Steve B

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@SkySportsF1 - this is some next level British bias shit

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@JAParker29 @SIPRIorg All that's missing is a line representing what successive governments 'promised' in their successive whitepapers against actual.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@OVelvet239 @FranklinVH2 Do you really think any other defence company is any different/better? Just because they don't admit it doesn't mean they also aren't profiteering from war and prioritising profits over protection for service men & women

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@SWDWilliam @AlexLuck9 @zbz555 But Aus doesn't plan to field a cruiser (NATO designation). 055 VLS can't quad pack short range air defence missiles (HQ-16) Vs ESSM in Mk41 VLS. Hobart class can carry 48 ESSM + 36 larger missiles + 8 NSM in deck launchers (which 055 also can't do). Gap isn't as big as it seems

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@SWDWilliam @AlexLuck9 @zbz555 At least in Australia the LOCSVs are bring used to complement the surface fleet rather than replace it in the UK. RAN will have a larger crewed surface fleet than RN soon.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@nicholadrummond This reminds me of the 'airpower is all we need' conversations post Desert Storm.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@AlanKohler, while I agree we need to shift toward taxing wealth vs income, why not just make any asset value used as collateral for a loan be considered a CGT event? Stops the super wealthy using loans to hide gains from existing taxes without creating a new tax.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@AlexLuck9 Completely agree that B2 is going to go for much longer.

Last time I spoke to B2 crews they were looking forward to B21 taking the non-nuclear roles so they could get back to their 'core business'. But that's well into 30s before B21 is fully mature and fielded at scale.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@AlexLuck9 I'd hazard the plan is the B-21 takes over the role in the future as it'll be much more numerous, and this is an interim solution. Which adds more fuel to the B-21 as a hedge/compliment to AUKUS

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@JAParker29 I don't find 'lots of gold braid, nor his other comments to be ridicule, the pomp and ceremony is part of being in the military and attraction to that is a factor for some. But I'm Air Force not Navy so maybe I'm not as sensitive.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@thinkdefence With a change in PM it's entirely pointless though right? A new PM will have a new strategy and new plan for the country next year so this documents shelf life is limited - even if they publicly support it tomorrow

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@vasilyaarkhipov If you want large weapons payload at the same time as cutting edge penetrating stealth - that's a bomber not a fighter.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@thinkdefence I was thinking about Healey coming back yesterday and came to the same conclusion. But noting his reaction to the DIP I don't think he'll want to be seen to be associated with it at all. Maybe a handful of key projects funded but a new DIP to be developed? So more delay?

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@stephendziedzic No major defence procurement has ever been required to have a publicly stated 'hedge'. Not Attack class, not F-35, not Hunter, none.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@thinkdefence True, but those stockpiles are there to counter a threat from Russia. If you have the opportunity to expend munitions to degrade that threat & erode Russian power now while outsourcing the human cost & facing no direct retaliation, why wouldn't you?

[Steve B @Wigles5]

Hey @YorkshireTea is there a shortage of the good stuff down in the colonies?? My local has been empty for a week now!

@TheSpiffingBrit - I know you know people on the inside 🧐 can you hook a downunder brother up?

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@ItsTheEnforcer Anything to distract from the disaster of the secretary quitting and the impending underfunding disclosure.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@ItsTheEnforcer surely this was an Iranian test of Trump... Trump tells Iran that he has Israel under control to gain trust in peace negotiations, Iran uses failure of ceasefire in Lebanon to test Trumps control of Israel. Israel's response makes Trump look weak - Iran gets a win

[OSINTdefender @sentdefender]

Tonight’s retaliatory strikes by the Israeli Air Force reportedly targeted Iranian missile launch sites and other military bases operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with possible strikes also targeting aircraft at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.

[Steve B @Wigles5]

@clashreport Didn't trump just the other day say that the majority of the document was about the nuclear issue?