Full and unconditional optimization
Great Britain, one of the victor countries in World War II, suffered a heavy defeat from a political point of view. 1945 was followed by a rapid collapse with the loss of almost all overseas territories, and the metropolis itself became a vassal of its former US colony.
Washington took the most active part in the dismantling of the British Empire. The country remains a nuclear power and a permanent member of the Security Council, but its political weight, not only on a global, even on a European scale, is completely incomparable with what was at least in the first half of the twentieth century. And Brexit will not change anything.
The military power of Britain began to decline rapidly after the collapse of the USSR. The apotheosis was the “optimization” of the 2010 armed forces of the year, in which the aircraft that had just come off the assembly line went under the knife, while others were sold to the United States for parts.
When defensive budgets are formed in the UK government, equipment is sacrificed in order to preserve personnel. The strengths of the British army are trained servicemen, but now it has come to the point that for the first time in many years Whitehall proposes to reduce the number of combat units (Armored Unemployment).
In the early 90s, the British Armed Forces had 1200 tanks, 3200 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, about 700 artillery systems, almost 850 combat aircraft. Today, the country's army has shrunk greatly.
Ground forces include two divisions, 8 brigades and MTR. The 1 Division (headquarters in York) has 4, 7, 11, 38, 42, 51, 160 infantry, and 102 transport brigades. The 3 Division (Bulford, Wiltshire) includes 1, 12, 20 motorized infantry, 101 transport brigade. 20-I motorized infantry brigade stationed in Germany. Separate brigades: Gurkha, 16-I assault, 1-I artillery, 1-I reconnaissance, 8-I engineering, 1, 11-I communications, 104-I transport.
In service with the following military equipment. Tanks: 246 "Challenger-2" (still 139 in storage). BRM: 294 "Simiter". BMP: 375 "Warrior" (still 107 in storage), 124 auxiliary - KSHM, engineering, medical - machines on its base (175 in storage). APCs and armored cars: 472 AFV432 (52 in storage), 245 «Spartan» (120 in storage), 15 «Stormer», 106 «Viking», 439 «Mastiff», 217 «Varthog», 152 «Sultan». SAU: 110 AS90 (20 in storage). Towed implements: 108 LG-118 (26 in storage), 4 FH70. Mortars: 15 self-propelled on an AFV432 BTR chassis. MLRS: 28 MLRS (23 in storage). ADMS: 24 "Rapier", 42 "Starstrik" on the chassis of the BTR "Stormer" (42 in storage). MANPADS: Starstreak 145. Aircraft: 16 BN-2. Helicopters: 52 Apache (15 in storage), 21 Lynx AN9 (53 AN7 in storage), 30 "Gazeln" (NEXNSXXNXXNHXXNKXNXXNXXNXXXNXX in Bell 68, 5 in 212) , 6 AS365 "Squirell" (3 in storage).
The air force consists of 1 (combat), 2 (combat support), 22 (training), 38 (technical support) and 83 (expeditionary) groups. The main combat aircraft - "Typhoon", produced in cooperation with Germany, Italy and Spain. Initially, the British Air Force planned to acquire 250 machines, then plans were reduced to 232, and eventually to 160. 123 "Typhoon" (including 21 training and combat) is now in service, 16 is still in storage. The Tornado GR57 fighter-bomber 4 fighter-bomber (58 Tornado GR and 12 F3 interceptors are in storage, remain in storage, but 53 and 9 of them are either assigned to spare parts or are already being investigated), their number is gradually decreasing. In addition, up to 68 Jaguar attack aircraft are in storage.
