back to article MoD seeks 'budding Qs' in SME engagement push

The UK Ministry of Defence says it is keen to hear from "budding Qs who think they could supply the armed forces of the future with high-tech gadgets and gizmos". To that end, the MoD has organised an "innovation day" at Glasgow University. "The Support for Operations seminar is our way of taking the Centre for Defence …

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  1. Tony
    Boffin

    Starship Troopers

    Heinlein made the following point:

    " While the soldier equipped with all of the latest hi-tech gadgets is trying re-calibrate the sensors, someone equipped with slightly less hi-tech gear - say a stone axe, comes up behind and beats his brains in"

    Hi-tech equipment has its place, but you will always need the person who is prepared to go forward, take the hill and hold it against all comers. The armies that forget that are doomed to lose.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Great

    Perhaps boots made of the latest innovations in non-cardboard material?

    Somekind of pimped up Discovery? (warm up the arc welder and give BA Baracus a call)

    A reversible British/American uniform to reduce friendly incidents?

    How about utilising the latest in long lasting, portable fuel cell technology hooked up to a couple of electodes for "coersion" of enemy combatants? (none of that old hat car battery rubbish). A guarenteed number one seller to various mercinaries and foriegn regimes.

    Yes, if ever there was a way of creating peace, it's enabling people to wage war in more effective ways, with less aparent danger to themselves. Unleash the hoverbots and pass me a joypad; we have a high score to beat. Do I get royalties per kill? I do hope so.

  3. Jon Kale
    Flame

    "a cunning notion to help our boys and girls on the front line come home safely"

    How about not fucking starting wars in the first place, especially when it comes to taking on well-armed natives who never wanted you in their country and who'd quite like you out again: after all, over the last 150 years the score is Afghanistan 4 - 0 UK. Sadly, the fuckwits in the forces haven't worked out yet that we never beat the Afghans at their place (and in truth their home record's pretty good all round...)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Hi-tech, my arsium

    Give the lads in Afghanistan radios which flippin' work before piddling around with James Bond gadgets.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NewTech from SCOTLAND??

    Scotland may produce some of the best engineers in the world (why else do you think Star Trek had Scottie??) but they all have to come to England to actually get anyone to finance them.

    Not that that matters much since the Government (usually, but not always, Labour) will generally then give the new stuff to the Yanks on a vague promise of some sort of return (either an offer of a "special deal" on the hardware once they've built it, or they'll offer to give us some other useful info in return. Only they never do, of course).

    Still, not surprised the MoD is having to troll the underbelly of the (dis-)United Kingdom's educational establishments, since they seem to be losing interest in anything Qinetiq does now (why else did they "privatise" it in the first place? You don't seriously believe that they sold off what, 49% of the shares out of the goodness of their hearts do you? And let's face it, they're running out of other things they can sell, so it can't be long before they sell off just a *teensy, weensy* bit more and let the the Yanks^H^H^H sorry, highest bidder have control of the tattered remains of Britain's once-great military engineering arm)...

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