OK, so this is a spot of fun, a quick and dirty Yuletide Top 10 of things from the sweety shop we might like to purchase to improve the security of the Falkland Islands against an aggressive and resurgent Argentina.
Ordinarily, Numbers 1, 2 and 3 would be a political backbone, more of what we already have and lots more training but where would be the fun in that?
So here is my Christmas Top 10 of things on Santa’s list;
Contents
- Number 1 – Improved Passive Protection
- Number 2 – Improved Detection Systems
- Number 3 – Improved Land, Sea and Air Mobility
- Number 5 – Improved Littoral Protection and Patrol
- Number 6 – Attack Helicopter
- Number 7 – A Pair of A400’s with all the trimmings
- Number 8 – A Pair of SIMSS
- Number 9 – Brimstone and Paveway IV
- Number 10 – An Invitation to the Scandinavians
- Number 11
Number 1 – Improved Passive Protection
The rest of the world has been covered in Hesco Bastion and Cuplock Sangars so why would the Falkland Islands be any different?
The construction techniques are simple, the equipment and materials cheap, yet they provide both an increased defensive capability and of course, a visual deterrent.
The ISO container based sangars equipped with remote weapon systems would also provide additional protection.
This is not expensive either, so a low cost stocking filler.
Number 2 – Improved Detection Systems
There are of course three large radar installations on the islands at Mt Kent, Byron Heights and Mount Kent that provide 360 degree coverage against sea and air threats, they have been upgraded over the years but a longer range and more modern integrated system would be useful.
Coupling these with acoustic, electro optical and other sensors systems in an integrated coastal surveillance package would provide warning against any covert intrusion.
Surrounding key and likely entry points would be a range of sensors, everything from buried fibre optic acoustic sensing (very clever stuff), to perimeter systems and remote electro-optical installations. There is no need to go mad and cover everything but netting multiple sensors into a wide area wired/wireless network makes any covert or surprise intrusion that much more difficult to detect and provide greater information to any responding units.
Sensors alone are not enough, but the means to collect the date, rapidly analyse and disseminate useful information to those that can do something with it are equally as important.
Pop over to Ultra Electronics for some interesting information, plus, makes a change from BAe.
Number 3 – Improved Land, Sea and Air Mobility
This means a wider range of vehicles, small craft and helicopters.
There are a range of helicopters already there but some of these are civilian charters and with the eventual withdrawal of military Search and Rescue it would be a good opportunity to establish a permanent multi-function military helicopter flight but whatever is chosen they should have a decent ISTAR fit and preferably be armed. Take your pick from Wildcat, Puma LEP or Merlin, Merlin would be preferable because it can lift a Viking when decoupled.
Given the terrain anything land based must either be limited to roads or have exceptional off road mobility, how about half a dozen BVs10 Vikings but shorn of the weighty Aghanistan theatre entry armour?
This would provide protected mobility for the FIDF and infantry units and logistic support.
Something lighter would be the Supacat ATMP and although not armoured they are extremely mobile, have excellent performance, easy to maintain, low cost and can be carried internally in a Merlin.
In order to provide coastal mobility for the Vikings a landing craft capable of carrying two would extend their usefulness.
One of those new fangled PASCAT craft would just fit the bill.
Number 5 – Improved Littoral Protection and Patrol
Like layers of an onion, the littoral or coastline zone is on the way to the centre of gravity and thus will have to be traversed at some point.
5,000 tonne grey war canoes are not the best of choices close in to the coast and so we would need a number of craft that are low signature, small, fast and well-armed.
The ubiquitous Combat Boat 90 for Docksta Varvet is the obvious choice but there are many many others.
Here is a video the Royal Marines made earlier!
Instead of fannying about with manually armed machine guns lets be sensible and incorporate an off the shelf stabilised weapon mount like the Kongsberg Protector
We might also consider buying a couple of Griffon Hoverwork 8100 TD’s which are designed to carry a BVS10 and dispense with the PASCAT.
Finally, whatever small craft or hovercraft is chosen we might consider arming them with Hellfire,
Number 6 – Attack Helicopter
We are climbing the cost ladder bow but a small number of Apache helicopters would provide a potent ISTAR and defensive capability. Despite the recent over water operations highlighting a number of areas for improvement they remain effective both over land and over water, operating from either.
