Search found 6427 matches

by shark bait
02 Jan 2016, 00:57
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

Is it true? I was referring to HMS Ocean, which like the Bays and Mistral's, is built to a cheaper specification. BUT, credibility required for landing ship may differ from those for escorts. I think it does differ. Your escorts need to be highly survivable to protect the less survivable capitol sh...
by shark bait
02 Jan 2016, 00:38
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

Is Mistral credible vessel good as a replacement for Albions? It potentially is. Our current amphibious assault ship is built to the same cheaper standards as the Mistral's, so its clearly acceptable. I suppose another question, is HMS ocean a success? If you build Mistral like ship with Albion sta...
by shark bait
02 Jan 2016, 00:19
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

Interesting points about combining the argus and ocean replacement. Its starting to sound like what the Americans are doing with their Afloat Forward Staging Base. Perhaps we could do something similar, but with a converted tide class tanker instead of the Alaska class the Americans base their desig...
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 23:46
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

From where this difference comes from? The Mistral class is a completely different type to the America class, which in the hands if every other navy would be classed as a full blown aircraft carrier. A little googling confirms the Mistral's are also built to a commercial specification. So I guess t...
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 20:39
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Boeing P-8A Poseidon (MRA Mk.1) (RAF)
Replies: 1271
Views: 456221
Pitcairn Island

Re: Boeing P-8A Poseidon (Future Maritime Patrol Aircraft) (RAF)

ArmChairCivvy wrote:cost per hour might still be a thorny issue, as the P8 is huge compared to a Sentinel
Could be an issue, or that cost could be offset by saving from the removal of a fleet.
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 20:30
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]
Replies: 8469
Views: 2142266
Pitcairn Island

Re: Future 'Lighter' Frigate

That would be sweet. I suppose building both class concurrently would reduce overall costs for both classes too? That depends how similar they are. If the plan is to build them side by side then the lighter frigate has surely got to be a shortened, non ASW T26 Also, and probably more importantly, s...
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 17:37
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) (RN)
Replies: 74
Views: 40402
Pitcairn Island

Re: Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) (RN)

True.
The Greek ones are also a long way behind the current RN specification.
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 16:15
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) (RN)
Replies: 74
Views: 40402
Pitcairn Island

Re: Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) (RN)

Latest edition of warship world states that it will be 3 Sandowns that will be retired to get to the fleet of 12 MCMs, as new equipment comes online. Been waiting for this news, thanks for sharing. The correct choice in my opinion, the hunts are much more flexible which makes them far better suited...
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 15:16
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

On the subject of what to replace Ocean with, why not another Ocean? I suppose a similar question is do we judge building to commercial specification to be a success? My issue with a direct ocean replacement is we would have to loose the Albion's to support it, and with that loosing the big chunk o...
by shark bait
01 Jan 2016, 11:14
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

are they being used differently? Yes, ours are auxiliary vessels with civilian crews. I believe the Australians are naval vessels with military crew's. The crew listed for ours is the standard civilian crew required to operate the ship. Further military personnel are then embarked depending on the ...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 19:36
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

I accept the need for amphibs with more self defence capability, I don't see why that means you need a combined frigate/amphib. I think adding CAMM to our future amphibious shipping is a perfectly reasonable way of protecting them against most threats they could expect to face. I don't see the poin...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 18:23
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]
Replies: 8469
Views: 2142266
Pitcairn Island

Re: Future 'Lighter' Frigate

Must of what's in the above link has been covered in this thread as it relates to BMT's Venator 110 design but may be of interest. The latest brochure from BMT clearly tries to prove the survivability features of their design, which is clearly an issue with these lighter cheaper frigate designs. Ho...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 16:46
Forum: Deployments
Topic: Operation Shader - Iraq, Syria
Replies: 255
Views: 17825
Pitcairn Island

Re: Operation Shader - Iraq, Syria

A fully loaded dirty typhoon. That's something you don't see very often ;)
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 16:02
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

But, if you build a "Mistral-like LHD with Albion standard", how it will look like? Crew of 500? Displacement of 30000t FL? I am afraid it will be quite expensive. Are you suggesting the Mistral's are built to a lesser standard to our LPD? I dont see why a Mistral or Juan Carlos class, sl...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 13:49
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

There is indeed, but it is a round hole that will almost certainly have the massive square peg of PoW stuffed in to it until the Albion's need replacing in the mid-2030's. Short term that will suffice. However longer term it is a waste of a very valuable asset. I'm hoping Albion's can be sold and r...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 12:52
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

Also, where does this spiral for the "best" end? When you have a single "death star" that you cannot afford to lose so you keep in port? That is an interesting point, there is obviously a tipping point where reach your death star situation. I don't think we're there yet and curr...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 10:37
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

@SB: To be clear, I'm not proposing a joint role, but more numerous / smaller, fighty amphibious assault ships that can look after themselves to a larger degree than the current LPDs. The fact is that the RN is not what it was even 10 years ago. It is smaller and the funds are much more limited, as...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 09:49
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

I suspected it was in relation to the hanger, so the original requirment for the bay and not the Albion's was the larger Rotterdam? Yep the bays are based on the Dutch design. The Spanish also have a platform based on the Rotterdam, and the Dutch have another improved Rotterdam, its a design that h...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 09:34
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

These crossover designs really don't sit well for me, they are nice designs but not right for the Royal Navy. In a small businesses a single employee will have multiple roles, whereas in a big business each of those small roles grows into a full time job, and is better with dedicated employee applie...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 09:16
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)
Replies: 367
Views: 193044
Pitcairn Island

Re: Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD (A)) (RFA)

R686 wrote:what additions do the " full blown LPD version instead of Bulwark & Albion" resemble, a mini San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock?
It's HNLMS Rotterdam, which is quite a lot like a mini San Antonio, a much more modern design that isn't limited by its lack of a hangar.
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 01:13
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

What can't a ship like that do? For HADR, Amphibious assault, Sealift, counter piracy, light strike and maritime interception operations there's little better. Hell you could even use it as an ASW group leader with a flight of Merlins embarked. Enormously flexible ships, probably even more so than ...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 00:33
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)
Replies: 1195
Views: 366846
Pitcairn Island

Re: Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (RN)

I'm going to make an unpopular suggestion, but I wouldnt replace the Albions with either LHDs nor LPDs. Instead I suggest that the 2 LPDs get replaced with say 6 Hybrid Frigate / Amphibious ships like the Damen Cross Over design That is going to be unpopular. :D I'm unsure how the RN will manage to...
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 00:20
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Boeing P-8A Poseidon (MRA Mk.1) (RAF)
Replies: 1271
Views: 456221
Pitcairn Island

Re: Boeing P-8A Poseidon (Future Maritime Patrol Aircraft) (RAF)

I don't see why it wouldn't be ordered to the UK. The MOD isn't a standard customer after all.
by shark bait
31 Dec 2015, 00:18
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF)
Replies: 2804
Views: 763436
Pitcairn Island

Re: Typhoon

Little J wrote: The same was said about the Tonka, now look at how desperate they are trying to keep them in service.
And the same is now being printed about the F35........ I'm beginning to see a trend here.
by shark bait
30 Dec 2015, 20:26
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]
Replies: 8469
Views: 2142266
Pitcairn Island

Re: Future 'Lighter' Frigate

My idea is that in the long term all major surface combatants (including FLF) would mount 1x 5in (Fwd) for NGS and 2x 40mm Guns (Port/Starboard) whilst the OPVs, MCMVs would mount a single 40mm Fwd and the Amphibs and Carriers would mount the requisite number of them... I like that idea. It scores ...