Names for a hypothetical German fleet
A proposed expanded German fleet is given a naming approach based on earlier capital ships and historical associations.
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Explore every watch point in reverse video-date order, then in timestamp order within each video.
Reading for a Cold War Royal Navy alternate history
The Decline of British Sea Power is recommended as background for writing an alternative Cold War Royal Navy.
Australian Perry upgrades and American fleet reductions
Australian investment in Perry frigates leads into the tension between post-Cold War fleet reductions and continuing allied patrol commitments.
Corporate ship sponsorship or regular defence funding?
A larger regular defence budget and growth through investment form the proposed alternative to company-sponsored warships.
Tidal generation and the need for energy storage
A criticism of tidal projects ties their expense and usefulness to the unresolved problem of storing the electricity they generate.
Domestic energy investment as national resilience
Household generation, storage and electrification are proposed as ways to reduce Britain's exposure to imported energy and fuel prices.
Mileage records as an alternative to fuel tax
Recorded inspection mileage is proposed as a basis for replacing fuel-tax revenue with a charge per mile.
How much of Essex would survive an Ace Combat rebuild?
The fictional carrier Endurance is used to examine the scale of rebuilding needed for heavier jets and a different shaft arrangement.
Faster Type 31 production needs an earlier follow-on
Accelerating Type 31 construction brings forward the decision needed to keep the yard's production line working.
Containerised missiles on patrol vessels: capability and exposure
Missile containers give patrol vessels striking power while increasing their exposure and the need for protection, deployment support and trained crews.
A forward operating base delivered in containers
A proposed container package would deliver a harbour or island's defences and support facilities from one self-unloading ship.
Hermes for Australia: Harriers determine the value
The Australian Hermes counterfactual turns on whether the navy acquires Harriers or operates the ship as a helicopter carrier.
First World War ships imagined in the missile age
Hypothetical missile-era refits of Tiger, Texas and Wyoming emphasise air defence and bombardment.
A nuclear-powered K class and a T-class torpedo barrage
A reactor substitution and guided-torpedo salvo turn into a correction about which British submarine class is being imagined.
Arrowhead as a US frigate candidate
The Arrowhead design's adaptable volume makes it a contender for a US frigate, with a larger version judged more likely.
Arrowhead 160's extra length
Arrowhead 160's stated length is 20 metres greater than Arrowhead 140's.
Sea Lion, the Isle of Wight and Britain's 1940 aircraft
The Wellington challenges claims about ineffective British aircraft in 1940, while an Isle of Wight base for the Luftwaffe is rejected.
Why retain and modernise the Alaskas?
Keeping the Alaska class is linked to concern about Soviet construction, with unfinished hulls suggested for ambitious conversions.
An uncertain account of a Gurkha defender
An unnamed Gurkha defender's story illustrates the Gurkhas' combat reputation, while the casualty figures remain uncertain.
Comparing wartime equipment without blanket rankings
Comparable powers can each possess effective weapons, even when one side has more of them or a stronger overall position.
A French sortie at Mers-el-Kebir
The French sortie counterfactual gives the Royal Navy the advantage because it had assembled its force with the confrontation in mind.
The Royal Navy's answer to a modernised Iowa
A torpedo-armed nuclear attack submarine is the proposed British response to a modernised Iowa.
Bismarck's cost and continuity in shipbuilding
A cost comparison links Bismarck's expense to rebuilding industrial capacity, engineering choices and corruption.
Royal Navy shock testing: components, simulation and fleet size
Compare full-ship explosive shock trials with component testing and simulation, including how fleet size affects their practical cost.
Engineering disciplines and defence-industry recruitment
Engineering demand varies across defence work, with a personal account of arms and perfume companies competing for chemical-engineering graduates.
Arms and perfume companies competing for engineering talent
An informal comparison places arms and perfume employers close together on pay, below insurance risk analysis.
The Great Game and earlier Anglo-Russian rivalry
Anglo-Russian rivalry in Asia places the Crimean War within a longer diplomatic and strategic dispute.
Town cruisers and Renown imagined with modern weapons
A Belfast-style Town cruiser gains modern air defence in the ship-revival counterfactual, alongside a more fanciful reconstruction of Renown.
A FRAM Gearing with modern electronics
A revived Gearing would combine its postwar FRAM reconstruction with updated electronics and close-in defence.
Yamato's size as space for a modern refit
Yamato's large hull prompts proposals to replace secondary weapons and release deck space for missiles or other systems.
Giuseppe Garibaldi with its Polaris tubes filled
The Italian revival suggestion retains Garibaldi's historical conversion but supplies the Polaris missiles it never received.
Which V-bomber would the panel cancel?
Valiant's fatigue problems and Victor's tanker value support cutting Valiant, although the relative usefulness of the bombers remains disputed.
Would cancelling Vulcan protect a replacement bomber?
A counterfactual links Vulcan's survival to TSR-2's cancellation and asks whether an earlier capability gap would change procurement.
A British B-1 force and a smaller Army of the Rhine
The imagined combination of B-1 bombers, CVA-01 carriers and missile submarines shifts Britain's NATO contribution towards strategic strike and maritime forces.
Could a British B-1 reach the Falklands without refuelling?
A hypothetical British B-1 is judged able to reach the Falklands without refuelling, with the base and mission profile left unspecified.
B-1 stand-off weapons and payload
Stand-off missiles and a quoted payload of 23 tons support the proposed British B-1's strike role, without establishing a particular weapon fit.
Would a bomber-and-carrier strategy still need Tornado?
Jaguar's eventual replacement gives Tornado a land-based role, while a carrier version would require extensive redesign.
Why put five 6-inch guns in an uneven cruiser layout?
The Vickers proposal uses a narrow bow and mixed forward mounts to seek speed while occupying the gap between a large destroyer and a small cruiser.
What would earlier bomber transfers give Coastal Command?
The counterfactual trades bombing capacity for earlier anti-submarine aircraft, subject to modification time and German reactions.
How might a Lancaster hunt submarines?
The speculative scheme combines radar search with attacks on surfaced submarines and a proposed downward-firing cannon.
Could Mosquito-style six-pounders arm a submarine-hunting Lancaster?
Twin six-pounders would fire downward from the proposed Lancaster submarine hunter while it made repeated level passes.
Unbuilt Fleet Air Arm favourites from the propeller and jet eras
A gull-wing naval Spitfire and supersonic Buccaneer and Sea Vixen developments are the preferred unbuilt Fleet Air Arm designs.
A forgotten jet testbed and a better-developed Sea Meteor
An unidentified jet-conversion testbed leads to a proposed Sea Meteor with later Meteor improvements and a stronger airframe.
Firebrand, Firecrest and the cost of a late aircraft
Firecrest's intended wartime arrival and later appearance produce conflicting judgments about its usefulness and comparison with Wyvern.
Could a federal Commonwealth sustain a larger navy?
The proposed route to enduring imperial-scale naval power combines self-government with shared foreign and naval policies.
Why a lasting Commonwealth would need political inclusion
A lasting Commonwealth federation would need political inclusion and a shared identity across unequal colonial societies.
What would a modern French submarine named Hoche be like?
A hypothetical nuclear attack submarine revives a tentative recollection of Hoche as a proposed SSN name.
Why operating Phantom does not prove Tomcat compatibility
The F-14's weight requires a separate assessment of carrier compatibility even where Phantom can operate.