Number 7 – A Pair of A400’s with all the trimmings
Instead of a single VC10 and single Hercules a pair of A400’s would provide a much more resilient and capability pair. Able to operate in the long range maritime patrol, logistics and in -flight refuelling roles additional roles might include airborne communications relay or even gunships with appropriate weapons.
Number 8 – A Pair of SIMSS
Giving my own concept a plug here, read all about it below
PART 2 – Roles and Requirements
A Ship that is Not a Frigate – Follow Up and Feedback
Number 9 – Brimstone and Paveway IV
As Typhoon matures in RAF service it will gain clearance for a greater range of weapons including Paveway IV and Brimstone, very useful. Meteor when it comes into service and maybe even an air launched anti-ship missile although the latter would be highly speculative.
This final one is an acknowledgement that there are experts out there who have been defending sparsely populated coastline and littoral areas against covert and overt incursions for decades, it might not be an altogether bad idea to have a chat with them to pick their brains!
Number 11
Over to you, although lets not be having any of these;
I think having a few Apaches down there makes sense. Probably a great environment for them to train in and we could always use that as the excuse for putting them there. We could also possibly have land based Harpoon Missiles cover the southern and Western Side of the Islands forcing any invasion force to land further away giving us more time to react. I think some type of Helicopters based AWACS capability like the one you outlined a coupl eof week ago would make a big difference.
We might also look to get those droid destroyers with the shield generators just to make sure we can take out any of James Jedi Knights before they knock out MPA.
How about 2 fully loaded CVF’s with F35 C always giving us the ability to retake the islands. Surely the best way to guarantee their safety. Since its Christmas I would also like to see a purchase of second hand F18′s giving us the ability to regenerate a carrier capability in 2014.
I think a brace of carriers ought to do in a pinch……….?
Merry Xmas to admin and all the other contributors to TD.
Hi TD,
You had the CB90 already with two kinds of kit (the lighter would preserve ability to insert a half-platoon for forward observation).
The NEMO version would extend range against already landed troops to 10 km inland, over any hills, as well as against what is still going on on the shore line. So have all three versions operate together and as long as the aggressor does not have *persistent* air cover to tackle them , should be pretty potent.
I am fond of fortifications. If I wasn’t full of Christmas joy (bah humbug) I would say MPA is another example of RAF PR running defence planning. And I understand why MPA is where it is and the British reluctance to have military and civilian cheek by jowl. And I know James has laid out his tactical appreciation. But I say as somebody with a supposed understanding how the world works in terms of IR know that who holds Stanley holds the Falklands. MPA would be just a strip of concrete and some sheds 30 miles away. You wouldn’t waste effort going to attack it; Goose Green in reverse if you like. So yes on my wish list I would like some fortifications (subtly) place around Stanley. And something done to improve the defensibility of MPA.
Oh! And 12 fully armed T45s and Astute 8 – 12 (with 12 VLS for TLAM / SCALP-N)
Are there plans for Typhoon to carry Storm Shadow?
raf pr planning what do you mean? Since it was built with input from all 3 services particularly the army as it would be them defending it. From an raf eye it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s flat. So i’m not really sure your statement holds water. I’m not sure about mpa having little importance, it’s the centre of the defence of the fi. That’d have little choice but to do something about it.
yes x there are. A few years away yet mind.
Every time somebody bites………
When I look at MPA I just see RAF Stafford or RAF Lynham or any other RAF station in the UK. “Nobody is going to get ashore because we have deployed 4 FJs.” I bet you could walk from one side of the base to the other without being challenged. It looks completely open. And if we can Google its layout so can the Argentine. I don’t want to sound like one of those SF fantists but MPA does looks vulnerable to all sorts of mischief. South American mainland may be a long way away, but the UK is lot, lot further. If I was invading the islands I would be sitting in Stanley. But if I was the garrison commander in MPA I would want to keep my command as secure as possible with minimum effort so that relief force has options.
Don’t always bite when I say stuff about RAF PR. It is just me being silly.
MPA – the World Island.
@ Topman
How many SS will Typhoon carry? One or two.
If there was enough warning to move extra Typhoon to the islands it would open up lts of options for attacks against the Argentine airfields.
