'm convinced modern cars come with built-in planned obsolescences. The Wolf has been going strong for thirty years. I doubt we'll be able to say the same thing about the Widder.

 

[Fish&Chips]

The Wolf has been going strong for thirty years. I doubt we'll be able to say the same thing about the Widder.

This. The T3 Syncro was probably still as reliable, and it could be fixed with a rubber hammer and wrench. But one of the factors of today's maintenance is all the built-in electronic crap that requires you to have a notebook or tablet ready to check for a malfunction in the first place.

 

[Deleted member 11302]

There are no dogs in that race though, to be honest. The premier argument against the larger caliber is the additional weight resulting in a reduced capacity to carry supplies. Then again, the reason why the caliber debate was never settled to universal satisfaction is that it could (at least partially) be boiled down to 'being able to carry less while requiring less' versus 'being able to carry more while requiring more'. Both calibers have their fair share of pros and cons.
Considering this, and considering what are the most likely scenarios throughout the new rifle's service life, buying the gun that is better suited to the immediate future might not be the worst idea.

It is for this reason that NATO should have collectively transitioned to 6.5 Grendel. Negating most disadvantages while providing most of the relative advantages of both calibres.

Having said that, I'm actually glad about Kujat stepping in. Sure, the man is old, but let us not neglect that he was trained in a military doctrine that actually worked and hasn't lost its validity, with the fall of the USSR. And whatever rifle H&K comes up with, must by neccessity be of supreme quality, if it is to provide consistent firepower and accuracy with a 308 round.

And if Von der Leyen actually gets her EU-job in Brussels it would be even better. I can already sense a sigh of relief going through our entire military. Things are actually loking up overall.

 

[pigmode]

Sweden to join British ‘Tempest’ next-gen fighter push

Discussions are ongoing to sign up more partners, according to the British government.

www.defensenews.com

 

[muck]

Chinese People's Liberation Army and German Army in joint exercise: Link

I didn't see that coming…