Non slip paint on HMS Illustrious = reprieve for UK Harriers?

Scottish newspaper The Scotsman is reporting that non-slip paint that allow jet operations is being applied to the flight deck of the HMS Illustrious, currently undergoing refit to operate as a helicopter carrier. This has further fueled speculation that the RAF's Harrier fleet might be pulled out from retirement.

HMS Ark Royal put up for sale

For sale: Used aircraft carrier, one careful owner, 621,551 nautical miles on the odo. The UK Ministry of Defence has put the HMS Ark Royal up for sale, and individuals and organizations interested in purchasing the former flagship of the Royal Navy have to submit their proposals for the ship to the MoD for approval.

RAF Nimrod R.1 gains temporary reprieve from retirement

A pair of Royal Air Force's Nimrod R.1 signals intelligence aircraft have gained a stay of execution from retirement until June at least. The two planes are currently deployed in the Middle East and were due to have been officially retired at a ceremony at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on 31 March.

UK obligated to purchase 3 F-35Bs despite opting for F-35C

Despite reversing its decision to purchase the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in last year's Strategic Review, Britain is still paying £389m to buy up to three F-35Bs to conduct joint test and evaluation with the United States. The UK's subsequent JSF orders will be for the F-35C carrier takeoff/landing version.

2 more RAF Tornado squadrons to decommission

Two of the UK Royal Air Force's Panavia Tornado GR4 squadrons are to be decommissioned at the beginning of June, as the service's fleet of the type will be reduced to 136 aircraft. The two squadrons are RAF 13 Sqn and 14 Sqn, which are based at Marham and Lossiemouth respectively.

RAF 111 Sqn to disband next month

After nearly a century of existence, 111 Sqn at RAF Leuchars will disband with its Tornado F.3 interceptors next month. The squadron was formed in Palestine in 1917 and has served in numerous conflicts since then.

Further cuts could cost RAF its fleet of Tornados

And the cuts keep coming; The RAF's remaining Tornado ground attack aircraft could be rushed out of service because of a fresh spending crisis at the Ministry of Defence. If this option is chosen, the immediate withdrawal of the RAF's eight Tornado fighters in Afghanistan will occur, followed by an accelerated withdrawal of the rest of the fleet within three years.

HMS Ark Royal could become Thames heliport

The Royal Navy carrier HMS Ark Royal, scheduled to be decommissioned next month, could be converted into London's second heliport and moored at the Thames. The Ministry of Defence confirmed it was considering the plan, with the ship manned by around 150 former servicemen and cater to police helicopters and London’s air ambulance.

RAF Nimrod gains retirement noseart

© SAC Ben Stevenson/Crown Copyright via Flightglobal

With little more than six weeks to it's retirement, the Royal Air Force’s 51 Sqn has given Nimrod XV249 special nose art to commemorate more than three decades of service. The artwork depicts a goose, as used on the 51 Sqn crest.

Nimrod scrapping starts; described as "barbaric vandalism"

As reported earlier, the scrapping of the first of the RAF's cancelled Nimrod MRA.4 anti-submarine aircraft has started earlier this week. The decision has caused controversy and worries about a gap in the RAF's anti-submarine capabilities, and has been described as an act of "barbaric vandalism".

RAF bracing for Tornadoes, Chinooks to face further cuts

Hot on the heels of losing its Harriers and Nimrods, the RAF is bracing itself for further budget and capability cuts with its Tornadoes being slashed by more than half to just 60 jets, along with 12 Chinooks ordered by the previous government.

£4 billion fleet of Nimrods to be chopped up beginning next week

Private contractors will start scrapping the first of nine Nimrod MRA4 aircraft at their Cheshire base early next week. Each aircraft will be draped in tarpaulin and dismantled at a remote corner of the airfield. The controversial decision to scrap the Nimrods under last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review has caused bitterness among some.

Last Harrier jet launch from HMS Ark Royal

The end of 2 different eras, as the HMS Ark Royal launches Harriers for the last time. Both the ship and the Harriers are to be docomissioned by the Royal Navy and Air Force next month.

Catapults on RN CVF to cost up to £800m extra

Babcock, part of the consortium building the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, has estimated that installing catapults on one of the CVFs as planned will add up to £800m to the cost of the ship. The United Kingdom decided at the recent strategic review to install the catapults and purchase the carrier-capable F-35C instead of the STOVL F-35B JSF.

Costs, payload and range swayed UK's F-35C decision

The United Kingdom's vice defense chief has said that the high costs of the STOVL F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, coupled with the better payload and range of the carrier-based F-35C were the main factors that convinced the UK to switch to buying the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.

British Harriers to be up for sale

Following their axing in the recent UK's strategic review, the RAF's fleet of Harrier are to be put up for sale. However, defence officials and industry figures acknowledge that there are limited prospects of a quick sale

No decision yet on final UK JSF numbers

In the wake of the UK's publication of its strategic review, the government has stated that no decision has been made regarding the total number of F-35 JSF's to be ordered and may be delayed till 2015. However it has been revealed that only 12 JSFs would be placed on the envisaged operational aircraft carrier, down from an initially planned 36 and total numbers might drop from 138 to as few as 40.

Summary of UK's Strategic Defence and Security Review

The British Ministry of Defence has put up a summary of the changes which will occur as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review which has just been made public. Most of the details reported here yesterday have come to pass, and among other things:

• Either the HMS Ocean or HMS Illustrious will be decommissioned, and after a capabilities study comparing the two, instead of the HMS Illustrious as reported


• The upcoming buy of Chinooks will be reduced to 12 from 22


• The Nimrod MRA.4 program will be cancelled


• All RAF C-130s to be withdrawn ten years ahead of schedule in favour of the A400M

Details of UK Strategic Review emerging

Details of the UK's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) are beginning to emerge. The key points regards military aviation are:

• RAF Harriers to be withdrawn next year


• RAF to operate a smaller number of Tornadoes


• Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to operate helicopters for about 3 years from 2016, then be mothballed/sold


• Aircraft carrier HMS Price of Wales to be fitted with catapult and arrester gear


• Current fully operational carrier HMS Ark Royal will be scrapped


• Other carrier currently in inventory, HMS Illustrious will be withdrawn in 2014


• Royal Navy's F-35 JSFs, likely to be the carrier-capable F-35B version, to be operational in 2020

UK considers dumping STOVL F-35

The British government has hinted that it might consider dropping the purchase of the STOVL F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in favour of the F-35C carrier version for at least one of its Queen Elizabeth class CVFs. The move will allow would allow French and U.S. Navy jets to cross-deck with the British carrier.