Another thing to consider I suppose is that while we in the UK are having economic troubles we are still buying and working state of the art aeroplanes. While the Argentine’s airforce grows less credible by the day. Um. Thinking about it if they don’t get their skates on the Argentines won’t be in a position to do anything about the islands in a year or two. There only option would be to be nice to the Brazilians. Imagine in 50 years the Argentines demanding the Brazilians give them their islands……..
All the Argentines have to do is shut up for 25 years. Every time they gob off they put back the time table 25 years. There’s nothing to do down there so I imagine every time they exercise themselves over this issue the Garrison Commander has a good excuse to get the men out on their exercises and Whitehall gets slightly less mean when he asks for something.
It’s political. Which is why ANY government will cling to this issue like an angry dog with a bone – its free votes and a resignation for whatever Government loses them, again.
Storm shadow will be carried on typhoon in way of external fuel tanks I believe the number it will carry will depend on range to target. It cannot carry 2 to the same range as tornado.
One of the more interesting aspects of the Garrison is the Engineer Sqn.
This suggests to me, that there are plans to very quickly throw up fighting positions and obstacles, which is their primary purpose. I imagine that there are no current fortification since these would (a) be politically and socially unacceptable (b) give away our intended dispositions (c) need constant, manpower and expense draining maintenance and (d) be vulnerable.
The infantry company down there is I bet a covering force to allow MPA to receive reinforcements with the FIDF providing providing local defence detachments and OPs. Meanwhile the Engineer Squadron throws out defences and obstacles which are then manned by the Spearhead Company, followed by the Spearhead Battalion entire. I imagine the Hereford Hooligans are a flight time away.
This is all utter and complete speculation, I don’t have the tiniest clue as to what the actual plans are.
Basically though the Falklands Garrison is a REFORGER type affair with the Garrison merely a covering force.
Our ears are constantly straining for any indication that the Argies are up to something, we have SIGINT and no doubt HUMINT as well. It’s very unlikely we will miss any preparations and literally, the Argies have a 12 hour window between us detecting something is afoot and the Garrison being expanded to a much larger size.
I wouldn’t fancy my chances at all. A far more likely scenario is increasing tension with many reinforcements quietly put into place with no fuss, ie SAS / SBS and SSFG, SSNs, extra planes, perhaps staging the ABTF or Spearhead in Ascension.
Don’t always bite when I say stuff about RAF PR. It is just me being silly.
I know I was too, just wondered how far it would run
On to the serious stuff. Maybe but it is better secured than a normal airbase. It’s not on a war footing day in day out but it’s not RAF Sleepyhollow either.
‘While the Argentine’s airforce grows less credible by the day.’
Very much so, for example I understand only 2 C130 are airworthy. The rest stripped of spares. Their Mirages in a poor state as well by all accounts.
Like Mark says it is designed to carry 2 SS. Although it still can carry 1 x external fuel on it’s centre line pylon. A larger fuel tank would help I don’t know why they were designed so small only 900 l each IIRC. The timeline I think is 2015 to get it operational although I think it is a NETMA job so who knows. Not impossible to bring forward just a matter of money and priority, neither of which it would get at the moment.
i just wrote a massive massive comment with links and it knocked me back saying it was spammy, i am NOT re writing all that again!
summerise; no A400, with only 22 would the RAF put one there? use the 295 in MPA, AWACS and the gunship role (aftermarket kit by ATK, uses all same equipment as apache) advantages doesn’t matter if MPA loses runway.
stuff all the other paragraphs i wrote on apache and the spares support (wastelands has that neatly sewn up) which is struggling in the UK as it is.
As for other kit US is thinking of binning the B-1 so blag as a freebie, finish in service acceptance by doing a run to the islands just a s “training” exercise, look to long term re-engine with EJ2x0.
finally as well as warthog/viking a couple of these beasts to shift 30+ tonnes of stores/ammo about, so as not to tie up the (few)helos down there
links that i have now not put in, you can google 295 awacs and 235 gunship and also the airbus military site shows 295 with mpa kit on pallets for quick re-role and torpedeos and wing hardpoints.
torpedoes on wing hard points i meant, and the reference to loss of runway, the 295 can use short rough strips, making it more flexible (including the strip at stanley) did i mention cheap option as well
Perhaps we could lease some B2 bombers.
and this 60 knots of nastyness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skjold_class_patrol_boat
points to note, the islanders are bloody loaded as well so they can make cheques out to MOD to help with all this
I like that Russian amphibious truck Paul, what a beast. Did you notice it can carry an ISO container !
