Gabriele wrote: If they have to be glorified, super-expensive OPVs with CAMM and a main gun, better not to bother with them at all and put the money elsewhere. Patrol ships other than OPVs will already come via MHC, it is escorts that the Royal Navy is short of. And if a modern escort can't fight back air and sub-surface threats, it is not an escort, but an escorted.
How do you define "a glorified, super-expensive OPV"? For me, VENETOR 110 light frigate is NOT a such thing. It is "as escort as" a T23 GP. Floreal class is "a glorified, soso-espensive OPV".
By the way, I agree a TASS should be (at least) FFBNW for T31. But, I think CAPTAS-1 is OK. Then, it shall be as cheap as S2050 (am I wrong?), lightweight (1 ISO container size), easy to be added to both T45 and VENETOR110, or even elongated Khareef. Not as good as CAPTAS-4, but at least for shallow water ASW, CAPTAS-1 can do something better than S2050.
marktigger wrote:how wide would a vessel need to be to have a full width hanger capable of having 2 Merlins side by side?
JMSDF Shirane was 17.5 mm wide, can carry 3 Seakings in 1+2 orientation. RCN Iroquois class destroyer is (only) 15.2m wide, and carries 2 SeaKings side by side. Merlin is designed to be similar in size to SeaKing. So, I guess at least with a beam of 17.5m, or even 16m or so, the ship can carry 2 Merlin side-by-side.
shark bait wrote: T31 must be able to embark some specialist roles, otherwise it is just not relevant, and the resources should be spent elsewhere.
T31 with ASW similar to T45 (FFBNW CAPTAS-1), AAW similar to T26 (24 as built, +24 FFBNW) is "relevant", I think. Their "speciality" is in its number, which is "existence". They are light cruiser, as compared to the heavy cruisers (T45 and T26). RFA logistic fleet escorted by a single T31 is 100 times safer than those with no escort. This is great addition to the RN fleet.
What shall be discussed is, what is the minimum (for now and FFBNW) as a least credible escort. I propose,
- CAMM for T31 is, "full-set of SeaWolfs for T21" (or even better). By far "credible" than the real T21 built with SeaCat. CAMM is a quantum leap in AAW compared to SeaWolf. So yes, T31 should carry CAMM.
- embarking UAV, USV is must, I agree. It is only a matter of "with what size of mission bay". I guess a "18x18m mission-bay + Hangar complex" is right the size T31 needs. I can carry, a Wildcat with "2/3-size of T26" off-board system, a Merlin with "half-size of T26" offboard system, or even 2 Merlins or 3-4 Wildcats.
- keep a stern space open for 1 ISO container = CAPTAS-1 FFBNW.
- a 5 in gun