Inspiring Bodies: Military Technology from Nature

Leslie-Anne Wray

The human body is highly responsive and adaptive: properties which military technology also requires in order to perform in operational environments that are complex and chaotic. Research into these properties is beginning to revolutionise the development of advanced materials. Two examples include the structure of bone (to provide enhanced strength-to-weight ratios) and how blood clots in order...

Full Speed Ahead: Hypersonic Threats and Ship Survivability

Justin Bronk

However, the US Air Force (USAF) has tested a prototype hypersonic cruise missile, the X-51 Waverider, since 2010, and China has tested the WU-14 manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle which streaks through the atmosphere at Mach 10. The WU-14 has important implications for the US Navy as a proof of concept for the much discussed DF-21D ‘carrier-killer’ anti-ship ballistic missile, which China claims can...

The Potential Impact of the Saudi Air Force over Syria

Justin Bronk

With the announcement of an upcoming deployment of fighter aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) to Incirlik in Turkey for operations over northern Syria, it is worth examining Riyadh’s capabilities. It is common knowledge that the Saudi-led coalition attempting to subdue Iranian-backed Houthi rebel forces in Yemen has suffered heavy losses and made only modest progress since the ground...

The Forced Evolution of Europe’s Tactical Nuclear Capability

The dominant theme in European air forces at present is the pressing need to upgrade the majority of their tactical-fighter fleets. The Tornado, F-16, F-18 and Harrier, which form the bulk of these fleets, are reaching the end of their operational lifespans. Whilst expensive mid-life upgrade programmes could draw out the fatigue lives of these fighters to a certain extent, there is a hard limit...

Missile Defence for the UK?

Michael Codner

In the November 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the government announced that the threat to the UK and its Overseas Territories from ballistic missiles, which has endured since the Second World War, has evolved – in particular, from threats outside the Euro-Atlantic area and from non-state actors. Elsewhere, the SDSR highlights Russia’s aggressive and unpredictable behaviour,...

Down Underwater: Australia’s Submarine Replacement Challenge

Andrew Davies

Australia’s future submarine project is approaching a significant milestone, with a government decision due on which of three competing partners will be chosen to design and build between eight and twelve boats. The new fleet, which is likely to cost around AUD$20 billion, will replace the six Collins-class submarines as they are retired from the mid-2020s onwards. Despite a negative public...

The US Long Range Strike Bomber: Future Roles, Capabilities and Challenges

Justin Bronk and Timothy Stafford

The US Air Force (USAF) strategic bomber force – comprised of B-2, B-1B and B-52 heavy bombers – serves two purposes. The first is to project conventional striking power and extend deterrence over intercontinental distances. The round-trip of over 11,000 miles made by B-2s operating out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to hit targets in Libya in 2011 is just one example of this unique...

The P-8 Decision: Why No Competition, Why No Dates, Why No Costs?

Trevor Taylor

One of the more eye-catching commitments in the 2015 SDSR was the decision to buy nine Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the US without a formal competition, even though there were a significant number of potential bidders ready to offer innovative solutions to the maritime patrol capability gap. The (implicit) justification for the government’s decision was probably that the inclusion of a...

Refuelling the Ambition: SDSR 2015’s Combat Air Oversight

Justin Bronk

Given the prior expectations, the 2015 SDSR has been a good one for the armed services. However, most would agree that the RAF in particular has done particularly well with the announcement of two more Typhoon squadrons (although without any extra aircraft), nine P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance aircraft, an extension of the Sentinel force, and a commitment to all 138...