As said above,6 Apaches down there makes sense. Also would base a few dozen Naval Strike Missile’s, on the back of some Man truck’s? In containers;-) And for extra air denfence, SAMP/T? If not them a few CAMM’s again mounted on the back of Truck’s. Along with a few GIRAFFE’s to be placed around the islands. As to PASCAT/CB 90′s armed with hellfire this would be a great place to train.
Also with the new airfield due to come into service in 2015 on Saint Helena would be a good idea for Crab Air/MoD to get involed in it’s desine, if it became needed for a air bridge at a latter stage?
Dave
TD
Bless you for getting in the ISO containers.
Using KISS, all the Falklands needs is an extra 1 or 2 Typhoons plus 3 0r 4 Warrior to make sure Mt Pleasant airfield is not lost.
Lastly the Foreign Office needs to grow a pair & put economic sanctions on those countries blockading Falklands vessels.
Can you adapt an old Tomahawk to leave smoke? If the Argentinians got really grumpy you could pop one off, have it fly round Buenos Aries for a little while trailing smoke and a banner saying “Next time..BOOM!” Just to make a point like…
More seriously, how feasible is a Tornado and Sky Shadow combination flying out of Ascension? Too far? Too much AAR needed? You wouldnt need to do it too many times to make a point. I guess a test mission to blow up an islet off West Falkland might be considered inflammatory.
@ David – The Runway at St Helena is likley to be short. The accounts I read put it at less than a mile. Does any one know if this would hamper any type of air operation the RAF might need to mount. Also would an Airfiled at St Helena allow for instance Typhoons to provide aircover to a fleet near FI using AAR or would this simply be impossible?
Happy Chrimbo gents
JH is right, a good little number of tracked vehicles would be welcome…remember how the Scorpions and Schimitars did sterling service in ’82. Though would today’s modern, heavier and bigger vehicles cope as easily?
Mike
The Warriors are not to go roaming & get stuck in the Falklands bog. They should be there to stop Mt Pleasant airfield falling to Argie Paras.
Seasons Greetings (& tin hats for 2012!)
I think we have two options
Increased passive, so HESCO up now.
Is it really inflammatory to build a 2 or 3 bag high HESCO windbreak around the airbase?
Maybe a squadron of CVR(T)?
Additional austere airstrips at the Rapier/Radar sites maybe?
Or, we go big presence.
James gave a list of funky ideas, like host a lot of weather/space/wildlife monitoring stuff.
I can only repeat my suggestion of a large all arms practice field. To my knowledge, EUrope has no where its armed forces can “cut lose”, if we want to test laser guidance and the like, we have to play with the Americans or the Canadians.
West Falkland is more than 10x the size of the training area at Salisbury Plain.
Grand scheme of things, it’ll cost pennies to throw up block houses for visitors.
Why not get the greens involved and agree to power any excess load via wind turbines, and reduce the load by building to passivhaus standards?
Depending on which paper you read, the Argies have just invaded Fortress Falkland, EU Peace Corp Training Grounds or the South Atlantic Alternative Energy Facility
Its about a 20 day trip on a ship at 20knots.
So build a fairly comfortable passenger ship, or say 6 ships with gym and lecture facilities, and a capacity of say 500 – 1000 overload, and you can move a lot of people in and out fairly quickly.
Tack on visits to the other OT’s along the way to link them with the real world, why not add in a Cargo facility, so they can order stuff from Comet and it gets delivered. Job done.
Suddenly, the islands have a serious military presence (BATUS seems to have a stock of 40 Chally2 and 60 Warrior).
Not to mention, a German Air Defence Regiment (who wont fight) and French Paratroops (who almost certainly will, no seriously, Politicaly, cheese eating surrender monkeys, but the armed forces seem to always get involved if they are in the vicinity)
In between, isnt going to work, we get increased costs, but nothing really to offset them against.
