River Class (OPV) (RN)

[Gabriele]

635 millions.

635 millions.

635 millions.

[RetroSicotte]

Jesus christ.

I have no words.

[ArmChairCivvy]

635 millions.

635 millions.

635 millions.

Thats only for the available fleet . Add another three (times)

[Galloglass]

The costs are really incredible.......If you're looking for exports don't bother asking Ireland. (though we might take the Type1s if they are cheap) We'll stick with Appledore I think. We could buy 12 P60s for that sort of cash.

[marktigger]

The costs are really incredible.......If you're looking for exports don't bother asking Ireland. (though we might take the Type1s if they are cheap) We'll stick with Appledore I think. We could buy 12 P60s for that sort of cash.

yeap definitly shortsighted going to BaE

[shark bait]

Is this one of the biggest MOD balls ups?

[2HeadsBetter]

Hmmm.

"The work enabled by the £287 million contract will include the building of HMS Tamar and HMS Spey as well as support for all five of the new ships."

What support and for how long, I wonder.

[marktigger]

I'd say a mix the government has delayed t26 so long they have to support govan. But Bae also should be seeking other contracts to

[Repulse]

I wonder how much we would have spent if we had ordered 3

[RichardIC]

HMS Spey! Remeber when the Phantom got Speyed? It got fatter and slower.... and vastly more expensive.

Plus ca change

[bobp]

For the kind of money these OPV are costing, you would have thought at least a bigger pea shooter up front, and a couple of Harpoon launchers would have made them more useful.

[ArmChairCivvy]

HMS Spey! Remeber when the Phantom got Speyed? It got fatter and slower.... and vastly more expensive.

Plus ca change

Loved that one!
At least the v expensive UK-nization of the Apache brought some operational advantages - that by now have been caught up with, and surpassed by the universal upgrades.

[donald_of_tokyo]

May be too simple-minded, but 278 MGBP is just 1 year of TOBA (230M) + some machines (engines and armaments) ?

[donald_of_tokyo]

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/imps ... -progamme/
They say,
- HMS Forth build started on 2014, and deliver in the second half of 2017, followed by HMS Medway, and Trent.
- HMS Tamar and HMS Spey will be manufactured at Govan before being floated to Scotstoun to be fitted out. They are expected to be delivered in 2019.
So it's not 6 years, only (reasonable) 3 years build. Although, I do not know the sources.

[hovematlot]

2 days ago the First Sea Lord tweeted 'under SDSR we will operate up to 6'

Maybe they will keep HMS Clyde after all..

[Gabriele]

It would be a welcome breath of common sense.

Withdrawing the slightly older (2003) River Batch 1s, without flight deck and all that, might even be acceptable. But HMS Clyde really should stay. She'll only be 10 year old next year, what the hell.

[bobp]

It would make sense to keep HMS Clyde, perhaps with a lick of paint and she will be good for another 10 years. The Batch 1's I hope they are sold at a decent price and not just allowed to rot.

[shark bait]

Decent price? Wishful thinking. OPV's are usually cheap as chips to build brand new, and are usually better armed, no one is going to pay big bucks for some second hand vessels.

Do the Royal Navy actually own HMS Clyde? Thought that was still leased?

[Caribbean]

Decent price? Wishful thinking. OPV's are usually cheap as chips to build brand new, and are usually better armed, no one is going to pay big bucks for some second hand vessels.

The best strategy is probably to let them go cheap and then make some money doing a refit/refurb for the new user

[marktigger]

i suppose what the designed life of them is and I'd say the original lease company would have wanted repeat business.

[Gabriele]

Do the Royal Navy actually own HMS Clyde? Thought that was still leased?

Still leased.

The 3 Batch 1 on the other hand were purchased in 2012 for 39 millions, on the assumption that they would serve out to 2023 (20 years service life exactly). They'll now be binned earlier than that, probably making their purchase a net loss, again.

[PAUL MARSAY]

I like the idea of keeping Clyde , but I think we should look at the option of keeping the batch 1. I have had a real left field idea of converting them into TASS tugs and using them to cover the deterent , what do you think ?

[Spinflight]

Covering the deterrent is the one area you most definitely want a super quiet hull, a good active sonar and speed.

The Rivers seem to be designed so as to be incapable of being mistaken for a frigate to a politician's gaze. Protecting the deterrent is high end only I'm afraid.

[shark bait]

Would be nice if it could be made to work.

The US do a similar this with their SURTAS system deployed on Victorious class boat's, but previously on ships that resemble the river's.

I disagree with Spinflight, it's not solely for the high end, they don't need to be combat ships to protect the deterrent, they need to be surveillance platform's, that can call in much more effective aircraft to do the hard work.

The concept is workable, the worry is detracting from more important programmes like the T31.

[hovematlot]

Would be nice if it could be made to work.

The US do a similar this with their SURTAS system deployed on Victorious class boat's, but previously on ships that resemble the river's.

I disagree with Spinflight, it's not solely for the high end, they don't need to be combat ships to protect the deterrent, they need to be surveillance platform's, that can call in much more effective aircraft to do the hard work.

The concept is workable, the worry is detracting from more important programmes like the T31.

The US SURTAS system is an integral part of the IUSS network with the data processing from the Towed Arrays carried out in shore stations. I think the RN would baulk at the cost of creating such a system. I just don't there is the money, the manpower, the will to create such a capability. Plus I would guess the B1 Rivers are rather noisy. Not conducive to Passive Sonar Operations. Besides the UK already has access to the SURTASS system.