Auxiliary machines: DRLO aircraft - 6 E-3 "Sentry" (1 in storage), RER - 2 RC-135W (there will be 1), reconnaissance and surveillance - 5 "Sentinel-R1", 5 "Shadow-R1"; BN-3, transport planes and refueling machines - 2 С-8, 17 А11.Sype.Sype.Sype.tour.S400, 1 КС5 and 2 КС6 "Voyager", 3 Bai6, 146 С-24, 130 С-7, 1 Bae300, 6 С-7, 10 4, 125 89, 54 42, 64, 62, 4 "Besides 48" Tristar ", 35 VC-114, 7 Bae200 in storage. Training aircraft: XNUMX Hock (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Tukano (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Vigilant (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Viking (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Tutor, XNUMX Beach VXNUMX.
Helicopters: 60 Chinook, 23 Puma HC2, 1 AW109, 5 A-109 (3 A-109A in storage), 14 Bell-412 Griffin. The 19 Sea King helicopters are in storage.
Combat BLAH: 10 MQ-9 Reaper.
The royal fleet no longer rules the seas (even those that are adjacent to the British Isles). But it is in the Navy that the entire nuclear power of the country is concentrated. These are Vanguard-type 4 SSBNs with the Trident-2 SLBM (formally, 16 on each, but in fact there are only 58 missiles). Albion is the only country in the world that has officially disclosed the size of its nuclear arsenal: 160 deployed and 65 non-deployed warheads for specified 58 SLBMs. There is an active discussion in the country on how to replace Vanguards and whether it should be done at all.
Adopting British fleet multi-purpose Estuity-class submarines arrive. The Navy includes 3 such boats, 3 more are under construction, 1 is ordered. 4 submarines of the Trafalgar type remain in service. 4 resolving SSBNs, 3 Trafalgar submarines, 6 Swiftshur submarines, and 5 old-type submarines (Dreadnought, 2 Valiant and Churchill each) were withdrawn from service. The Navy command has announced a tender for the cheapest option for their disposal.
The 2 aircraft carrier type "Queen Elizabeth", which will become the largest ships in stories British Navy. For them, it is planned to purchase the X-NUMX of the US VTOL F-138, while only 35 of such aircraft have been purchased.
The composition of the British fleet recently introduced 6 newest destroyers such as "Daring". In addition, the ship of the same class "Bristol" is used as a training.
In service with the 13 navy frigates of the "Norfolk" type. In the indefinite future, they are supposed to be replaced by the same number of new 26 projects, but so far the program is being discussed. There are 4 patrol ships of the “River” type, it is known that 2 will be built. There are 15 minesweepers: 8 "Hunt", 7 "Sendown" (plus 1 training for both types).
With an overall significant reduction in the British fleet in the past two decades, its amphibious capabilities have increased. In service with 1 UDC "Ocean" (today it is the largest ship of the British Navy), 2 DVKD type "Albion", 3 DTD type "Bay". TDC "Sir Tristram" is used as a training. The Marine Corps includes the following groups: battalion 5 (united in the 3 brigade), protection of naval forces, 1 of the assault landing force, special forces, plus support units.
As part of the marine aviation training aircraft: 12 “Hawk” T.1, 4 “Avenger”, 5 “Tutor”. Helicopters: 55 Merlin (14 in storage), 9 Sea King (73 in storage), 2 AS365N2, 11 Lynx NMA8 (44 in storage), 36 AW159 Wildcat (12 in storage).
In general, the British military capabilities in recent years have decreased significantly, and the process continues. However, as in the case of other NATO countries, Albion is not threatened by external aggression. The interventionist capabilities of the British Armed Forces are so far sufficient to participate in collective police-peacekeeping operations in alliance with the United States and / or European countries under the mandates of the UN, NATO and the EU. At the same time, the level of combat training of personnel is higher than in any other European army, now it is the strongest side of the British Armed Forces. As in all other Western countries, the proportion of funds for the maintenance of personnel is exaggerated in military spending, otherwise only Gurkha (Nepalese citizens) will serve the crown.
In the UK, there are two operating US BBFs - Leikenhite and Middledenhall. The first is based on the 48-e fighter wing (around 50 aircraft F-15C / D / E), on the second - the 100-e refueling wing and 352-I group of special operations (refueling agents KS-135, reconnaissance aircraft RC-135, special forces planes MS -130P / H). Nuclear weapons There is no USA in the UK.
