Perhaps " The time is right " to increase spending....& if they are be built in 2 batches its chicken feed increase over the build years really - a few hundred mills per year - a fraction of a percent to the defence budget would suffice & give him the PR to brag about being strong ...

Exactly how i see it ! nowt to worry about military speaking, just keep the tiffy flight there to deter any possible harasment

Maybe a couple of quick shots from their main gun to the bridge would be a bad day could a torpedo to break the backbone of ship be armed in time ? the following events would be worse for all though

I'm pleasantly surprised by them commiting (?) to 6 ships ! as said Argos should be replaced first but after that ???? bays are newer, but, Albions require more crew ......

The late 20's & early 30's seem like they could be transformative for the RN ! CAMM on the T45, NSM, more reliable hulls T26 with mk41, T31, F35 worked up with meteor & spear 3 etc - sticking plasters for the next 2 or 3 years then progress should gain pace.....

Seriously cant see them wanting to risk another war because they have 24 second hand F16 ! maybe a bit of intimidation.... but QRA a couple of tiffies to counter - thats why they are there & good practice for the pilots !! could always send a T31/frigate for stop over every few months aswell....

Perhaps this thread could be renamed "NHS chat"

Thanks for the input Ove, always good to get other aspects to a story, i hope the optimism concerning a possible buy is warranted as more T26 in the north sea can't be bad, more pluses than minuses imo

lets hope the purchase some this time & maybe some kits for home grown assembly ( although without the demands with the Rafael bid last time ! ) so we can get on & invest in project Tempest

IF norway do sign on dotted line .. how quickly & would it be feasable to explore the rafting & quieting the hull & hull mounted sonar @ VDS for 2 or 3 second batch of T31 for exclusivly CSG duties for delivery early 2030's to help with the possible T26 hulls being transfered to norway ?...

Even if labour cut defence spending i honestly think - after a month of bashing - 95% of the population would NOT care untill it affects them, best we can hope for are the fluid ambitions from both sides of 2.5%....

Sounds like investing in the CAMM-MR could be the cheapest vs capability vs quick to set up solution ?

How much are the Polish T31's costing again ? ( with their better sensers & weopons ! ) every extra add-on costs more ....

Lets hope a cross party rumblings have indicated they want another hull or two before the T 83...... or maybe their trying to intice norway for a future order ????

Would that create a FRAUKUS ....maybe to close to a F-in-RUCKUS for my liking i'll get me coat...

Well that sounds like he is oboard ( ) & suports (J)AUKUS & claiming to match the 2.5% spend when the time is right .... hopefully no U turns

They are probably just pushing again - now - to say they are strong on defence as its election year & a slow news day .. . Unless they will be going to bring the deployment forward.....

If some of the T45 have CAMM by then - it will help a lot especialy if the Gov's have increased the stockpiles of weopons...also maybe a couple of T31 would have mk 41's with their hopefully increased availiability due to them being new ships, i think we would be in a better place to deter or compet...

Dumb move by the RN getting rid of the Seaharrier in 2008? & trusting in the jointforce ( understandable given lack of funds - wonder what the theme is.... :thumbdown: ) could of made an easier transition from sea harrier to F35 & also would of been great to see the SH & F35 mix on the Q...

What is the timeline for converting the shorter range aster 15 to the longer range aster 30 ? as the RN will be using CAMM on the T45 wont this mitigate the situation ?

Would love to know how much a QEC carrier costs to run compared to the old CVL invincible class & the juan carlos class excluding aircraft....anybody got any figures ?

Well with project Arkroyal for the QEC class carriers - i would love to see a CATOBAR GCAP ! but with money so tight, i cant really see it unless there is a major advantage over the F35 & lots more money invested in defence ! but in the 2040's when they start plannig for carrier replacement for ...

When designed the budget was bigger as GDP, in hindsight a couple of Cavours would of been a little more budget friendly but less able to surge aircraft & support them for a shorter time IF needed, dont get me wrong but i think 3 Cavours to replace the 3 invincible CVL may of been better fit for...

Perhaps the RN could swap a QEC carrier & both Albion + bulwark for both the Oz JC class LHD ....potentialy the RN could have a rotation of 1 x strike carrier & LHD with a LHD in maintance, or when the QEC is in refit use a JC LHD (with updates) as a mini F35 carrier ....bit of a tongue in c...

2 x RN & 2 x raf with the gov saying they have increased squadron numbers from the planned 3 .....