http://www.car4play.com/forum Car4play forum en-gb Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:06:49 +0100 Copyright: Car4play webmaster@car4play.com (Technical) 5 car4play692342 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:06:49 +0100 >> Tanks were designed about 110 years ago to protect human occupants so they could do >> the fighting. If there aren't any, that protection is less necessary ? Kind of, First tanks were designed to take down barbed wire, drive over trenches and lay down some covering fire while the boots followed behind. They were used for this going forwards, but morphed into mobile artilery, and became a way of projecting ground power and raiding at great speed - over open flat ground. Russians built a gazzilion to push west across the german border Not to be found on the roads to Kiev. wrong war wrong tool And now, drones and other tank destroying munitions has made them innefective, worse cluttering up and blocking the assault following behind http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692342&v=e car4play692341 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:37:12 +0100 Warfare has changed beyond all recognition over the last 5 years. Conventional weapons may now be almost entirely obsolete. US attacks on Iran using $bns of equipment and munitions have not succeeded - they will not risk 100,000++ boots on the ground likely incurring substantial losses. Iran now know they have a hold over western economies through closure of Hormuz using cheap drones. The same is largely true in Ukraine. Russia expected victory in a couple of weeks. In contrast to the US, Russia put boots on the ground and casualties have been horrendous. Advance is largely stalled. Ukraine uses drones to attack targets 100's of miles behind the border in Russia. Ballistic missiles cost £10m++ each. Cruie missiles £2-5m each. Smaller drones cost less than £1000. Longer range with larger warheads £5-15k. They are manufactured in the 1000's. Interception by current air defence systems using missiles costing £100k+, or fighter jets costing £10-100m is unsustainable, altough It is likely cheaper interceptors will be developed. Even if Fairford had the defences to combat a drone attack, a mass assault involving 50+ are unlikely all to be intercepted. One or two will get through - hitting a $300m aircreaft will likely write it off or put it out of action for months or years. To launch 50+ drones would of course require a terrorist operation of some size - but possibly no more than the 3 transit vans and 6 blokes parked up within a few miles of the airfield. To substantially secure an airfield from drone attack requires a surrounding high security exclusion zone extending toossibly) 10-30 miles enabling detection and reaction to offensive activity. This may be possible in the US - greater land area, law enforcement etc etc. Fairford has numerous major roads within 20 miles (M4 etc) + large towns in the vicinity - Oxford, Swindon, Gloucester. A committed drone attack is a real risk. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692341&v=e car4play692336 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:31:48 +0100 >> Tanks? fared and performed very badly in the Ukraine conflict. probably need to rethink them >> Tanks were designed about 110 years ago to protect human occupants so they could do the fighting. If there aren't any, that protection is less necessary ? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692336&v=e car4play692335 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:28:41 +0100 >> I assume that all these drones are powered by batteries that will of course all be recycled.......from their million pieces >> I doubt that any drone could achieve the speed we see on video powered purely by batteries - tho of course batteries will do all the controlling. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692335&v=e car4play692332 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:48:51 +0100 >> Should we still be thinking in terms of fighters and tanks? Fighters, probably should, most employed now in stand off mode with fire and guide munitions, need to be Hardened aircraft shelters when not flying tho, Ruskies thought distance from action was enough - it wasnt. Tanks? fared and performed very badly in the Ukraine conflict. probably need to rethink them http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692332&v=e car4play692331 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:13:38 +0100 >> Should we still be thinking in terms of fighters and tanks? >> Not exclusively no, but they certainly shouldn't be removed from any future plans. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692331&v=e car4play692330 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:07:14 +0100 >>Should we still be thinking in terms of fighters and tanks? Absolutely not! But in this green and eco and zero emissions targets etc I assume that all these drones are powered by batteries that will of course all be recycled.......from their million pieces http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692330&v=e car4play692328 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:02:11 +0100 >> Story is they fear a drone attack that could take out all the planes in >> one go. That's modern warfare for us. Should we still be thinking in terms of fighters and tanks? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692328&v=e car4play692321 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:09:20 +0100 Story is they fear a drone attack that could take out all the planes in one go. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692321&v=e car4play692313 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:45:47 +0100 I think both of those are very unlikely to be reasons why. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692313&v=e car4play692311 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:06:20 +0100 >The risk won't be any different in Suffolk to Gloucestershire. Why would they. Balderdash. The immediate risk will be different at every facility depending on how attractive it is as a target and how difficult it would be to attack it. Of course we could do a Brize Norton and give all RAF bases a rainbow pedestrian crossing. That should do the trick. >They've gone home at the end of a long deployment. Yeah. Right. They've either gone home because there was a new threat or someone in the US Administration is seriously P'd off with us. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692311&v=e car4play692309 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:49:58 +0100 >> >If that's true, I'd expect the remaining USAF to be withdrawn. >> >> I'd expect it to depend on the situation and risk at each individual facility. >> The risk won't be any different in Suffolk to Gloucestershire. Why would they. They've gone home at the end of a long deployment. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692309&v=e car4play692307 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:06:12 +0100 >> Shouldn't they be defending their own facilities? start wandering around on the wrong side of the fence, and you are going to get yourself shot. The other side you get bail. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692307&v=e car4play692306 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:56:08 +0100 >If that's true, I'd expect the remaining USAF to be withdrawn. I'd expect it to depend on the situation and risk at each individual facility. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692306&v=e car4play692305 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:53:05 +0100 >Shouldn't they be defending their own facilities? Anything outside the perimeter fence is our responsibility. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692305&v=e car4play692304 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:52:31 +0100 >> >Perhaps they are worried about the threat from a few blokes in Transits with a >> couple of cans of petrol. >> >> No. >> >> They're worried that UK security services are incapable of defending a major military facility from >> a few blokes in transits. >> If that's true, I'd expect the remaining USAF to be withdrawn. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692304&v=e car4play692303 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:37:51 +0100 They've gone back in preparation for invading Canada. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692303&v=e car4play692302 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:30:20 +0100 Shouldn't they be defending their own facilities? I agree that if it was a maintenance issue then they should be withdrawn in small chunks. I don't know if its still the case but the Police had mixed fleets so that if ever there was an issue where one particular make was 'grounded' then the whole fleet was not grounded. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692302&v=e car4play692301 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:55:40 +0100 >Perhaps they are worried about the threat from a few blokes in Transits with a couple of cans of petrol. No. They're worried that UK security services are incapable of defending a major military facility from a few blokes in transits. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692301&v=e car4play692300 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:45:42 +0100 >> I read somewhere that the vulnerability is to drones. >> >> Was surprised there are only approx 45 in service with a few more in 'storage' >> at one or another US boneyard. Drone risk is far more plausible!! http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692300&v=e car4play692298 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:26:32 +0100 >> Perhaps they are worried about the threat from a few blokes in Transits with a >> couple of cans of petrol. I read somewhere that the vulnerability is to drones. Was surprised there are only approx 45 in service with a few more in 'storage' at one or another US boneyard. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692298&v=e car4play692297 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:21:19 +0100 >> I am informed that the removal of the aircraft is for routine maintenance of the >> airframe. >> Sounds like BS to me. Were it the case I would expect them to cycle (pehaps) 3 at a time for maintenance to maintain the capability at Fairford. Perhaps they are worried about the threat from a few blokes in Transits with a couple of cans of petrol. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692297&v=e car4play692295 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:59:26 +0100 More likely they've come to the end of their deployment, there's only so long you can keep a large % of a small force deployed, you run out of people eventually to keep deploying. Deployments come to end all the time, the B1s been there since the beginning of the year i think. It might well link in with some maintenance requirements, particularly things like major, minor servicing of the airframe. They'll go to a specialised maintenance facility carrying out tasks that can't be done 1st line by the flying sqn. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692295&v=e car4play692294 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:55:33 +0100 My informant may be wrong - of course. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692294&v=e car4play692293 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:54:47 +0100 >> I am informed that the removal of the aircraft is for routine maintenance of the airframe. >> Well, they would say that .... And I would have thought that 'routine maintenance' might be done at any respectable air base ? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692293&v=e car4play692292 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:39:01 +0100 >>I am informed that the removal of the aircraft is for routine maintenance of the >> airframe. All 12 at the same time? Are there still B52s at Fairford? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692292&v=e car4play692291 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:57:36 +0100 >> The United States has rushed to withdraw all 12 of its B-1B Lancer strategic bomber >> jets from RAF Fairford over the weekend, sending them back to their home stations in >> the United States. I am informed that the removal of the aircraft is for routine maintenance of the airframe. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692291&v=e car4play692289 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 23:52:24 +0100 The United States has rushed to withdraw all 12 of its B-1B Lancer strategic bomber jets from RAF Fairford over the weekend, sending them back to their home stations in the United States. Iran issue or moving far away from the Ukraine/Russian border? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692289&v=e car4play692210 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:27:45 +0100 Oh that one's easy, its the opposite of whatever Trump says. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692210&v=e car4play692209 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:15:22 +0100 How will you tell which are the TRUE facts (if any) ? :-) http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692209&v=e car4play692204 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:23:38 +0100 Burnham now saying that the UK Govt. believe Iran to have been involved. Really? Or was this just a sop to try and stay onside with Trump? I look forward to the FACTS in due course. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692204&v=e car4play692185 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:04:18 +0100 Either way, Trump has golden egg on his face http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692185&v=e car4play692181 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:02:32 +0100 >> >>Tomorrow,,it will turn out to be a training excecise May I refer you to my post of the 28th inst. @ 16.56. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692181&v=e car4play692179 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:58:54 +0100 >>Tomorrow,,it will turn out to be a training excecise Or the resurrection of Monty Python's ministry of silly walks. :-D http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692179&v=e car4play692176 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:58:05 +0100 It gets weirder every day. Now, apparently (Mail), the men in the woods who were spotted were police, responding to a call by one of the 'bombers'. Tomorrow,,it will turn out to be a training excecise. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692176&v=e car4play692172 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:00:30 +0100 From the Independant: "Barrels of what might have been homemade explosive were reported to have been found. The vans were disguised as vehicles used by a farm fuel supplier – but the logos were the wrong colour". Looks like diesel thieves, who were after anything else on farms they could obtain, hence being bailed. The local farmers would be well aware of theft from farms and would be alert for suspicious activity. I suspect a gang of 'peripatetic driveway tarmaccers', who have now alerted themselves to BIBs and, hopefully have had the bejesus scared out of them by armed BIBs. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692172&v=e car4play692171 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:58:44 +0100 In that case it may have been a dummy run, to test what could be got away with ? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692171&v=e car4play692170 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:21:15 +0100 The Independent is suggesting that the plot was so cack-handed it must have been deliberately designed to fail and that the question we should ask is, who stands to gain from that? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/raf-fairford-iran-russia-plot-b3057513.html http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692170&v=e car4play692169 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:53:10 +0100 >> The guys in vans on Sunday were on some other nefarious activity, probably theft of fuel or other stuff from farms etc, and triggered a terror response by mischance. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692169&v=e car4play692168 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:20:02 +0100 It's entirely possible, nay probable, that intelligence exists of a credible plot, whether by Iranian proxies or others, against US forces in the UK. The guys in vans on Sunday were on some other nefarious activity, probably theft of fuel or other stuff from farms etc, and triggered a terror response by mischance. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692168&v=e car4play692167 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:53:33 +0100 Given the badging on all the vans, I reckon Sooty's remark about (red) diesel could be close to the mark. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692167&v=e car4play692166 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:45:18 +0100 Perhaps the whole thing was an exercise to test the emergency response plan works as intended. No different to fire alarm and evacuation procedure testing etc. Trouble is no one thought to let local plod know (or they forgot). Plod responded to a 999 from a local farmer, assumed the worst, and initiated a response. Everything then worked entirely as it should. Complete speculation on my part of course!!! http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692166&v=e car4play692165 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:20:33 +0100 Rustling up a small platoon of armed police in the middle of the night in Gloucestershire takes some doing so I suspect they had some idea that something was afoot. Also seemed that the perimeters had been "fortified" somewhat over the previous week or so. OTOH a mate's daughter was the shortest armed police officer at one time, and worked for the nuclear constabulary in Oxfordshire. They didn't usually have much to do and so could be called on to attend local "shouts" if they could get there before the local plod. Apparently robocops turning up armed to the teeth tended to take the heat out of domestics quite quickly!! http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692165&v=e car4play692164 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:12:07 +0100 No doubt the heightened security around the airfield contributed to the response but I bet anywhere else the local coppers would just be saying right let’s see what you’ve got in the back of the van! As opposed to robot bomb disposal (why are there never robots on Trigger Point??) http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692164&v=e car4play692163 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:38:59 +0100 But Donald said that the US has been watching them for a long time. Surely he wouldn’t lie? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692163&v=e car4play692162 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:36:16 +0100 >> The heinous criminals are being released on bail. >> >> 1. What's the betting that it has been a cock-up by the authorities? >> 2. The "terrorists" were actually fuel thieves? >> 3. The five men with their shirts off are hardened terrorists? >> >> >> How were the police top know that until after the men had been arrested and interviewed? Being in the vicinity of a military airbase they had to assume the worst. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692162&v=e car4play692161 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:56:01 +0100 The heinous criminals are being released on bail. 1. What's the betting that it has been a cock-up by the authorities? 2. The "terrorists" were actually fuel thieves? 3. The five men with their shirts off are hardened terrorists? My money is on 1 and 2. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692161&v=e car4play692160 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:54:36 +0100 Sounds like they don't have much evidence to detain at all. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692160&v=e car4play692159 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:52:17 +0100 Times says they're being released on bail. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692159&v=e car4play692158 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:51:30 +0100 Perhaps nicking red diesel. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=692158&v=e