Rob Lesslie

Just some guy, you know (with apologies to Douglas Adams). Quite keen on Agile.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

When FaceID comes to the Mac, will we finally get focus follows eyes?

[John Foreman CBE @John_ForemanCBE]

Some errors in this piece which misses one key point: without a proven, deployable air defence capability vs emerging hyper fast and ballistic missiles the RN won't meet its commitments to the UK and oversea territories, be able to escort a UK task group, nor meet its NATO or OOA responsibilities.

There's no operational analysis for any of this.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW All other problems aside (and I think there are lots) that image shows 64 cells. With weapons costing ~1.5 million pounds each, who is going to sign off on ~£100 million of missiles on a ship with no crew?

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FoxTwo2022 @FennellJW You’ve quoted that very tightly.
“especially when the job does not require a large, manpower-intensive combatant”. While there may be jobs USVs can do, AAW of a task group against manoeuvring hypersonics and MRBMs isn’t in that set.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@A_Fine_Rosey @BearJFK That would be even more expensive.
The USAF has already integrated F-35A for B61-12.
For Tempest we’d have to build & certify an entirely bomb.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@the_mantress @Gabriel64869839 @PVHaltonOBE We already don’t have enough AAW ships (or AD more widely). We need to get on with a T45 replacement immediately.
These systems may have a part to play, and we should allow them time to develop & mature, but we must not delay the T45 replacement else we’ll do another T23 fuck up.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@the_mantress @Gabriel64869839 @PVHaltonOBE *if*
In an environment where the EW spectrum will be heavily contested and may be effectively denied. Without assured access to space.
On vessels which require mechanical reliability that has never been demonstrated.
I wouldn’t bet on it. No one else is either.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW @FoxTwo2022 No one else on earth thinks that can be done without big, high power radars, lots of VLS cells, and the concomitant large crewed ships to hold all that & generate enough power.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW @FoxTwo2022 Ukraine is not doing air defence for a task group at sea against threats ranging from small & slow drones, through sea skimming cruise missiles, to ballistic missiles, manoeuvring hypersonic weapons, and exo-atmospheric interceptions.

[Gabriele Molinelli @Gabriel64869839]

Type 83 decision could be the most demented in a long time. Those ships are floating radars and high performance interceptor missile batteries for high end air and anti-missile defence.

Nowhere in world has any real progress been made towards a "drone" ship that can do THAT (1)

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW @Ho88sy @fharris2011 Again it is ‘and’, not ‘or’. I would think a derivative of SAMP/T (Sea Viper ashore?) with onshore production of Aster would be better than the current approach of doing sod all.
That T83 will take time means we should get on with it NOW and not be distracted.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW @Ho88sy @fharris2011 What’s a drone going to do against a ballistic missile or sabotage to our CNI?
They should supplemental not replacement wholesale.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@pinstripedline Given the threats we face and the tasks we ask of the RN, is it changing for the better? I fear defence has drunk the koolaid and the treasury is happy to go along with it.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@rossjamesparker @Mr_Andrew_Fox It will be additional.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW @UKDefJournal

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@McmeekinIan @felix_sears *15%

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@Rabientissimus @EllenAMilligan The MoD’s number was 28 billion.

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@Arron_banks He’s in the wrong party

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@FennellJW Bloomberg reports that the government thinks there is https://t.co/WzysP2MpMs

[Rob Lesslie @roblesslie]

@thinkdefence Unquestionably, and IMHO the Astute submarine saga is the best example of this. There is no point having any more until the ones we've already paid for are usable more of the time. They do not provide a reliable capability.