Videos and links for 15/03/2013

It's that time again... for me to cop out of doing a proper article and fill space on the blog, push page views etc, by presenting this weeks videos and links. Let it begin!

We start this week with HMS Protector, who's been down south on patrol. In particular they've been investigating the results of clean up operations after the 1989 grounding of the Argentine vessel MV Bahia Paraiso, which spilled 170,000 gallons of diesel into the waters around McMurdo Sound, and making sure no further fuel is leaking into the sea. Two videos (with admittedly some slightly rubbish music) and a link with more details about the diving operations. Please note that the first video goes black after about 3 minutes and was not edited properly, so the remaining 3 minutes are just a black screen.

Unfortunately I'll have to use links, because blogger has decided that today is the day when it's going to have one of its fits. Part 1 and part 2 of the videos. And the link with more about the divers.

Sticking with the Royal Navy - in fact I've just realised that all this weeks links and videos are related to the Navy - a look inside the layout of the new Queen Elizabeth Class carriers. The picture comes from the July 2010 edition of Navy News. The magazine is available online, but because of the way the picture is uploaded (it was originally a centrefold) you have to keep flicking back and forth between the two pages in order to read the key.

That's quite annoying, but luckily a poster over at Think Defence had presumably been doing the same sort of late night meandering across the web as I had. He found a copy of the picture which has been uploaded as one piece, which is rather handy and that's the one I'm going to link to. Sorry Navy News!

Queen Elizabeth class carrier interior. For those without the time to read the key etc just yet, then obviously the top deck is the flight deck, with a forward island for navigation and a rear island for handling flight operations. Below that you can see the hangar, with crew berths towards the front, and offices to the side and rear which make up the ships office complex, mainly dedicated to air operations. The deck shown below that has more quarters at the front, mess facilities in the middle, and officers quarters towards the rear. The lowest deck shown houses the engines, machinery spaces, and stores areas. 

Next up, the Royal Marines have been on exercise in France as part of Exercise Gaelic Venture, bringing together naval infantry elements from our two countries. Link here. Meanwhile HMS Northumberland has been taking part in a major international exercise off the coast of Pakistan, as 27 nations come together to practice naval gunnery, counter-piracy, cross decking, and search & rescue operations. Link here.

And finally a look inside the F-35 - well, at least a cockpit simulator - showing how pilots can use the onboard systems to engage both air and ground targets. This is one of the selling points about F-35 that doesn't get talked about much, something that will likely transfer to all future fighter aircraft, which is the improved interface and controls that will make it easier for pilots to manage the huge amount of information that a modern combat aircraft can generate. Link to the video here.

Which brings us to the end of todays excuse for a post. The next thing on my list is to question the value of making decisions based solely on economics, as we seem to now. 

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