Washington took the most active part in the dismantling of the British Empire. The country remains a nuclear power and a permanent member of the Security Council, but its political weight, not only on a global, even on a European scale, is completely incomparable with what was at least in the first half of the twentieth century. And Brexit will not change anything.
The military power of Britain began to decline rapidly after the collapse of the USSR. The apotheosis was the “optimization” of the 2010 armed forces of the year, in which the aircraft that had just come off the assembly line went under the knife, while others were sold to the United States for parts.
When defensive budgets are formed in the UK government, equipment is sacrificed in order to preserve personnel. The strengths of the British army are trained servicemen, but now it has come to the point that for the first time in many years Whitehall proposes to reduce the number of combat units (Armored Unemployment).
In the early 90s, the British Armed Forces had 1200 tanks, 3200 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, about 700 artillery systems, almost 850 combat aircraft. Today, the country's army has shrunk greatly.
Ground forces include two divisions, 8 brigades and MTR. The 1 Division (headquarters in York) has 4, 7, 11, 38, 42, 51, 160 infantry, and 102 transport brigades. The 3 Division (Bulford, Wiltshire) includes 1, 12, 20 motorized infantry, 101 transport brigade. 20-I motorized infantry brigade stationed in Germany. Separate brigades: Gurkha, 16-I assault, 1-I artillery, 1-I reconnaissance, 8-I engineering, 1, 11-I communications, 104-I transport.
In service with the following military equipment. Tanks: 246 "Challenger-2" (still 139 in storage). BRM: 294 "Simiter". BMP: 375 "Warrior" (still 107 in storage), 124 auxiliary - KSHM, engineering, medical - machines on its base (175 in storage). APCs and armored cars: 472 AFV432 (52 in storage), 245 «Spartan» (120 in storage), 15 «Stormer», 106 «Viking», 439 «Mastiff», 217 «Varthog», 152 «Sultan». SAU: 110 AS90 (20 in storage). Towed implements: 108 LG-118 (26 in storage), 4 FH70. Mortars: 15 self-propelled on an AFV432 BTR chassis. MLRS: 28 MLRS (23 in storage). ADMS: 24 "Rapier", 42 "Starstrik" on the chassis of the BTR "Stormer" (42 in storage). MANPADS: Starstreak 145. Aircraft: 16 BN-2. Helicopters: 52 Apache (15 in storage), 21 Lynx AN9 (53 AN7 in storage), 30 "Gazeln" (NEXNSXXNXXNHXXNKXNXXNXXNXXXNXX in Bell 68, 5 in 212) , 6 AS365 "Squirell" (3 in storage).
The air force consists of 1 (combat), 2 (combat support), 22 (training), 38 (technical support) and 83 (expeditionary) groups. The main combat aircraft - "Typhoon", produced in cooperation with Germany, Italy and Spain. Initially, the British Air Force planned to acquire 250 machines, then plans were reduced to 232, and eventually to 160. 123 "Typhoon" (including 21 training and combat) is now in service, 16 is still in storage. The Tornado GR57 fighter-bomber 4 fighter-bomber (58 Tornado GR and 12 F3 interceptors are in storage, remain in storage, but 53 and 9 of them are either assigned to spare parts or are already being investigated), their number is gradually decreasing. In addition, up to 68 Jaguar attack aircraft are in storage.
Auxiliary machines: DRLO aircraft - 6 E-3 "Sentry" (1 in storage), RER - 2 RC-135W (there will be 1), reconnaissance and surveillance - 5 "Sentinel-R1", 5 "Shadow-R1"; BN-3, transport planes and refueling machines - 2 С-8, 17 А11.Sype.Sype.Sype.tour.S400, 1 КС5 and 2 КС6 "Voyager", 3 Bai6, 146 С-24, 130 С-7, 1 Bae300, 6 С-7, 10 4, 125 89, 54 42, 64, 62, 4 "Besides 48" Tristar ", 35 VC-114, 7 Bae200 in storage. Training aircraft: XNUMX Hock (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Tukano (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Vigilant (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Viking (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX Tutor, XNUMX Beach VXNUMX.
