▲ 61 r/F1Manager
VSC was probably the right call
Ocon is missing all of his wheels.
u/peadar87 — 26 days ago
▲ 392 r/ireland
Irish Defence Forces
There's been a wee bit of chat recently about the defence forces and how they are viewed as, to put it charitably, small and underfunded.
I had a chat with a friend of mine who's worked on British subs, and we got to chatting about what Ireland's defence forces could look like if we spent in line with what other similar European nations are doing.
This is a super-rough, "just for fun" kind of thing, but I thought the sub might be interested in what we came up with.
Western nations are generally aiming for about 2% of GDP. Ireland uses GNI* to correct for multinationals, but the long and the short is that our budget is going to be about €6bn. Current budget is in and around €1.7bn.
And as a really rough estimation of costs, I've assumed capital costs are spread over 20 years, so 5% per year, then operating costs are 10% of upfront costs per year, and staffing costs are a further 10% on top of that, so any weapons systems are budgeted at 25% of their purchase cost per year, infrastructure at 15% of their purchase cost per year. No faffing about with initial upfront costs then lower operating costs, just to keep things simple.
Infrastructure
At the moment we've got some good infrastructure, some less good.
We ended up splitting this into:
-Radar and air defence network
5 overlapping radar stations with an effective range of 120km at Malin, Erris Head, Loop Head, Kinsale and the Bluestacks giving full cover to the coast. €100m each, €500m total, so €125m/year budgeting.
Four permanent SAM batteries with integrated radar defending Dublin, Haulbowline, a command facility in the midlands, and Shannon. Two roving SAM batteries split between six additional sites along the coast. Aim isn't to have complete SAM coverage, but for there always to be SAMs protecting the main military sites, and a chance that there *might* be SAMs elsewhere, so people can't plan around flying in unopposed.
A NASAMS 3-launcher battery with integrated radar costs in and around €100m, so six of them total gives €675m/yr to finance, operate and staff.
Then a stockpile of 600 missiles at ~€3m each, €1.8bn over 20 years, annual cost of €90m/yr.
-HQ upgrades
Navy stays at Haulbowline, shore facilities, workshops, cranage, fuel and munitions stores upgraded. Estimated €750m over 20 years, plus increased staffing costs, €112.5m/yr
Air Corps jets to be based at Shannon, hardened hangars, fuel stores, munitions storage, taxiways, secure separate compound, €500m over 20 years, plus increased staffing and ops costs €75m/yr.
Curragh to get increased accommodation capacity, training facilities, vehicle maintenance, another €500m over 20 years, €75m/year.
-Command and Control facilities
New combined command and control facility for naval, air and ground forces to be built somewhere in the midlands (Mullingar or Athlone) to decentralise command from Dublin, and be somewhere difficult to strike. €800m over 20 years, €120m/year.
Total fudgey number for infrastructure upgrades: ~€1.25bn/yr
Air Corps
Fast jets:
18x Saab Gripens. Relatively cheap all-rounder, can intercept, patrol, and engage ships and ground targets if pressed. Based at Shannon, but can be kept in readiness at Knock or Donegal. Cost €100m/jet, €1.8bn total, €450m/year to finance, operate and staff.
Utility Aircraft:
4x Airbus C295 MPA - Maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare variant
2x Airbus C295 M - Transport and utility variant
2x Airbus C295 AEW&C - Airborne early warning and control variant
€130m each, €1.4bn in total, €260m/yr
All based at Shannon. We already operate two of the maritime patrol versions, and one of the transport ones. Adding the radar/early warning variants and additionals of the other two types gives redundancy and allows capability to be maintained while aircraft are down for maintenance.
Helicopters (based at Baldonnel):
10x Airbus H145M. Versatile, can be used in ground attack, search and rescue, medevac, light transport roles, with up to 9 passengers.
10x AW159 Wildcat. Naval specialised version for ship operations. Ugly as all hell.
10 of each gives a reasonable expectation that 4 of each will be operating at any one time, 3 in active reserve, and 3 undergoing overhaul.
€50m each, €1bn total, €250m/yr for helicopters.
Total for the air corps, €960m/yr
Naval Service
4x FREMM frigates. Most capable anti-submarine ship that will fit in our existing dry docks in Cobh. 4 gives us a reasonable expectation that one or two will always be available, one or two in active reserve/training, the final one undergoing maintenance. Designed to act as a drone mothership and allow helicopter operations. €1bn each, €4bn total, €1bn/yr.
4x Damen OPV-2600 Offshore Patrol Vessels
Modern, capable patrol vessels, capable of supporting helicopters and drones.
€220m each, €880m total, €220m/yr
4x Samuel Beckett Class OPVs
Current fleet. Upgrade sensor suites and drone capabilities.
€100m including upgrades, €400m total, €100m/yr
Idea would be that patrol boats are there to monitor and track threats until one of the FREMMs can be called in if needed.
With between 2 and 4 helicopter-capable ships on duty at any one time, we should have enough active helicopters to assign at least one per ship, depending on mission profile.