2 Carriers,
100 x F18E/F/G
6 X T45
8 x T45 Batch II (fitted with T2087 towed array)
14 x Absalon based ‘C2 / Global Sloop’
8 x Astute
then no need to keep stuff permanently in the FI
TD all good stuff but typhoons able to launch anti ship missiles and the political will to use them is XML that’s needed surely?
You could be on to something with the sea bass, because they are native to the area…. Merry Christmas folks!
What I’d like to see is not new equipment (though don’t get me wrong I’d love some of that as well!) but a REFORGER style exercise every couple of years. Just something to test out and practice the actual movement of troops/equipment/aircraft down to the Falklands as we would in response to a suspected Argentine attack. It would also be a good opportunity to get some largeish scale exercises done on the somewhat challenging terrain of the islands themselves.
Trouble with whacking HESCO up is that it’s not going to last very long in that weather. It will rot very quickly. It can be thrown up very quickly especially with a CET.
Might as well put permanent berms in place not HESCO. Put some firing points into place at Stanley and the airfield. Are their mortar pits ready to go around MPA?
Get me a back hoe, fly me down, and I could start putting things straight.
You can use Hesco with concrete cloth to make more permanent fixtures, pre built drainage and lots of other techniques to create more long lived structures but even a long term programme of environmentally sympathetic fortifications might be something worth while. Its a large investment though and not without consequences
is it that expensive?
We have engineers, diggers, diesel, dirt.
Is there anything else?
Dom constantly rebuilding HESCO would be very boring. Very boring indeed. It would lower the moral component of fighting power and render the Garisson susceptible to Argentine propaganda.
The Islands are large and the population is very small. I think a few berms covered in tussock grass helping to hide MPA might be a benefit for purely aesthetic reasons let a lone defensive.
Perhaps the more senior Officers could keep a flower bed atop them? Give them something to do and thus maintain the morale component of fighting power.
phil
fair point, i suppose i’m thinking a raised embankment, built over a hesco wall.
As x said, turf it, claim its an aesthetic windbreak to tone down the military presence.
The resulting lack of view from within MPA might lower the morale component of fighting power and thus render the Garrison far more susceptible to Argentine propaganda and a diabolical PsyOps Xmas tree.
A lot of submariners would love a grassy knoll to look at during their working day. Moral must be really fragile if a grass bank a couple of hundred metres away is a deal breaker. “Flight sergeant it was lovely here until they built that grass bank. Now I can’t twirl my spanners properly inside the hanger. I know that hulking mass of grass is waiting for me……”
I can see the headlines now, “Falklands garrison collapses due to hastenburaphobi.”
“A lot of submariners would love a grassy knoll to look at during their working day.”
Anyone who volunteers to live in a radioactive tin tube in extreme close proximity with other men deep under the sea and fight using the scientific equivalent of The Force would never appreciate a turfed fortification.
Phil said “Anyone who volunteers to live in a radioactive tin tube in extreme close proximity with other men deep under the sea and fight using the scientific equivalent of The Force would never appreciate a turfed fortification.”
Not for nothing did the junior ratings mess in Faslane have plastic cutlery…
…and you are forgetting all that HE at the front of the boat.
But I am now very concerned about this fear of grass. One morning the company group wakes to find there is grass everywhere “Blades of grass, bloody hundreds of them…”
“Blades of grass, bloody hundreds of them…”
VOLLEEEEY FIIIIIIIIIIRE!!
is this really funny or am i just plastered?
The HESCO comment about it being boring was banter and it’s gone uphill from there.
You may well laugh but do you know what the Argentines have an awful lot of………
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Pampas_Grass_in_Jindai_Botanical_Garden_-Japan.jpg
Note the Gucci silencer this clump of grass has on his rifle…….
http://www.ghilliesuits.com/cooler/sniper_cooler2.jpg
I remember one of our snipers firing his rifle out there, with the silencer it sounded like a massive canon, without it, it was like a nuclear bomb going off. And we won’t mention him firing it from on top of a ladder over a wall and launching himself backwards. Happy memories!
Have we cracked it with a new tactic in warfare.
It’s green , its simple, its cheap.
Dig a big ditch around the enemy plant it with grass, and they get so depressed they surrender.
Alternately, plant it with an entirely different type of ‘Grass’ and they may not care whether they surrender…..
Belated merry Christmass