Type 23 Frigate (Duke Class) (RN) [News Only]

[GibMariner]

HMS St Albans flies high at Bahrain Air Show

In a role slightly different from the norm, HMS St Albans’ Merlin helicopter featured at the recent Bahrain International Air Show representing the Royal Navy.

Usually the Merlin Mk2 can be found carrying out maritime patrols and interdiction, troop ferrying, casualty evacuation, load lifting, Search and Rescue, and whatever else is required of it.

But in a change to routine the Merlin went on show demonstrating the Royal Navy’s maritime air capability at the international air show which attracts more than 40,000 visitors.

The small team of aircrew and engineers and their Merlin received an exceptionally warm welcome from both the Bahrainis and wider public from all over the Gulf Region.

Read more: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... n-air-show

[GibMariner]

24280 – Warships: Crew (Answered)

Emily Thornberry
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total crew complement by rank and specialisation was of each of the Royal Navy’s (a) Type 45 Destroyers and (b) Type 23 Frigates on their most recent deployment.

Penny Mordaunt
Ships’ and submarines’ complements are not fixed; they vary, even across a Class, due to equipment fits and in response to specific tasking.

The table below shows the average number of liability positions for each ship when in their normal operating role.

Table here: http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2016/02/2 ... -answered/

[GibMariner]

[GibMariner]

[Tony Williams]

HMS Monmouth visits #Göteborg this weekend to reinforce good relations w/Sweden and give crew a well earned rest

Isn't there a danger that these two aims might be mutually exclusive?

Or are shore leave groups well behaved these days?

[ArmChairCivvy]

No worries, the benchmark they have seen (in Sweden) is football fans visiting
- hard to get anywhere near

[SKB]

HMS Somerset scoops top award

Royal Navy warship HMS Somerset has scooped an award as the fleet’s top frigate.
http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/201 ... top-award/

[jonas]

HMS Monmouth visits #Göteborg this weekend to reinforce good relations w/Sweden and give crew a well earned rest

Isn't there a danger that these two aims might be mutually exclusive?

Or are shore leave groups well behaved these days?

Have you seen Swedish or Norwegian matelots on a run ashore. With the eye watering price of alcohol in their home countries, they certainly do make the most of it abroad.

[GibMariner]

[GibMariner]

Video in link.

[GibMariner]

[GibMariner]

Hangar door 'ripped off' by wind and into warship at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth

A hangar door at Devonport Dockyard has been "ripped off" by the Storm Imogene winds and blown onto a warship.

It is not yet known how much damage has been done to the frigate, but a spokesman for the Royal Navy has confirmed the incident.

A Babcock worker's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the The Herald her daughter is having to go home along with other members of staff.

"One of the doors was ripped off because of the wind," she said, "and is laying across the ship.

Story here: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Hangar- ... ory.html#2

HMS Argyll?

[marktigger]

not surprised given the weather

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[marktigger]

we've had 70 mph winds

[GibMariner]

Frigates:Written question - 25217

Asked by Douglas Chapman(Dunfermline and West Fife)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an evaluation of which assets will be transferred from the fleet of T23 Frigates to the fleet of T26 Frigates.

Answered by: Mr Philip Dunne

The Type 23 capability sustainment programme will de-risk the introduction of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, and deliver cost savings by bringing equipment into service in the Type 23 Frigates before transitioning to the Type 26. The Sea Ceptor Anti-Air Missile system and the Artisan 997 Air Surveillance Radar are examples of this.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... -01/25217/

[The Armchair Soldier]

Type 23 Frigates HMS Monmouth (F235) and HMS Iron Duke (F234) underway into fjord waters in one of the serialized exercises during Dynamic Guard exercise. Photo by PO ESP-N Sánchez Oller.

[xav]

Thales awarded Royal Navy Type 23 Communications Management Update Contract

As the outcome of an open competition, Thales has been awarded a £19M contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to perform a mid-life update to the External Communications Voice Distribution and Management System (called KMY) for the Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigate fleet.

Known as KRS (KMY Replacement System), this will replace the currently installed analogue KMY communications system, with a fully digital solution, and will serve the Type 23 platform until replaced by the Type 26 frigate.

