SD Tempest expected to arrive in Rosyth on Friday 23 June...

HMS Brocklesby completes refit 4 months early.

Read more at: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defenc ... -1-8015678

Yes - BMT say they could change from CODAD to CODLAD but don't appear to mention anything about a one shaft option. Still, I'm sure you know best Donald. What do those experts at BMT know about ship design anyway. Type 23 is twin shaft. Type 45 is twin shaft. Type 26 will be twin shaft. Type 22 was ...

This is what should happen. A single flexible common platform, outfitted with different specialisms. This is similar to the Italian PPA, common platform, configured for different roles and the Venator looks totally capable of this. Thanks. Yes like PPA. But, 200M GBP for 4000t FLD large Patrol Frig...

If as it seems we will not start building T-31s until the end of the T-26 programme and the production schedule for those is one every 18 months, we are looking at 10 to 12 years for production to start and so the RN should not be putting too much effort into designs for the T-31. I disagree. I thi...

There have been two online petitions concerning Trump and a UK visit. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures is debated in parliament. Block Donald J Trump from UK entry. The signatories believe Donald J Trump should be banned from UK entry. 586,930 signatures This topic was debated on 18 Ja...

Engaging Strategy wrote:There are serious problems with the "mothership"/stand-off model for MCM. It has a place, but increasingly I'm convinced that you're still going to need a manned MCMV in the mix too.

What are these serious problems? Can you give more details?

I think a ship of the type of the Danish Absalon-class or the Damen Crossover design would be great for the MHC programme. Natural expectations are that any mine hunter or survey ship is going to smaller than the T31. For example, BMT's Venator 110 design for the T31 and Venator 90 for the MHPC ship...

The Danish Navy have heavily invested over the years in the use of the StanFlex system, as used on the Absalon-class. The Royal Navy hasn't and none of its standard weapons are available in StanFlex versions. However, the concept of a similar cross-over type vessel could be very interesting for MHC ...

I would expect the T31 will end up as something like the Venator or Cutlass design but with at least the first 3 or 4 ships delivered with a very light weapon and sensor fit, and designed to be easily upgraded. Maybe not much more than Artisan, 76mm main gun, 2 × 30mm, and a Wildcat hanger. This wou...

RCN currently has a fleet of 12 Halifax class frigates, split with 7 in their Atlantic fleet and 5 in their Pacific fleet. They used to also have 4 Iroquois class air defence destroyers, but dropped down to 3 in 2005. These last 3 were finally decommissioned in May 2015, June 2015 and March 2017. It...

It is reported in Jane's that the French Navy is going to equip its new HIL helicopters (Airbus H160) with the Sea Venom missile, with an expected ISD in the mid-2020s. This means it will now not be integrated with their NH90 or AS565 Panther helicopters. France is planning to buy between 160 and 19...

Before you get too excited, a 70% increase over 10 years amounts to an average 5.5% increase each year.

Still a lot greater than the UK's announced 0.5% yearly increase.

Canadian Government has announced their intention to increase defence spending by 70% over the next 10 years. The Royal Canadian Navy will be funded to buy all 15 Canadian Surface Combatants. However, they have also recently stated that the bid deadline for the CSC is being extended again. The origi...

Canadian Government has just published its Defence Policy Review, in which it states it will increase defence spending by 70% between 2016/17 and 2026/27. Amoung others things it had committed to: •a full complement of 15 Canadian Surface Combatants •modernisation of the Victoria class subs •88 new ...

The point of the towed sonar is to release what is arguably the worlds best frigate from the carrier group, and we can stick our tough ass T26 in a higher risk zone, being more confident it will survive than our pimped patrol boats. The T26 is already the perfect GP frigate, it needs to be used in ...

Because the primary purpose of the T31 is not really military - it's to "revive" the UK's military shipbuilding industry and to allow diversification away from relying on a sole supplier. In order to keep that diversified industry running, it needs to export, as the RN cannot provide suff...

If SAMSON and Aster have failed, I don't see how CAMM and Artisan would do any better... That's not how the theory of the combined effects of multiple defence layers works. If we assume that Sampson/Aster on the T45 is 90% effective, Phalanx on QE is 50% effective, and Artisan/CAMM on QE is 80% eff...

The 99m Corvette from VT Shipbuilding, over time, became the Khareef Corvette. So a stretched version of this corvette is in fact the BAe Cutlass frigate design.

I repeat this question: Will Rosyth Shipyard be used for maintenance and refits of QE-class carriers during their 40-50 years life? :?: I don't think this has been decided yet. In addition to Rosyth, there are a number of UK yards with large enough dry docks: Harland and Wolf, Belfast Able UK, Tyne...

Do you think that QE-class carriers are too weakly armed for anti-air defence? Or, should at least 36 or 48 CAAM missiles be installed? Could that be done, is there enough free space for that? From what I vaguely remember, a Aster missile silo (and maybe even a Sampson radar) for QE were discussed ...

If the price of 76 or 57 mm gun is about 5-6 mil. USD and the price of 5 inch is about 20 mil. USD per gun, then I'm not sure at all that commonality savings will be enough to recoup the costs. If your numbers are about right, when the UK spent 240mil USD on buying the first 3 (plus trainer) 5 inch...

My proposal for T31 program. Will call it, option-3A and B . Case studies for "5-6" T31 with 2B GBP cost. option-3A : "a common hull Patrol Frigate + ASW Frigate combo". [ requirements ] - build 6, which means 250M GBP average unit cost + 500M GBP development cost. - need ASW ca...

But, a question, why not use single gun on whole class, let's say 76 mm for all of them? Also, why not unify the number of CAMM missiles, to say 32 or 24 on all ships? And instead, use money that's saved that way to equip them all with CAPTAS... Or, alternatively, use the savings to equip them with...

For the T31 programme, I would be very happy with: • 6 x T31, based on Venator 110 design. • 3 built as General Purpose frigates with 5" gun, 48 cell CAMM, 2 x Seahawk Sigma, Artisan radar, KingKlip HMS, CAPTAS 2 TAS, etc. • The other 3 built as patrol frigates, with reduced weapon and sensor ...