Hi Donald, I'm intrigued by your proposal. It's clear you have given this a lot of thought :thumbup: First question, for deployments like APT(N) or Falklands patrol, does an OPV really need a Merlin capable flight deck? Would Wildcat capable be enough? Is this the compromise that could allow the RB...

Thanks ...When I thought about this in the past I generally came to the same conclusion, they're just a little bit too short, so i'm very intrigued by your proposal to extend them. I didn't know such a stern extension was possible, could you expand on that part please? Not sure enough, but there are...

.... The 5 B2 Rivers are right for FRE, surveillance and anti terrorist operations in UK and BOT EEZs - with some enhancements they can also play a role in layered ASW defence also. I was thinking of this for the new year period. Although a bit fantasy, this is my thought. The main aim is to 1: Add...

"Papua New Guinea commissions first of new generation patrol boats"
UKDJ.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/papua-n ... rol-boats/

1: PoW is the primary "LPH" I fully understand between 2010 and 2015 a 'role' had to found for PoW to avoid it being cut and Ocean without replacement was part of the sacrifice but for how long are we going to have to keep up this charade? We don't need a £3bn LPH. We could have built 10 ...

The reason why Bay-class LSD is used for APT-N and not Albion-class LPD is clear = much efficient. The reason Albion isn't used for APT(N) is due to its lack of Aviation. It's a massive oversight with the design just like the RB2's. We mustn't make the same mistakes again. I think it is more the is...

#As this is River OPV thread, not Coast Guard (CG) nor Border Force (BF) Cutter tread, I will concentrate on it. 1: The 5 River B2 is very high-end in its standard as an OPV; has CMS and good firefighting capabilities, not needed for CG cutter. Also, Falkland Island guard ship, and shadowing Russian...

A question, would M-345 be so much cheaper than M-346 so that Italian Air Force will have two pretty similar aircrafts in service? I think yes. I think these two is NOT pretty similar. M-345 is designed to be as cheap as a turbo flop trainer (not sure if it was successful). The original S211 was de...

Damen Enforcer Design https://products.damen.com/-/media/Products/Images/Clusters-groups/Naval/Enforcer/Leaflet_Enforcer_Landing_Platform_Docks.pdf スクリーンショット 2019-01-05 10.32.01.jpg スクリーンショット 2019-01-05 11.51.53.jpg Note that Enforcer 7000-10000 with narrow beam (24.8m) carries 2 LCM, not LCU. I re...

Caribbean wrote:Perhaps some of the slightly larger Damen STAN designs would be more appropriate

Here you are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinel-class_cutter

Sentinel-class cutter (or Damen 4708)
360t, 46.8x8.1 m, 28 knots, 24 crew.

As far as a new UKCG ship goes maybe something like the 62 meter Vita with a Scanter 4100 radar would be a good fit with a 35 knot top speed room for 2 ribs maybe even a Hero or Camcopter S100 with I Master radar I'm afraid it is way too expensive. Damen 4207 will be much better; cheap to build, op...

This is Japan Coast Guard cutter, as an example. Note that unlike US, Japan Coast Guard is a pure police force, not a military. Kunigami class Patrol Vessel 96.5 x 11.5 m (narrow), 2x 6,600 kW diesel with a top speed of 23knots (exceeds 25knots in many cases). 42 crew, un-disclosed (but not so long)...

No scan eagle to search, no MPA, and no data link on the helicopters to send live video to the patrol vessels. = Utterly unprepared. Throwing more patrol boats at the situation looks like a real amateur response. No scan eagle to search, no MPA, and no data link on the helicopters to send live vide...

...Absolutely and something like a Venari 95 would be a hot favourite but Damen also has an equivalent. https://products.damen.com/-/media/Products/Images/Clusters-groups/Naval/Multi-Role-Auxiliary-Vessel/Multi-Role-Auxiliary-Vessel-3600/Downloads/Product_Sheet_Damen_Multi_Role_Auxiliary_Vessel_360...

On the assets to be forward deployed. I see no problem sending T31e. Any of the Leander, Arrowhead 140, and MEKOA200 (?) is a perfect match for, at least some of those tasks. 1: Against China or Russia, its modest fighting power is not a problem, even a T45 or a T26 is "nothing" in their v...

Navy new is NO MORE ACCESSIBLE free?

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... /navy-news

If true, very sad and also think it is a bad move. Another big damage for recruiting youth and getting public understanding.

The 3rd flat top must not, and will not have (because of lack of F35b), any F35 to be carried. No need, RN has two CVF, that is enough. The point of LPH is to keep the air asset far beyond the horizon. A ship with well dock must be located near the shore, which is totally not needed for LPH. As PoW ...

...What I've read is that a mini-refit in dock every 7 years has been planned for, exactly to avert such an availability crisis. Hoping it goes well. And I agree it may work “for a while”. But we all remember T45’s ambitious plan to keep 5 out of 6 T45 “ready” which quickly failed. We will see it a...

Yes we will have to agree to disagree rubs have their uses and are a good thing as they allow quick and easy aircraft shelters to be put up and yes they have allowed limited ops on the Bays but I for one would still like to see a proper hanger on the replacement even if it is for a single helicopte...

"USVs" and "CAPTAS-1" both are applicable to Type-31 frigates . As can be easily imagined, adding (even) CAPTAS-1 to T31 will be very promising. But, as ASW-USV can be carried on 5 River B2, 5 T31e, 8 T26 (and even 3 Bays, 2 CVFs, 8-10 (?) MHCs (or 2 Echo)), it is more worth tryi...

River is 13.6m wide and 90m long, so it can go anywhere. Israeli SeaGull USV is good that they worked in sea state 5-6, but it is not clear if it is also true for ASW (I understand it was on MCM). This two things are both promising = good things. But, I agree USV option will be "more advanced&q...

What size of helo hangar is worth in Bay Mk.2, when it is clearly decreasing the ship size or even ship numbers, To say it will clearly decrease the size of the ship when I already said I would increase the ship from 176 meters to 200 meters is mad and as for numbers well we may not get any But it ...

Bay Mk-1 can carry 356 troops in standard role and 700 in overload the new B2 Bays I would like above would carry 500 troops in standard allowing for some 800+ in overload as for not having a hangar I think it is mad there is a saying in command that is more is more meaning the more you have the be...

Compact VDS/TASS examples: As the ship noise is not strong above ~1 kHz, while those VDS/TASS in active mode is using ~2 kHz (CAPTAS-1) or 22-29 kHz (ST2400), maybe "River B2 noisy" issue will not be a big problem. Thales CAPTAS-1 (<2 kHz) With Blue Watcher (hull-mounted FLASH), it is spec...

First Leonardo M-345 HET production aircraft performs its maiden flight : Starting as a private venture as S.211, and now evolved and becoming the MB339 replacement. Interesting. Also impressive is its "low-level" capability, to be coupled with M-346 Master as high-level one. Interesting ...