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| Britain |
| Is our government completely mad? |
| 2005-11-01 |
| Via EU Referendum, Raenorth's link in the comments goes astray, but I'm sure it's around someplace. The Union's already got something on their site. The only military explosives factory left in the UK is to be closed down, with production possibly moving to Bordeaux France, in a deal between the factory operator BAE Land Systems and the state owned French company Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs (SNPE). The unit to be closed is the former Royal Ordnance factory in Bridgewater, Somerset, now owned by BAE Land systems. It not only makes explosives for artillery shells, bombs and solid fuel for missiles, but also produces unique components for Britain's nuclear weapons. The closure is one of two announced by BAE, the other at Chorley, near Preston in Lancashire, which produces ammunition, another facility vital to the security of Britain's defences.... --Snip-- |
| Posted by:anonymous2u |
| #21 Baka baka. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-11-01 14:23 |
| #20 To be honest if the Argies had half a brain amung their leadership (like grabbing the islands during the winter when Naval action would have been useless) the Britts couldn't have retaken the Falklands in the first place. I'm sure that's one lesson they've figured out by now. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz (no T!) 2005-11-01 13:52 |
| #19 Specifics on my last post. From EUReferendum... "Speaking to the House of Commons Defence Committee, Lord Drayson apparently told MPs that the MoD had dropped the target day of 2012 for the delivery of the first carrier, with the second to follow by 2015. No new date could be set pending âcriticalâ negotiations with defence contractors who were to build the ships." |
| Posted by: AlanC 2005-11-01 13:21 |
| #18 Those 2 CVs have also been put off beyond the date at which current ships are to be decommissioned. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2005-11-01 12:56 |
| #17 The CVs to be built in France for the RN will be considerably more potent than the baby carriers they operate now. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-01 12:42 |
| #16 Britain could not defend the Falklands today, nor Gibralter if the Spanish really wanted it. Hardly true, for if the British are in less than perfect shape the Argentines and Spanish are in far worse. With 2 CVs on the way (maybe built in France too) and the Ocean already deployed, re-enforceing the Falklands or Gibraltar becomes much easier. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-01 12:33 |
| #15 They need to outsource morons who make idiotic decisions like this. Even a Palestinian wingnut would know better. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2005-11-01 12:31 |
| #14 From British nuclear forces, 2005 It is important to note that there is not a set of Trident IIs specifically dedicated to British use. Rather Britain draws on a pool of commingled missiles kept in the Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. Britain has title to 58 missiles but does not own them; a missile that was deployed on a U.S. sub may later deploy on a British sub, or vice versa. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-01 12:24 |
| #13 Not on short notice if we don't already manufacture their calibre. As I understand it they were dependent in GWII for artillery on a Belgian factory that refused to sell to them and so had shrotages. Britain will soon be able to act unilaterally. Britain could not defend the Falklands today, nor Gibralter if the Spanish really wanted it. |
| Posted by: Sninter Cholutle3658 2005-11-01 12:18 |
| #12 All your base are belong to us I saw a video snippet of that a few months ago; it's funny and redefines the word 'cheesy' in so many ways! |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-11-01 12:15 |
| #11 BAE Systems runs the former Holston Army Ammunition Plant here in Kingsport, Tennessee. It's kind of ironic that they have provided the fireworks for the last two 4th of July fireworks displays here. Most of the management is British but they kept the operations people. This plant makes quite a lot of the explosives used by our military. I worked on the design for the newest hand grenade while contracted out to them before BAE took over. The Brits can always buy from us. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-11-01 11:58 |
| #10 Napoleon is dancing a jig in his coffin. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-01 11:53 |
| #9 ... the state owned French company Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs (SNPE) Snipe? |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-11-01 11:31 |
| #8 Cyber Sarge, snarky comments make the baby Jesus cry. Why don't you google "all your base are belong to us," and learn something. |
| Posted by: Master of Obvious 2005-11-01 11:28 |
| #7 Isn't the normal pattern these days when closing a production site... to reopen in China? Why did they choose to go to a country that has higher labour costs? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-11-01 11:22 |
| #6 And I got some ideas of who they'll call for backup. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-11-01 11:11 |
| #5 Well, anybody want to guess what the nationality of the tyrant that overruns Britain and can only be expelled with the loss of millions of lives will be? No idea what nation he'll be from, but I got some ideas about how often he'll pray and whether he'll be concerned with the direction he's facing at the time. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-11-01 11:02 |
| #4 Well, anybody want to guess what the nationality of the tyrant that overruns Britain and can only be expelled with the loss of millions of lives will be? I think we can narrow the list to two dozen or so. /I'm betting on the Frogs or the Dons |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-11-01 11:00 |
| #3 MOO, keep on those phonics tapes you'll get it soon. Head your ass up full, ears hear pop pull. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-11-01 10:59 |
| #2 All your base are belong to US. |
| Posted by: Master of Obvious 2005-11-01 10:54 |
| #1 Somehow, putting the UK's defense in the hands of the French doesn't strike me as a sane move. Your government has lost it. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-01 10:43 |