UK begins Gazelle helicopter replacement effort

Initial work is under way to replace the British Army's active fleet of 22 elderly Aérospatiale Gazelle AH1 helicopters, as the venerable type nears retirement.
Air Cdre Al Smith,declined to reveal the platform under consideration, or the timeline for any acquisition. The latter is driven by the out-of-service date for the Gazelle, which could be accelerated from a current target of 2025 if the type becomes more costly to support due to a shortage of spare parts.
Employed by the Army Air Corps in the reconnaissance and battlefield liaison role, the Gazelle also relies on a pool of what Smith describes as "really highly trained" flightcrew, who are used to operating as a single pilot in "quite challenging weather conditions".
flightglobal

British Army to start Watchkeeper flights in April

The British Army is within weeks of performing its first training flightsWatchkeeper unmanned air system.
The type “should commence flying from Boscombe Down in early March 2014.
The first flights from the MoD/Qinetiq flight test centre will be conducted in association with the Thales UK/Elbit Systems joint venture responsible for developing the tactical UAS.
Once these have been completed an initial release to service is expected to be authorised to allow the first military flights by the army from early April 2014.
The army’s Watchkeeper system will eventually comprise 54 air vehicles, 15 ground control stations and associated equipment.
flightglobal

Entran en servicio con el Ejercito Británico en Afganistán los Lynx AH9A modernizados/British Army's Lynx AH9A enters use in Afghanistan

El Ejército Británico ha empezado a utilizar los primeros helicópteros AgustaWestland Lynx AH9A modernizados en Afganistán. Dos unidades llegaron a la base de Camp Bastion a bordo de un C-17 de la RAF.
Equipan nuevos motores Honeywell/Rolls-Royce LHTEC CTS800-4N engines, y podrán volar a cualquier zona de Afganistán, algo que no podía hacerse con las versiones Lynx AH7/9s. Van armados con ametralladora de 12.7 mm., equipos de comunicaciones mejorados y nuevas medidas de autoprotección.
Desarrollarán misiones de escolta de convoy, reconocimiento, vigilancia, y transporte de tropas.
AgustaWestland modificará los 22 of the Lynx AH9 del ejército al nuevo standard.
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The British Army has successfully introduced its first upgraded AgustaWestland Lynx AH9A utility helicopters into frontline use in Afghanistan.
Two of the modified aircraft were delivered to Camp Bastion aboard a Royal Air Force Boeing C-17 strategic transport from Brize Norton in the UK, and entered operational use earlier this month.
Equipped with new Honeywell/Rolls-Royce LHTEC CTS800-4N engines, the AH9As will be capable of flying year-round in Afghanistan, unlike the army’s baseline Lynx AH7/9s. The modified aircraft also have M3M 12.7mm (0.50cal) machine guns, and improved communications, surveillance and self-protection equipment.

Roles to be performed with the Lynx AH9A include convoy overwatch, reconnaissance, surveillance, support helicopter escort and troop transport.
AgustaWestland is working to modify all 22 of the army’s Lynx AH9s to the enhanced standard.

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El Regimiento de Gibraltar entrena en el Reino Unido/Royal Gibraltar Regiment trains in the UK

Soldados del Real Regimiento de Gibraltar del Ejército británico, han realizado recientemente su ejercicio anual en el Reino Unido, en Sennybridge, Gales, donde pueden emplear instalciones de las que no disponen en el Peñón.
Se practicaron tácticas de infanteria en compañia de veinte soldados del ejército de Marruecos, país con el que se realizan maniobras en la zona del Sáhara.
Supongo que los lectores ya habrán adivinado, si no lo sabían ya, desde donde operaría la RAF y el Ejército Británico, en caso de que a alquien se le ocurriera recuperar la soberanía sobre Gibraltar.
MoD
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Soldiers from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have recently completed their annual four-week exercise in Sennybridge, South Wales, in the UK where they have made use of training facilities not available on The Rock.
During this period they practised all their basic infantry skills and relearned the art of living out in the open. Although the days were sunny and warm, night-time temperatures often dropped below zero.
It also tested the Regiment's ability to communicate by the use of radios across an area many times the size of Gibraltar
We have brought twenty Moroccan troops with us and that also makes us think about how we work in a multinational environment.
Soldiers' basic skills are learned here in Sennybridge and then adapted for use in Gibraltar. And everything that will be used later in the year on Exercise Jebel Sahara has been learned here.
very real safety measures in place.
MoD

Nuevo Vehiculo de Exploracion para el Ejército Británico/General Dynamics Wins U.K. Scout Contract

General Dynamics ha ganado el concurso para el nuevo vehículo de exploración del ejército británico y construirá 750 vehículos de nueva generación. El valor del contrato es de aproximadamente 1 billón de libras. El ASCOD 2 de General Dynamicas, ha sido el preferido sobre el CV-90 MkIII de BAE Systems.
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General Dynamics is the winner over BAE Systems in the race to build a new generation of armored reconnaissance vehicles for the British Army General Dynamics has been selected to build 750 next-generation armored reconnaissance vehicles for the British Army. The contract for scout variant of the British Army's Future Rapid Effects System vehicles is worth more than 1 billion pounds
General Dynamics' ASCOD 2 was in a head-to-head fight with BAE Systems' CV-90 MkIII.