Corvettes and Frigates.

Future?

Which navies around the world still operate Corvettes, and do they not all employ Frigates of varying sizes?  

Since the second world-war (1939-45) many navies have developed greatly with many advances in missile systems over guns and sonar. Meanwhile there has also been many new advances in the gathering of electronic intelligence and systems for counter attack.

What is the differences between a Frigate and a Corvette?
Has it more to do with their role in the theatre of warfare.

Today some navies, if they are not just called defense forces employ the Corvette for inshore patrol, with a bit of a punch. While the Frigate is more of a real warship, missiles, air defenses, Helicopter facility and torpedo tubes.

The Moscow Metro.

Moskva.

Moscow is a great city, it is dominated by the Kremlin and its towers, it is also the capital city of a great and powerful nation, the largest on the earth. For every great city it must have great infrastructure, especially transport networks.

Stalin made sure that Moscow had a good and reliable metro system to match that of London, England and Paris France. This system that was undertaken in the 1930's has withstood the tests of time. 

But he wanted to bring the Russian Imperial court to the people and that is how he did it. Even the trains that have been built over the years have lasted well on the system, comfort, spacious and mechanically efficient.

4X4.

Land Rover.

The four by four off roader vehicle is perhaps one of those mile stones in the invention of human history. A vehicle that is capable of driving over difficult terrain, while also being on a normal tarmac road.

One of the daddies of the 4X4 is the now iconic Land Rover series, from the Mark 1 to the present day Defender. The British Land Rover was based on the chassis of the U.S. Willy's Jeep, which had been around from the 1920's in the United States and nearly never was.

There have since 1948 been many takes on the Land Rover, short wheel base and long and the Australian 110. The Land rover is nearly used by every nation in the world for Police, Internal security, Emergency Services and Military use.

But in the civil role it has been ideally suited for farm work, mountain rescue.

Air Ambulance.Part-One.

Helicopters verses Aircraft.

Which is better? 

Both, because one helicopters can recuse/land from/in confined spaces. Aircraft can travel long distances. The Air Ambulance is one of the best invention adaptions in aviation history. From city copters to out back bush flying doctors, a whole host of machine types are employed. Light is perhaps a key essential here in this vital role, while pilot skill is another.

Nearly every nation now employs some form of aircraft to do this role, civil and military. The Cessna generations have proved invaluable in remote areas in Australia, Africa and Equatorial jungle. While the European EC-135/145 Helicopters are the most popular in Air Ambulance roles.

The U.S Sikorsky AH/UH/S-60 and the Russian Mil Mi-17 and derivatives possibly cover all other areas.

'Take the Train.'

Railways.

I wonder how many people today still use the train to travel long distances. Back in the 1950's it was really the hey day od travel in the U.S. Rail travel was going from A to B or Z in style. But today modern trains are fast and design of style has been lost.

Around the world train travel continues at very different paces from country to country. Diesels rule more so than steam and electric, because they are cheaper to buy and build. Many nations do not have a commuter service and rely on a regular train probably only one a day.

Railways and trains will continue to be around for a long time yet, because for many developing nations they are a life line in communications.

Armoured Reconnaisance Vehicles.

'ARV's.

Most modern versions of this vehicle are now tracked and carry a crew of three. The ARV can be described as a sort of in between, a heavy armoured car and a light tank.

Many nations use either armoured cars with 76-90mm guns or a light tank with guns up to 105mm, but the ARV has many more options available to it. Such as Surface to air missile systems, anti-tank guided weapons and a wide range of guns. The vehicles are also tracked meaning that they can operate cross country and are not limited to ground type.

China and N-Korea.

The Long March.

I did not plan for this to coincide with current events? My list was written last year and next years was composed in January this year.

We may today be on the verge of a nuclear war, it will be the first time since 1945 that a nuclear weapon has been deployed in a hostile action and millions of people are going to die because of it. 

Both China and N-Korea have developed a series of ICMB (Inter-continental ballistic missiles) from former Soviet types, these rockets are the only ones that can catapult into space.

We do not really know what N-Korea has developed or improved on, but it is estimated that their ICBM's can reach to the Caspian Sea. So you can then work the rest out for yourself.

China has joined the space race by getting a man into orbit, while N-Korea has sent up a satellite which is kind of advanced for a backward nation?  What is the next target, is it in space or is it in hitting the U.S.A over the north pole with a nuke?

Technology moves on and many nations are and will develop their own deterrents ans space programme's for good and bad. The U.S./Russian club is now coming to an end one way or the other, that the way it is with every machine ever invented and so it goes on.