Bovington Show

[17-21l]

Being a local Lad with local values (??) I only go to the LOCAL show, at Bovington Tank museum ( I must try and get out a bit more and get to these big affairs).  May I ask why Pendraken have stopped appearing at said show?? - tis a long way down I confess.  The Salutes etc must be fantastic - I would probably be like a bairn in a sweet shop, 2nd morgage would be needed.

[Ben Waterhouse]

Yes I always like Bovvy, (even if full of trackheads!)

[17-21l]

Hey! - Im an ex-track head (23 years man and boy) If you aint Cav you aint

God save the Queen

[Ben Waterhouse]

Hey! - Im an ex-track head (23 years man and boy) If you aint Cav you aint

God save the Queen

Bite!

Royal Regiment me.

[Leon]

As nice as it is to come down to the Bovington for a look round, as a business, we weren't even covering the cost of the petrol getting down there.

[17-21l]

Yea - thought that twas the case- shame like - but hey - got to be worth your while to travel so far

[Stefanpanzer]

Great show nevertheless

[Dave Fielder]

The Royal Marines now has its own Armoured Corps (once again - 1st time in WW2) the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group (RMASG), with the Armoured Support Company (ASC) conducting training at the ranges Bovington. The Viking is a mighty fine fighting platform producing great effect on operations.

[17-21l]

Mate! Viking is not a Armoured Fighting Veh, I live in Bovy and as for a Corps worth of RM? no sir -probably 4-6 Vikings-hardly a Corps. Good lads though and very professional.

God save the Queen

[nikharwood]

Ooh - this'll be fun...we've got someone telling a serving RM Major that he's wrong the RMs

<stands back & watches> 

[17-21l]

Nikki - I'm ex serving  darling - 23 years man and boy - I know what Im talking about too - theres probably 1 corps worth of troops ( fighting) in the entire British army nowadays. The RM may call it a Corps - but it isnt in the sense of size- Dave knows what Im on about.
(PS - see how I can gob off on the net - Im git brave me like)

God save the Queen

[Kebabman]

If you need to give light infantry AFVs I would suggest replacing the whole formation with a regular infantry battalion.Light infantry should be used as light infantry...........What are they doing out there,p*****g away elite light infantry in semi armoured patrol vehicles.

[Dave Fielder]

They way the guys have been using the Viking in Afgn it is definetly a 'fighting vehicle' although the purists class it as protected mobility. Also, the quicker we (the RM) can get more involved with our core skills of amphibious contingency operations the better it will be for the UK PLC. I foresee a smally problem off the coast of Somalia that will involved a medium sized littoral intervention (i.e. Bde sized amphibious raid) getting ashore and destroying the base of operations that the pirates operate from. That will keep the seas clear.

The RM is a Corps in the same way that the RLC is. We do not claim to be anything larger as there is a max of 7000 bootnecks at anyone time. The Training Coy at Bovington should have up to 16 vehicles but many are either undergoing upgrades, being used on Salisbury plain or are VUR. The ASG is larger providing up to 64 vehs in theatre, but we hope to be able to re-deploy them back to the UK once other protected vehicles get into Helmand, freeing them up for amphibious stuff.

I just hope that the Strategic Defence Review after the General Election doesn't cock it all up for the the UK's deployable Amphibious Capability. Get rid of that and we become a brown water nation only i.e. forget being able to intervene anywhere. No Amphibous capability = No Royal Navy = No more maritime capability for the UK = UK becomes the military equivalent to Belgium.

[Steve J]

I wouldn't hold your breath Dave. My good friends wife works in MoD procurement at Abbey Wood in Bristol and ALL projects have been put on hold indefinately. Things are so bad that they cannot afford to lay off staff as they cannot pay the redundancy money! Even Urgent Operational Requirement projects are going on hold as it is 'quicker' to buy more of the existing equipment rather than putting into theatre equipment that the troops deserve.

We do a lot of design and R&D work for a global defence manufacturere and most of their projects are on hold. With this and the above, I think it fair to say that there will be stringent cuts across the board.

[nikharwood]

Nikki - I'm ex serving  darling

That's *very* friendly y'know...I don't think you know me well enough to call me 'Nikki'or 'darling' - but I'll let you have these just this once