hence why they will still need to be dedicated MCM vessels. Use of commercial vessels or giving a secondary MCM role to military vessels (e.g. OPVs, frigates, LSDs) will not be possible for this next generation of MCM capability I must have given it only a cursory read as it was spelled out v clear...

Detailed TTPs used in an escalating threat environment are not generally discussed in open source documents. I previously posted a link to an open source MCM paper published by industry folks in another thread, but is more appropriate here: https://zenodo.org/record/2530761#.Xs-eaGnTXqv Thanks for ...

That's not the reason the 'why the frigate is based north of the strait' because the Mine hunters have been there for a decade, whereas the frigate has only been based there for a year. The Royal Navy accepts the risk is reasonably low enough, and the Mine Hunters are not escorted. This brings me b...

And they have to be protected by a frigate or two because they have almost no self defence capability. False. The Frigate its not in the Gulf escorting the Mine Hunters, they both go about their business almost independently of each other. Not False. If the mine hunters had to start clearing any mi...

You keep making this massive leap with zero justification. The Royal Navy have basic mine hunters operating in the Gulf today, why will the switch to remote mine hunting require complex mine hunters? The RN have 4 "basic" mine hunters, 1 LSD and 1 frigate based in the Gulf today. The curr...

The report in Jane's on the Harland and Wolff tie up with Navantia and BMT for the FSS (Fleet Solid Support) bid has a few interesting nuggets... "A new FSS competition is expected to start later this year. Although the revised scope of requirement is at this stage unclear, it is widely anticip...

From what I've read the first T26 and T31 hulls will indeed be in the water in 2025 but will be nowhere near ready for delivery, trails or white ensign. This is expected to be 2027. For T31 that was in the news recently as it had changed from 2025. This is wrong and it appears lots of people on thi...

News this morning (with usual media sensationalised suggestions) that QE will anchor off in Stokes Bay before starting FOST (next week?). Hopefully nothing sinister in it. https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/hms-queen-elizabeth-anchor-gosport-coronavirus-rumours-continue-royal-navy-2843743 QE...

agreed however I do like the SeaRam option which CAMM and Aster do not have i.e it offer ships with little or no linked radar a good point defence missile option Depends on whether you're worried about probability of kill. Against all but the most basic threats, CAMM has a Pk much better than SeaWo...

The lion comes from the crest of HMS Tamar, which in turn is based on elements taken from the coat of arms for Devon and the coat of arms of Cornwall. The river Tamar is the border (in part) between Devon and Cornwall. The lion appears on Devon's coat of arms.

NHS England had 4100 intensive care beds for adults (Jan 2020). RFA Argus has 10 intensive care beds. The NHS is currently trying to double its normal number of intensive care beds. RFA Argus would amount to just less than 0.25% of this extra requirement. In addition to the 10 intensive care beds, R...

Speculate all you want, you will still have to wait. The MOD isn't going to tell you' Commons written answers 9th March 2020 :- Asked by Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham) Asked on: 28 February 2020 Ministry of Defence Type 31 Frigates: Procurement 22376 To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what t...

@ QE First block (LB03) floated in on 29th August 2011. QE Floated out (complete) on 17th July 2014. QE Total time: 2 years, 10 months, 19 days (1054 days) Rosyth Dock 1 empty 18th July 2014 - 8th September 2014 : 1 month, 22 days (53 days) PoW First blocks (LB02 & LB03) floated in on 9th Septe...

Hi- doesn't a longer hull confer greater speed without an increase in power? Just remembering transom hulls and stern flaps to trick the ship into thinking its got a longer hull... In general yes, but a 3-4 metre extension isn't going to get an additional 3 knots. Most of the measures like transom ...

I think the first of class Iver Huitfeldt frigate entered service in 2012, before its main mast and APAR radar were installed a year or so later. Also, I believe the Danish navy didn't buy any SM-2 missiles until around 2018/19. Until then the frigates just had ESSM, plus empty Mk41 VLS. Incremental...

And my point is that there are credible future scenarios involving small scale operations where F35s or Typhoons or other fast jets will not be present / deployed.

The real questions are: A. How likely is it in the next ~20 years that a small scale UK force will be faced with an opposition force mostly armed with Toyota pick-up Technicals or other light armour, and these operations will be within a coastal area. B. How much priority should be given to equippi...

It is linked to the Littoral Strike concept, for very small scale interventions when a carrier with Apache / F35 is not present. Also, lessons from Libya show that such a capability would have been very useful. But, still quite far from the top of the funding priority list. I realise your last stat...

It does overlap with SeaVenom (but not with Martlet/LMM). Developing a surface-launched SeaVenom vs add a booster to SPEAR3 and load it in ExLS. I like the latter. My main curiosity is...what is the intended purpose of a surface launched Spear on a ship? What is its target? Is this a solution looki...

As I understand, the potential interest in a ship launched version of Spear is primarily for precision land attack, against mobile targets. This would be an adjunct to NGFS, potentially supporting RM. To be useful, it would need a range of ~100-150 km. As such the air launched version would need som...

Ok thanks for that, but that does not tell me were it will dock, likely i am a dumb git and just not seen it!. Ok lets try another way, where could a ship of that size actually dock in Liverpool? Most likely is it will dock at the Liverpool cruise terminal, close to the iconic Liver building. There...

No. No idea where Donald got his dates from... ...but as I understand it for T26 first delivery to RN and commissioning likely to be 2025, with first operational deployment in 2027. Construction and fit out to be finished in 2023, with contractor sea trials in 2024. But dates are not fixed, and ther...

I'm guessing.... 1. Flight tests (takeoff and landing) in UK waters. 2. Pilot Carrier Qualifications. 3. Landing Signal Officer Qualifications. I would guess RAS of solid stores with Fort Victoria and interoperability testing with Merlin Crowsnest will both be required before IOC was declared. Not ...

From House of Lords this week... Lord West of Spithead: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the number of Royal Navy frigates in commission will rise above the present total of 13; and whether that number will drop below 13 at any stage in the next ten years.” Baroness Goldie, Minister of State fo...

Why is everyone assuming they are CAMM? Canada already uses ESSM. It's far more likely they'll just pack that in instead. Altogether an impressive ship. Wish the City class could take some lessons from it... Iv said it before not only are we ordering the smallest number of our own design but also a...