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What is the Defence Helicopter Flying School?

The Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) is located at RAF Shawbury, with a permanent detachment at RAF Valley. The DHFS provides basic helicopter training for pilots from the three Services, as well as foreign and Commonwealth countries, using both Griffin and Squirrel helicopters. The DHFS was formed on 01 April 1997 and, although it is… Read More

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Wunderwaffen: The X-Ray Bomb

The US Department of Defense (DOD) wants to build an X-ray bomb which could knock out chemical and biological weapon sites without spreading hazardous material over a wide area, as is the risk with the explosives currently used. Although high temperature incendiary warheads have been developed that should neutralise any chemical and biological weapons hit, there is still a risk that… Read More

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Training Real Soldiers in a Synthetic Training Environment

The US Army is creating a virtual replica of the planet to drill troops in. The idea is that it will be so realistic that practising missions in virtual reality will be almost as good as the real thing. It could mean that US troops would be able to drop into a country like North Korea and already… Read More

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A Chinese Railgun?

Photos published online suggest that China may be testing a ship-mounted electromagnetic railgun. If confirmed, this would make China the first nation to develop such a superweapon, with potential implications for the power-struggle between China and the US in Asia. A railgun uses electromagnetic force to fire projectiles along electrically charged rails at very high speeds. The US has been… Read More

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What is the Defence Medical Services (DMS)?

The primary role of the UK’s Defence  Medical Services (DMS) is to ensure that Service personnel are ready and medically fit to go where they are required in the UK and throughout the world – generally referred to as being ‘fit for task’. DMS encompasses: Medical; Dental; Nursing; Allied health professionals (AHP); Paramedical; and Support personnel. It… Read More

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What is the Salvage & Marine Operations (SALMO) Team?

The Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) Team is a key element of the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) worldwide marine capability. It provides salvage, towing, heavy lift, operational moorings, port clearance, marine warranty assurance, underwater engineering and management of the UK’s military wreck inventory. In addition to the MOD, it also provides these services to Other Government Departments (OGDs), such as… Read More