No objection. But resource limit is there.RetroSicotte wrote:I think much of the question needs to rest on "How many low end vessels do we need to cover those requirements?"
Then ask, once that number is met, how many proper escorts can be afforded?
Just to offer a different direction on the thoughtline. Rather than thinking top down, think requirements up.
Which tasks do we currently do that could be done by a lighter vessel, how light does that vessel need to be to do it, and how many are needed?
Then ask, what can be afforded after the requirements are met?
I suspect Gaberiel may be on to something by saying "If we kept the first three Rivers, would these minor requirements be met? Would a couple more auxiliary vessels then meet it? Are the requirements met? Okay, now Type 26."
With Brexit requiring resource for many fields, including boarder control, while NATO is unchanged (hi-end warfare issue is not affected), and economy is in recession likely, I cannot expect any increase in resource. Thus, increasing the resource to build 13 T26 is not likely.
Then, you need to cut requirement.
From T26GP to T31, it is not required to "be able to be update to top-rate ASW within a year or two". It is not required to provide up to 24 land attack missiles to launch. It is not required to provide ultra-long range/endurance. (Light frigate option (1))
Or just reduce 5 T26 GP to 3. (escort number reduction option (2)).
I understand many here likes option (2), rather than (1). I have no objection here.
What I am asking in support of option (1) is that, I do not understand why 2 light frigates with 24 CAMM each (of course NOT 12) cannot do as good as 1 T26 frigate with 48 CAMM. I still have no good answer. (ES-san, I agree 2 light frigates each with 12 CAMM is not good. There is no disagreement here. How's it if 24 each CAMM?). For ASW, they can be added with CAPTAS-1 or 2, to become 2nd-rate ASW ship, if need arises. There are many such ships in the globe, like in USN (But USN is using CAPTAS-4 on LCS, a bit higher grade than here. That differs, I agree. What I am talking here is that they are NOT super-quiet hull. AB DDG as well). I do not think ALL USN ships will be sunk immediately by SSN/SSK, although totally agree will suffer difficulty compared to T23/T26. So, they are "less useful" in ASW, but not "useless".
On the other hand, I also think option (2) is good, because the development cost of the light frigate is not needed, and all resources spent can come out as a real ship. But this option needs some tasks to be cut (another way of requirement cut). Here I propose FRE and 1 of the Kipion escorts. (APT-S is already gapped).
RN is getting huge increase in land attack capability with CVF and 8 T26s. Also getting back some of the ASW resource by 9 P-8As. "In place", not requiring 5 T26GP is not that unfair, looks like.