1x Joint Support Ship (Similar to Karel Doorman Class)
To support longer-term or longer-distance naval ops, troop deployments, transport, medical and disaster relief. €600m, €150m/yr. Very, very ugly ship.
2x A26 Blekinge Class Submarines
Super-quiet Swedish diesel-electric sub, capable of patrol, using marine drones, and supporting special forces. €800m each, €1.6bn total, €400m/yr. Plus €90m/yr in additional sub-related shoreside infrastructure.
Total for naval service: €1.96bn/yr
Army:
(This is where the costs get even fuzzier, because neither me nor my pal were *that* interested in the ground side)
3 lightly mechanised infantry regiments, ~1,500 soldiers each, with light armoured transport. Existing forces are based in €750m/yr
1 artillery/heavy fire support regiment, ~1,500 soldiers, self-propelled 155mm guns and anti-air. €300m/yr.
1 engineer regiment, ~1,500 soldiers, important for disaster relief. €200m/yr.
1 cavalry regiment, armoured recon, drone/UAV operations. ~1,500 soldiers. €200m/yr.
1 logistics/support regiment, includes signals, medical, logistics and transport, ~3,000 soldiers. €500m/yr.
Total ~€1.95bn/yr
Each regiment split up into 3 battalions.
At any one time you would have one brigade formed of an infantry regiment, supported by a battalion each of artillery, engineers, cavalry and logistics, on active duty, another brigade in training/reserve, and the remaining regiment resting.
Anyway, in total that gives us a reasonably flexible and capable force, focused on monitoring and securing our oceans and airspace, with a small ground contingent capable of holding their own in peacekeeping operations and disaster relief.
Total back-of-the-envelope annual costs come out at:
Expansion of infrastructure: ~€380m
Radar + Air Defence: ~€1.25bn
Air Corps: ~€960m
Naval Service: ~€2.05bn
Army: €1.95bn
Giving a total of €6.54bn/yr, or 2.16% of GNI*
Anyway, fun wee exercise for a certain type of person!
u/peadar87 — 3 months ago
▲ 29 r/glasgow
Knights Templar clothing at work
Somebody on my floor at work is coming into work in a jacket with Knights Templar and crusader patches sewn onto it. Specifically this flag: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Bandeira_Templ%C3%A1ria.svg
And this flag:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/8147hv1l10L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg
Is there any non-white supremacist reason he might be doing that, before I start pishing in his pockets when he leaves it on the coat rack?
u/peadar87 — 3 months ago
▲ 1.4k r/Championship
Forest announce new crest
In the event that Southampton are promoted
u/peadar87 — 3 months ago
▲ 14 r/glasgow
Flixbus
I've booked intercity buses with Flix twice. Both times the bus just hasn't turned up at Buchanan. No announcements or explanation, just a no show with the bus disappearing off the departures board.
Ordinarily I'd think it was me being stupid and going to the wrong stance or something, but both times there have been other folk waiting for the same bus.
Am I uniquely unlucky, or are Flix genuinely just providing this shit of a service?
Edit: Update, waiting on the return leg of my trip now. 20 minutes overdue. No update from Flix. Currently crafting a complaint email so savage that the Scottish franchise hopefully gets taken off of McGill's immediately.
u/peadar87 — 3 months ago
▲ 133 r/Thunderbirds
To share with u/frakkintoaster7
Basically just moved the engines to somewhere that made more sense for balancing mass, thrust and drag. and as a bonus it puts them further away from the pilots, so all that sweet, nourishing radiation can be saved for paying passengers.
u/peadar87 — 4 months ago
▲ 41 r/glasgow
So this started off as an idle sketch when I had a few minutes free at work, and kind of grew legs. I thought the group might be interested to see and critique.
The basic concept is a ring-radial network, using existing lines as much as possible, and trying to make it reasonably easy to travel around the city without having to go into the city centre and back out again.
Unrealistic and expensive, I'm sure, but it was a fun thought experiment. And I'm sorry if it would mean bulldozing your house.
I tried to split the project into three main phases:
Phase 1: Rearrangement of current services so you have some circumferential services (Yellow Middle Orbital Line, Teal Outer Orbital Line) and upgrade some stations to allow them to be used as interchanges in the future (Shields Road, Duke Street, Jordanhill, Springburn, Cardonald), but no major construction works.
Phase 2: Construction of new links to allow a full circular middle orbital (New Clyde crossing from Garscadden to Braehead, Link from Dalmarnock to Duke Street via Parkhead, Reopen Paisley Canal to Elderslie, Build a spur from the Greenock line to the airport, connect Barrhead to Hawkhead to help circumferential movement in the south-west)
Phase 3:
Extra links so the Middle Orbital doesn't have to share with radial services (Cardonald to Shawlands via Bellahouston, Rutherglen to Burnside to clear up the West Coast Main Line).
Put in tram links to fill in gaps in the radial network (Maryhill tram using the old line under Kelvingrove and through the Botanics, Airport tram via Renfrew, Cathkin tram via Polmadie)
Edit: reddit seems to have reduced the quality of the image, if you want to see the zoomable, scrollable version, it's here: https://tennessine.co.uk/metro/abe3d06bf40ce00
u/peadar87 — 4 months ago