Oh nothing really just wanted to share

I never worked with Australians during my Navy time, but I've always understood them to have a good reputation.

The 8 Anzac class frigates underwent modernization a few years ago, including installation of phased-array radar. They carry Enhanced Sea Sparrow missiles and are fitted "for but not with" Phalanx CIWS. Phalanx is a fairly easy installation, conceived for fitting to ships not originally designed for it; for example they were placed on three? Canadian ships for the Gulf War. Perhaps we could provide them if the Australians chose to participate.

 

What do you think of its size and composition?

 

I don't know that much about Australia's economy or politics, but one thing that strikes me is they've kept a fairly consistent size navy over the years. They went into WWII with six cruisers and five destroyers. Of course there was a massive increase during the war, but since then they've generally had about a dozen destroyers and frigates, plus numerous patrol craft etc. Some excellent landing craft like the Balikpapen class and HMAS Tobruk (I'm a fan of the classic LST). Larger ships, there was a battle cruiser in WWI, a couple of aircraft carriers into the 1970s, and now the two amphibious assault ships, sometimes considered potential F-35 carriers. A few submarines, up to six, but now considering a significant expansion, including nuclear power.

 

Do you consider this current mix useful?

 

Well China is the Foe of foes…We are about keeping the lanes clear in the South China Sea. I realise that the Navy is small…seems to me woefully small…And the ships we build are always basically fitted out…It’s part of not escalating the region, or being aggresive in a region that does not want to be militarised…But if you want to actually FIGHT in todays waters, we look like…New Zealand!

 

Basically. I'd like to see a few more high-end ships like the Hobarts, and of course a larger navy overall would be good. The big question is devoting a larger share of the budget to submarines, have to think some more about that.

I've never liked the "for but not with" concept, building a $200 or $500 million ship and trying to save $1 million - which you may end up spending later anyway. Other countries like Greece and Turkey have MEKO frigates similar to the Anzacs, and they were fully armed from the start.

I've mentioned before my dislike for the LHD concept, although it seems to be the going thing these days, even for the Chinese whom you wouldn't think would have budget constraints. It's particularly inappropriate if one might want to use the ships as VSTOL carriers.

 

Does this shit keep you up at night? It probably should…
Is this evidence that we live in a simulation? How can it possibly know we are watching or not? Why does it matter?
People talk of a simulation…an experiment run by who? Some say ourselves in the future…some say a fat alien kid with no friends.
If you look at religion, they all say that God is not of Earth, He created it, He wasn’t born on Earth…So although none have said it…God must be an Alien. We instinctively know this…we look up into space when we talk to Him…We instinctively know He is ‘out there’. Religion says he created the Universe and can change any parameter He wants…There have been some fantasy fiction stories that deal with people creating new worlds and how difficult it is to create one that doesn’t collapse quickly, create one that is sustainable…Imagine someone creating this experiment…To them they set it in motion with an explosion, to them the experiment is over in minutes or a couple of hours…but those inside the explosion experience it over billions of years, slowly unfolding in the explosion…

 

B-17G training schematic for emergency equipment, exit locations and crew's order of exit.

 

What this B-25 needs is a rocket launcher…

 

What are those pipe-like things? The hole with two of them was originally for a 75mm cannon. I believe the four .50-calibers make this a B-25H.

 

Rockets…Although I’m not sure how they are fired…
B-25 with rocket launcher in nose at Wright Field | World War Photos
Looks like a mock-up…or something other than rockets.