Cougar 11
Share by EmailNot sure how I got to the end of this video, mexeflotes, Griffon hovercraft, Faun trackway and a BARV; all in one place
Nurse
Category: Land, Sea and Air
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Think Defence hopes to start sensible conversations about UK defence issues, no agenda or no campaign but there might be one or two posts on containers, bridges and mexeflotes!Subscribe
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Which is why we should buy more amphibs and concentrate on developing a really usefull niche within European NATO and for wider coalition ops, not to mention the previously discussed soft power utility!
Happy Victoria Day from Canada, I’m off to the Canadian war birds museum for the day – don’t work to hard
LOL TD has found a potential soul mate in the LCpl who thinks mexefloats are ‘the best bit of kit we have…….’ I hope you will both be very happy together
What makes me laugh ( and not in a good way) is that when ever we see clips of exercises like this all we see are utility vehicles and in this case an old BV206. Not a fighting or artillery vehicle in site!!!
We gave so few hovercraft and landing craft that we could not mount any serious amphib’ operation anyway.
Oooo! I’m another one that likes the video, nice find.
Phil I think that may be because all the stuff that goes bang or is of any use is probably in Afghanistan or is so knackered from being in the sandpit wars it’s not any use or is bust getting fixed for going back to the sandpit. I’ve always had a bit of an odd opinion that every 2 years the RM’s should practise a major amphibious operation with all the bells and whistles much like what the USMC do on a regular basis. It could even be as simple as invading North Carolina for a couple of weeks with the requirement being the supply chain has to come across the Atlantic no cheating by using local infrastructure such as popping to Walmart or Sam’s Club.
Am I alone in thinking it would be worthwhile buying a couple of BARV’s with ‘great big’ guns on for those ‘need extra fire power during the beach assault phase’ moments?
Opinions would be greatly appreciated…..
well, might be a few challys going spare soon, mind you standing on tippy toes to load the gun would be a novelty for tankies!
@Paul g, I can imagine the job spec, BARV Gunner, must 6′ 4″ or over…..
Richard, I suppose it depends if you think the Royal Marines should be a light amphibious force with BvS 10’s and other similar vehicles or if you think they should be similar to the USMC with much heavier assault equipment. Personally the heaviest thing even in my own wee world they would have is something like the CV90-120T or the equivalent in the BAE SEP family which I rather like as a base for a common vehicle.
Oh and damn I’m 6’3” but I would never pass the fitness test to get into the military anyway.
There’s a Point-class Ro-Ro ship in the background too. Nice to see they’ve used one of those too, to make practice in their use in support of an amphibious landing.
Great to see the Sea King HC4 doing Hover In-Flight Refueling too.
The LCU MK10 is slow like a starving death, though. Once the PACSCAT enter service, things will be better. It did 19 knots with a Challenger II on board! And the landing ships will be able to stay further away from the coast and from enemy’s sight thanks to it, which is a good thing.
But have you heard today’s news? The French saw Apaches on Ocean and said “we can do that too.”
Tonnerre, Mistral’s sister, is reportedly sailing towards Libya with “attack helicopters” (Tiger i’m guessing) on board.
Richard,
I believe that I am right in thinking that, before the plans for the new BARVs were finalized, there was a plan to equip them with mortars to assist beach assault. Like most good schemes, however, it was quietly dropped. Anmyone else know anything about this?
@euan, i wouldn’t worry about fitness i knew people half my age who couldn’t run a bath let alone a mile and a half! Some in fact should be transfered to the anti tank section, not to fire missiles, but to have their fat useless bodies jammed between the road wheel and track of the advancing enemy tanks
Has anyone checked to make sure TD hasn’t gone into some mexeflote induced coma?
Just be thankful there was no ISO containers in sight.
acording to several sources looks like cougar is getting 12 extra gate crashers to the party in the shape of 12 apaches to be based on ocean, Afghanistan part 2!!
linky here;
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110523/wl_uk_afp/libyaconflictnatobritainfrance
loads of other news sites carrying it as well
paul g,
Yep does rather look like it.
“Couldn’t run a bath let alone a mile and a half” — lovely.
Jed,
Happy Victoria Day! Bet the warbirds exhibition is first class — but it mostly makes me think of the Arrow which just raises my blood pressure much like TSR.2
I am sure that, somewhere, there’s a discreet message board where OGH, the lance corporal, and others of their kind can speak in hushed tones of mexeflotes of yore and share the love that requires a tidy log book specifying contents, bills of lading, and delivery date ….
From what I see 12 Apaches is probably stretching it. There are 3 already there plus 1 enroute with another 2 in reserve. How many Apache pilots are qualified for seabourne ops anyway?
It is interesting isn’t it, how we get a bit excited about a demonstration of capability that whilst initially impressive, isn’t realy
Jed, I agree, amphibious and early entry is something we should be concentrating on
Jackstaff
Off topic for sure but an RAF with both TSR2 AND the Avro Arrow would have been something! Unfortunately ee should have seen their Lancaster land upon returning from a US air show but it was delayed by the same crappy weather that caused so much chaos in the mid west. They had a Catalina, always one of my faves, and a nicely preserved Voodoo – something I have not seen in a museum before
Sorry I’m just briefly going to be a bit off “Think Defence” topic.
Cougar 11 looks like a really good deployment for servicemen and women, and RFA personnel. Must be some good fun and games going on when time allows, and they all have the potential to actually go into a combat warfighting scenario. I’d love to know what’s been shipped into the Med onboard the fleet-maybe they really are (very) ready and are currently ultimately readying themselves for Littoral and on the ground ops in Libya and in it’s border countries.
I hope the fleet does some port visits into places that the RN doesnt already frequent ie. Istanbul.
Cheers!
USMC has those things called Harriers… It’s crazy that ya’ll don’t retain at least as many as you fought the Falkland’s War with. The Apaches will be concentrating on ground targets no doubt, where is the CAP?
Your politicians should be ashamed of themselves. With obama in our White House… don’t expect much. Look at him dithering in Libya, and again, look for change in our attitudes towards being the World’s Policeman, even if the GOP takes control of Congress, and the White House in 2012.
Remember we are giving billions to the Brazilians to develop the Tupi oil fields… Why, because we already get like 80% of our oil from Canada, Mexico, Crazy Hugo, and domestic production… Brazil will only solidify our needs in our hemisphere.
Are we to cut a deal with Argentina next? 2012 with obama and hillary still around? Uggg. Either way, keep a sharp eye on US politics.