Helicopters: 60 Chinook, 23 Puma HC2, 1 AW109, 5 A-109 (3 A-109A in storage), 14 Bell-412 Griffin. The 19 Sea King helicopters are in storage.
Combat BLAH: 10 MQ-9 Reaper.
The royal fleet no longer rules the seas (even those that are adjacent to the British Isles). But it is in the Navy that the entire nuclear power of the country is concentrated. These are Vanguard-type 4 SSBNs with the Trident-2 SLBM (formally, 16 on each, but in fact there are only 58 missiles). Albion is the only country in the world that has officially disclosed the size of its nuclear arsenal: 160 deployed and 65 non-deployed warheads for specified 58 SLBMs. There is an active discussion in the country on how to replace Vanguards and whether it should be done at all.
Adopting British fleet multi-purpose Estuity-class submarines arrive. The Navy includes 3 such boats, 3 more are under construction, 1 is ordered. 4 submarines of the Trafalgar type remain in service. 4 resolving SSBNs, 3 Trafalgar submarines, 6 Swiftshur submarines, and 5 old-type submarines (Dreadnought, 2 Valiant and Churchill each) were withdrawn from service. The Navy command has announced a tender for the cheapest option for their disposal.
The 2 aircraft carrier type "Queen Elizabeth", which will become the largest ships in stories British Navy. For them, it is planned to purchase the X-NUMX of the US VTOL F-138, while only 35 of such aircraft have been purchased.
The composition of the British fleet recently introduced 6 newest destroyers such as "Daring". In addition, the ship of the same class "Bristol" is used as a training.
In service with the 13 navy frigates of the "Norfolk" type. In the indefinite future, they are supposed to be replaced by the same number of new 26 projects, but so far the program is being discussed. There are 4 patrol ships of the “River” type, it is known that 2 will be built. There are 15 minesweepers: 8 "Hunt", 7 "Sendown" (plus 1 training for both types).
With an overall significant reduction in the British fleet in the past two decades, its amphibious capabilities have increased. In service with 1 UDC "Ocean" (today it is the largest ship of the British Navy), 2 DVKD type "Albion", 3 DTD type "Bay". TDC "Sir Tristram" is used as a training. The Marine Corps includes the following groups: battalion 5 (united in the 3 brigade), protection of naval forces, 1 of the assault landing force, special forces, plus support units.
As part of the marine aviation training aircraft: 12 “Hawk” T.1, 4 “Avenger”, 5 “Tutor”. Helicopters: 55 Merlin (14 in storage), 9 Sea King (73 in storage), 2 AS365N2, 11 Lynx NMA8 (44 in storage), 36 AW159 Wildcat (12 in storage).
In general, the British military capabilities in recent years have decreased significantly, and the process continues. However, as in the case of other NATO countries, Albion is not threatened by external aggression. The interventionist capabilities of the British Armed Forces are so far sufficient to participate in collective police-peacekeeping operations in alliance with the United States and / or European countries under the mandates of the UN, NATO and the EU. At the same time, the level of combat training of personnel is higher than in any other European army, now it is the strongest side of the British Armed Forces. As in all other Western countries, the proportion of funds for the maintenance of personnel is exaggerated in military spending, otherwise only Gurkha (Nepalese citizens) will serve the crown.
In the UK, there are two operating US BBFs - Leikenhite and Middledenhall. The first is based on the 48-e fighter wing (around 50 aircraft F-15C / D / E), on the second - the 100-e refueling wing and 352-I group of special operations (refueling agents KS-135, reconnaissance aircraft RC-135, special forces planes MS -130P / H). Nuclear weapons There is no USA in the UK.
Information