Sharper Talons For Merlins

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Luke,Crown Copyright

 

It shall take decades to rationalise the United Kingdom's naval and military helicopter fleet,as proposed in earlier posts,but herein we shall outline a short term proposal to increase the utility of the Merlin helicopter.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Royal Navy photograph

 

Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters are capable of firing missiles at surface targets but do not have the sensors needed to hunt submarines.

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Dave Gallagher,Crown Copyright

 

Royal Navy Merlin helicopters have the sensors needed to hunt submarines but are not capable of firing missiles at surface targets.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,MBDA photograph

 

However,Italian Navy EH101 helicopters are capable of firing the Marte MK2/S missile at surface targets,a missile which has dimensions similar to or larger than a number of British missiles.

 

 

Picture: Unknown artist,© MBDA UK Ltd

 

The Sea Venom missile is about two thirds the diameter and length and one third the weight of the Marte MK2/S.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Royal Navy photograph

 

The Martlet missile is about one quarter the diameter,one third the length and one twenty-fourth the weight of the Marte MK2/S.

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Kyle Heller,Crown Copyright

 

The Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile is about half the diameter,three quarters the length and one third the weight of the Marte MK2/S.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,© 2021 BAE Systems

 

The Meteor missile is about half the diameter,of similar length and about two thirds the weight of the Marte MK2/S.

  

Picture: Mike Freer,Touchdown-aviation

 

The Merlin can carry four Sting Ray torpedoes which are similar in diameter but two thirds the length and of similar weight to the Marte MK2/S.

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Jay Allen,Crown Copyright

 

The Merlin already has the sensors needed to use these missiles,which are being procured for use by other aircraft,their integration shall allow it to engage sea,air and land targets,either in support of warships at sea or marines ashore,thus considerably increasing the Royal Navy's offensive and defensive capability at little cost.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Japan Ground Self Defence Force photograph

 

In future,integration of the Joint New Air to Air Missile shall provide Merlin helicopters with some of the flexibility of our proposed Medium and Long Range Multirole Missiles,as it's sensor is used to engage both aircraft and surface vessels in the Japanese Type 99 Air to Air Missile and the Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile.

 

Future Commando Force: An Alternative

 

 

Picture: Wing Commander A.J.W.Geddes,Second Tactical Air Force,© IWM CL 3947

 

Our proposed Independent Navy For An Independent Nation shall require decades of investment,funded largely by our proposed smaller aircraft fleet,but herein we shall outline a short term "Interim Commando Force" solution to the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare needs,using existing assets.

  

Picture: Director Steven Spielberg,musician Johnny Cash,editor Notorious

 

Those who have seen the film Saving Private Ryan may think that an opposed amphibious landing is a frontal assault against a heavily defended beach,yet amphibious assaults have been performed tens of thousands of times over many thousands of years and strongly contested landings have been a rarity for the same reason that land armies rarely conduct frontal assaults on heavily defended positions,because overwhelming resources are required to successfully conduct such an operation and there are often,but not always,less costly alternatives,particularly for a helicopter equipped amphibious force which does not require a beach accessible by landing craft.

 

 

Picture: Lieutenant S.J.Beadell,Royal Navy official photographer,© IWM A 23912

 

Amphibious operations vary widely in their scale,duration and speed,however,as a general rule it may be said that scale and duration are in proportion to each other and also in proportion to reaction time,such that a small operation of short duration implies and is implied by a short reaction time and conversely a large operation of long duration implies and is implied by a long reaction time.

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Si Ethell,Crown Copyright

 

Therefore amphibious forces may be divided in to those required for rapid reaction,which may be small and require little logistical support but which must be forward deployed in order to react quickly,ideally on fast ships equipped with vehicles and aircraft such as our proposed Falkland class frigates,and those which must be larger and heavier but which need not be routinely forward deployed.

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Barry Wheeler,Crown Copyright

 

The Royal Navy's proposed Littoral Response Groups shall be capable of satisfying neither of these conditions,a problem which can not be overcome by the use of artificial intelligence,machine learning,autonomy,jet packs,robots or toy helicopters,however,there is an alternative. 

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,© IWM A 34047

 

In addition to assisting with boardings,security and damage control,detachments of Royal Marines on every naval vessel with the capacity to accommodate them,the largest being aboard the Queen Elizabeth class vessels,when deployed by boat or helicopter and supported by the vessels' own fighting systems shall provide an ability to intervene ashore,thereby providing the United Kingdom with an amphibious rapid reaction capability wherever Royal Navy vessels are deployed,which may not be transformational but is what Royal Marines have been doing for hundreds of years.

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Jim Gibson,Royal Naval Reserve,Crown Copyright

 

Further,one of two Landing Squadrons,each comprised of an Albion class and a Bay class vessel,between them carrying a beach landing unit,shall be ready to react to contingencies at all times,as the situation demands these may operate either independently or with other assets such as the current Carrier Strike Groups and may be supplemented by Point Class transport vessels,eventually all of the Albion,Bay and Point class vessels shall be replaced by our proposed Agincourt class heavy landing ships which shall each carry a beach landing unit in addition to an army brigade and supplies for a month of combat operations.

 

 

Picture: Unknown British official photographer,© IWM FKD 2311

 

In both cases,opposed amphibious assaults shall typically involve intelligence analysis,reconnaissance,air raids,naval bombardments,air assaults and,finally,beach landings,contrary to popular myth,competently commanded amphibious operations do not involve vessels sailing up to an unprepared hostile shore while the enemy shoots at them.

 

A Question For Nicholas Carter

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,North Atlantic Treaty Organisation photograph

 

As British soldiers fly in to Taliban held Kabul we can not help but wonder,how is that military integration working out for you General Carter?

 

Carrier Strike Group 21: Happy Traitor Day!

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Jay Allen and Corporal Cathy Sharples,Crown Copyright 

 

In answer to a question asked in the previous post,on the Fourth of July Twenty Twenty-one,a date which will live in infamy,Her Majesty's Ship Queen Elizabeth did indeed shamefully celebrate the defeat of the British Army by traitorous,slave owning,colonists led by George Washington,the notorious hatchetman and taxer of whiskey.