KRS is phase 1 of the fleet-wide ‘Project Calliope’, which will progressively update the majority of terrestrial communications systems fitted across the Royal Navy surface fleet and also some Royal Fleet Auxiliary platforms.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=3614

[GibMariner]

Iron Duke and Sutherland arrive in Trondheim for winter war games

Sisters HMS Iron Duke and Sutherland are spending the weekend in the northern Norwegian port of Trondheim ahead of the largest war games of the winter.
Some 20 ships from Allied nations are gathering in the city for Cold Response, the two-yearly test of the military’s ability to operate in the harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic climate.
They’re just two of 20 warships – including Norwegian, Danish, French, Polish, Dutch, and Spanish – which are gathering in the northern port for Cold Response, a three-week test of the ability of 14 NATO and Allied nations to operate in the harshest climatic conditions.
From the middle of next week, the ships will be charging around the fjords as the exercise gets under way in earnest.
Before then, the 400 sailors on the two British frigates taking part – Sutherland from Plymouth, Iron Duke from Portsmouth – have the chance to get accustomed to conditions in northern Norway (daytime temperatures around Trondheim are, at best, 1˚C or 2˚C at present, and frequently sub-zero) and get to know the local populace.

Read more: https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/14385

[shark bait]

That is our NATO allocated frigate and out Fleet Ready Escort out on war games.

Interestingly out of 13 frigates I only have 1 down as on a full 9 month deployment. HMS St Albans is currently deployed to the middle east, the rest are training around the UK. That hardly coincides with the over stretched frigate fleet we often talk about, I suppose things will change when we have carriers to escort.

[GibMariner]

That is our NATO allocated frigate and out Fleet Ready Escort out on war games.

Interestingly out of 13 frigates I only have 1 down as on a full 9 month deployment. HMS St Albans is currently deployed to the middle east, the rest are training around the UK. That hardly coincides with the over stretched frigate fleet we often talk about, I suppose things will change when we have carriers to escort.

On the contrary, I think this shows just how overstretched the escort flotilla is - in order to have 2 frigates deployed in/around NATO's northern flank, there hasn't been one in the Caribbean in almost 2 years (argument about whether a frigate is needed for APT(N) is separate, but still a symptom of a frigate force smaller than it should be) and there hasn't been a vessel deployed to the South Atlantic since HMS Lancaster returned to Portsmouth in December 2015.

This without the extra pressure of having to escort carriers/RFTG.

If we look to just a decade ago, 2006, (and just after the 3 T23s were unfortunately disposed of) we had:
Continuous APT(N) & APT (S) deployments, SNMG2, Armilla Patrol, a Far East deployment, plus Illustrious & task group East of Suez and Ocean & task group in the Atlantic - all with frigates assigned.

[GibMariner]

Type 23 Frigates:Written question - 28004
Asked by Emily Thornberry(Islington South and Finsbury)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects each of the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates to be withdrawn from service.

Answered by: Mr Philip Dunne

HMS Argyll - 2023
HMS Lancaster - 2024
HMS Iron Duke - 2025
HMS Monmouth - 2026
HMS Montrose - 2027
HMS Westminster - 2028
HMS Northumberland - 2029
HMS Richmond - 2030
HMS Somerset - 2031
HMS Sutherland - 2032
HMS Kent - 2033
HMS Portland - 2034
HMS St Albans - 2035

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... -23/28004/

[shark bait]

We are going to need a pretty aggressive build schedule to match that, far quicker than what had been currently suggested.

[GibMariner]

We are going to need a pretty aggressive build schedule to match that, far quicker than what had been currently suggested.

When is the first T26 due in service? 2022? I've lost track.

If the "Type 31" aren't built concurrently or built after all the T26, it looks like there will be a drop in hull numbers.

Also, I'm assuming that once the T26 enter service, our current "ASW" T23 will become our "GP" T23

[shark bait]

I think that assumption is correct. Am I correct in saying the first five to be decommissioned are the GP versions? which should mean we never drop in numbers of ASW frigates, but could face an overall drop in frigate numbers.

I guess our current "ASW" T23 will become our "GP" T23 unless they are buying new sonars.

I too have lost track when it is suppose to enter service now it has been pushed back by 2 years.