There has been some commentary coming out of Dsei that due to budgetary and manpower issues the navy is considering the permanent mothballing of 2 type 45s and the amphib fleet, I'm sure if Babcock are so sure they can meet the cost there proposal will be fixed price were any cost overrun is bore e...

There has been some commentary coming out of Dsei that due to budgetary and manpower issues the navy is considering the permanent mothballing of 2 type 45s and the amphib fleet, I'm sure if Babcock are so sure they can meet the cost there proposal will be fixed price were any cost overrun is bore e...

The T31 seems a bit pointless with the only missle system being the self defence CAMM, we presume at this stage. They should have MK41 16 cell only, with the limited space available which could make them more exportable. This would make them useful in a war time role, if push comes to shove but only...

Timmymagic wrote:

Repulse wrote:Could be designed by BAE/BMT and built by Appledore.

Could they? I thought the Samuel Beckett were the largest thing they could build at Appledore. Anything larger and it won't fit.

wasnt hms Scott built at Appledore at 131 long?

Sorry, you mean - leander was 2nd rate ASW frigate and actually a patrol frigate -T31 shall be more capable than leander's? just to make it clear... Leanders were second rate escorts in general. Granted that most were ASW specialists but they were not successfully upgraded. I'd hope that the T31 is...

I'm not sure we should compare the T31 with the Leanders which were second rate patrol type frigates in reality - exactly what we shouldn't be aiming for.

Looking at those pics i can just visualize some Harpoon deck mounted aft of the funnel and replace the pea shooter with a Phalanx up front.

Could we merge the two islands and get rid of the ski jump. then angle the.... ah only kidding.

Actually i can't get used the two islands. I think she would look much smarter with just one.

On a serious note surely adding CAMM will be on the cards during future upgrades.

Interesting to see the original Sea Wolf GWS-25 launcher on F Rademaker'. I didn't realise these were still produced and wonder if the ship is ever armed with any seeing as this is old tech coming to the end of it's life.

I think I'm right in saying that although there has been an official announcement about the date of entry to Portsmouth being in just a couple of weeks, I haven't seen anything about the date that she is to be handed over to the RN. So entry into Portsmouth does not have to mean the end of contract...

It will be interesting to see what the other 7 cities are chosen given that there are only 8 in total compared to the 14 T42's. As others have said maybe not Belfast with the current version still afloat. You would say Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Exeter, Southampton for a...

but Rambo you miss out Northern Ireland. The naming of ships in this way should be reflective of the whole country not Just England Scotland and Wales I agree but the T42's didn't include NI either. i suppose we shall wait and see. If a town class emerges as the T31 we could see more of a geographi...

It will be interesting to see what the other 7 cities are chosen given that there are only 8 in total compared to the 14 T42's. As others have said maybe not Belfast with the current version still afloat. You would say Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Exeter, Southampton for a ...

SKB wrote:

marktigger wrote:suspect the new frigates are bound for Portsmouth

Maybe not. ASW frigates should be based with our subs at Devonport. The GP Type 31's are more likely to go to Portsmouth

I was under the impression that all of our SSN's are moving north in the next few years.

i very much doubt we have the resources to provide an escort for most of her sea trials. i reckon Sutherland & Iron Duke was more for publicity than anything..

I recall reading somewhere that she would return to Rosyth after phase 1 of contractor trials. But reading those tide tables this would seem rather critical but not impossible. I suspect POW could be ready to be moved out of dry dock soon so they will want QE out of the basin.

The T31 seems to me like a desperate way of retaining escort numbers at 19. Like others have said for the price range we are looking at is pimped up OPV's. If that is really the case then why aren't we just churning out more River Class. I know the BAE design is more or less just that but it seems p...

It shows the sad state of our navy that we cannot provide an escort for our flagship transiting to the gulf. IMO GPMG and Phalanx are not enough sailing on her own, hostile waters or not.

Whats the betting Fort Victoria will get Withdrawn onces the MARS start being commissioned. I still think the RFA will have serious manpower issues crewing x4 MARS / 2 Wave class / 3 SSS in the future based on current levels of activity.

When the four tides are operational is there a plan to sell off the two Waves? i don't get how we can go from operating more or less 3 tankers for the last few years (2 Wave + 1 Rover) to 6 not taking into account refits etc. Surely manpower will be a big issue. Although i guess the Waves have been ...

shark bait wrote:Back when the MARS programme started that was the plan, there was going to be a hospital and repair variant based off a common platform.

i wonder why we did go through with this option. or is it a quiet way of disposing of Argus when the time comes.

It's all gone quiet.. heres a pic i found on 22nd Feb with lots of tents still up top.. https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianfinc ... ateposted/ still a way off sailing i would say.

RFA's always have them fitted if they're heading east of Suez. Presumably she's heading out there to replace fort Victoria which has been out there for the past year. The placement looks strange, it's usually one forward and one aft, but they must have wanted to preserve the flight deck on the hang...

Fort Rosalie left Cammell Laird today after refit. https://www.flickr.com/photos/das_boot_160/32335261233/
Note the x2 Phalanx which are not fitted on this class very often?

She hasn't been used much in the last 6-7 years judging by the time she has been alongside at Birkenhead. I don't totally agree with disposing of her, but just like in 1982 this vessel was still with 'Stena'? and was requisitioned during the campaign. I suspect that the same would happen again if ne...