why is the heli-pad in front of the bridge Because the money maker on these ships is the work deck on the back. They're the pickup trucks off the offshore industry, so they want the bed to be as big a possible. Will be interesting though to see what changes they do - they may chose to move the heli...

They’ve only just arrived

The UKs peace time defence budget will never be enough to be a serious continental land power. What you can argue is that what Iraq and Afghanistan have showed was not to believe your own hype and over commit. What Ukraine has shown is that the ability to train and supply specialist / top tier kit i...

And some more diplomacy from our agents out east.

“They (T32) aren’t needed right now” is fair - the current amphibious model can live for another decade and a combination of Hunts / Commercial designs for MCM can probably struggle on for another decade. HOWEVER, shows perfectly the folly of trying to have to two yards competing to build similar sh...

It’s worse if you expect that the T31s to be forward based with dual crews like the T23 on Kipion duties. Efficiency / size of crewing is one of the reason why the B2 Rivers is the perfect forward based platform. Now that we’ve ordered them, I’m all for upgrading the T31 to be a capable warship able...

Again proving their diplomatic value

April 2019 I believe and straight home to the knackers yard, so no need to think about long term maintenance.

Able to take on more routine, low-medium intensity RN missions worldwide leaving more expensive, speciallised high-intensity warfighting escorts to fullfill the missions that THEY were designed for. Yes, the ship design itself has been selected to meet the requirement to be able to be forward based...

Able to take on more routine, low-medium intensity RN missions worldwide leaving more expensive, speciallised high-intensity warfighting escorts to fullfill the missions that THEY were designed for. Yes, the ship design itself has been selected to meet the requirement to be able to be forward based...

Yes, if you make it a properly equipped frigate then it could. But that is not what’s on order, even then if it was properly equipped, and it still is able to meet the criteria for a cost effective forward based and maintained frigate, I’d argue that it’s better sat as part of the CSG freeing up a T...

Why is T-31 paper frigate ? By its own definition it’s a light frigate. It will (hopefully) have 24 AAW missiles (max) and which at best gives it a chance to escape a missile attack. It has an anti torpedo system, which again gives it a chance to escape a torpedo attack. So it has zero ability to i...

Which is more important the gulf or pacific that dictates what you choose. The river is an offshore patrol vessels that adds practically zero to the military security situation in the pacific. Both are very important and having a Frigate based in the Gulf and two forward based OPVs with regular CSG...

If the pacific is so important then divert the type 23 out of the gulf to the region to cover the sale. What if the Gulf still needs it, which it does. Sorry, for me replacing a platform that is doing the job with a more expensive one makes zero sense - but then again I’m alone it seems in saying r...

Current planning assumptions are for the Type 32 frigates to enter service over a period of three years commencing in 2032.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/details ... l-in-2032/

Why on earth are people sold on selling a great capable ship doing real valuable work for peanuts?

donald_of_tokyo wrote: ↑08 Jan 2023, 12:41 …to improve the relationship with UK, how about selling HMS Tamar NOW to Thailand?…

No way - we need more of these type of forward based low cost vessels not fewer. The money obtained will be a fraction of what is needed to replace, so it would just be a cut to the fleet.

But that does not work if your aim is to win what they are calling the first battle eg you deploy quickly to change the calculus and stop the enemy invading first and attempt to stop the war from escalating to the point where you need to take back ground lost. You need to be able to do this to at l...

Tempest414 wrote: ↑02 Jan 2023, 12:30 Any war between Russia and Nato will be weeks not years

If that’s true then the end is nuclear

Tempest414 wrote: ↑02 Jan 2023, 11:27 2 years this thing would be over in 4 weeks 8 tops

What thing? Assuming we keep the defences around the UK strong to stop a large scale invasion then we will have time.

Also,Ukraine has shown that conflicts will be years - it wasn’t armoured brigades that stopped the Russian advance.

I go back to the point I made at the start, heavy, medium and light decide how many of each you require to retain contingency. The construct stays roughly similar, the weight of vehicle changes to aid the strategic and operational mobility. Zero regular heavy or medium regular expeditionary Battle ...

But then in a Armoured BCT who exploits the gaps in the enemy lines it is not just about pounding the enemy in one place you have to push them back so you would use your long range artillery to hit enemy C&C and logistics and then use armour and infantry to exploit gaps in enemy lines due to th...

this is what a mechanised battlegroup looks like. https://mncne.nato.int/newsroom/news/2022/british-contingent-with-nato-efp-battlegroup-estonia-showcases-advanced-artillery-capability-during-exercise-abu-walk Thanks, so remove the Challengers and we are probably at something that could be towards ...

As said the the army has funding for 61 of 75 requested M270A2's now Saudi Arabia has 180 apparently And ? 60 or 70 is ok, enough for two-three regiments - but double that and have the ability to deploy multiple units globally quickly they are a game changer. For example, what would be more of a de...

Tempest414 wrote: ↑01 Jan 2023, 18:22 As said the the army has funding for 61 of 75 requested M270A2's now

Saudi Arabia has 180 apparently