Ocean Class Helicopter Carrier (LPH) (1998-2018) (ex RN)

[Pongoglo]

Italy has started the build of a very large LHD with twin island design and a hangar larger than Cavour, elevators out of the way and more aviation fuel than Cavour.

While officially they are not yet talking about putting F-35B on it, i'd say it is clear that it will happen at a later date. The new LHD will replace the current Garibaldi, Harrier carrier now serving as LHA.

For the future, if and when the navy will manage to fund other new amphibs to replace the Santi class, there are probably two options: either a second LHD, or a couple of simpler and cheaper LPDs.

The Italians are obviously not as cash strapped as we are sometimes led to believe!

[SKB]

Airfix models are cheap though.

[Gabriele]

Italy is now building at once 1 supply ship, 1 LHD, 3 FREMM (and one was launched saturday) and the new PPA.

It is worth of notice.

[abc123]

Italy is now building at once 1 supply ship, 1 LHD, 3 FREMM (and one was launched saturday) and the new PPA.

It is worth of notice.

Respect.

[Jake1992]

Ideally we could do with 2 large LHDs to be designed so they can be built in the min 20s, they would need to be larger than Italy's or the minstal class. We could deal with a pair of Jean Carlos 1 class but ideally we should be looking at something between that and the US America class in size and capacities.

For me we should be looking to build something along these lines:

Length - 245m
Beam - 35m
Draft - 8m
Displacement - 35,000tn
Speed - 22knt
Range - 10,000nm
Aircraft capability - 30-35
6+ inline medium helo spots
35B capable
Atleast one lift chinook capable
Troop capacity - 1100-1200 standard 1600-1700 in overload
Vehicle capacity - 50+

Surely these could be designed built for £2.5bn witch would be capable with a proper 2% of GDP. These would more than replace HMS Ocean and the LPDs but ideal would be on top of the LPD replacement instead of them.

[dmereifield]

Italy is now building at once 1 supply ship, 1 LHD, 3 FREMM (and one was launched saturday) and the new PPA.

It is worth of notice.

I read this and thought, "that's impressive". Which I think it is. Then I thought about what the RN, and if I'm not mistaken we are currently funding the building of:

2 CVF
3 SSN (maybe 4, not sure if steel has been cut on Astute #7?)
4 OPV (maybe 5, not sure if steel has been cut on River B2 # 5?)
3 RFA tankers

Not to mention significant costs associated with long lead items (and costs associated with finalising the designs) for 3 T26 and Dreadnought class SSBN

No wonder the RN is brassic....
Shame spreadsheet Phil didn't do something for defence today....

[SKB]

Can we keep this thread limited to HMS Ocean please?

[shark bait]

The Italians appear to be doing a great job, a major overhaul of the whole fleet is happening at the same time.

The F35 capable assault platform they are building looks highly desirable, it would give the RN the 3rd flat top it needs to maintain a forward deployed fixed wing capability. Not at all possible within the current constraints, but a nice moon shot to aim for.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Not at all possible within the current constraints, but a nice moon shot to aim for.

Yep, hope our local correspondents over there will keep us posted about capacity measures, as and when they get circulated.

One of those, to rejuvenate the 2 Albions (only just), 3 Bays (at least one otherwise "busy") and 4 Points (available at short notice, most I think are chartered to MoD anyway, so just changing the course - and possibly dumping the load to the sea to pick up another one)

[marktigger]

yes MoD has had its fingers burned sea dumping in past so suspect it'll be off load

[cyrilranch]

http://navaltoday.com/2017/03/29/report ... lian-navy/

OCEAN FOR SALE

[isc75]

I had a feeling Hms Ocean would be heading to Brazil! I suspect they will get another 20 years out of her! Yet another dumb decision!

[marktigger]

yes it is a dumb decision but given we don't have the manpower to run her and the 2 carriers and I suspect we will struggle with that a necessary one. It leads to a series of dumb decisions that look like they haven't been thought fully through.

[SKB]

If Ocean were a second hand car for sale, you wouldn't touch it.

[marktigger]

If Ocean were a second hand car for sale, you'd wouldn't touch it.

interesting had heard her material state isn't good

[jonas]

Try and read what the article actually said :-

"The UK Defence Journal first noted the reports which said the price of the helicopter carrier was deemed “reasonable” by Brazilian officials.

Following up on the reports, the publication contacted persons currently aboard HMS Ocean and received a confirmation that rumors of sale do exist while there were no further talks on which navy that could be."

[Cooper]

If Ocean were a second hand car for sale, you'd wouldn't touch it.

interesting had heard her material state isn't good

Well, spend a couple of hundred..million( ) on doing her up and for a country like Brazil that's very cheap regional power projection for another decade or two, it's all relative in a South American context and not as if their rivals like Argentina could bring anything like Ocean to the table.

And I bet Brazil would fit all sorts of additional self defence and offensive capabilities to her over time.

[abc123]

If Ocean were a second hand car for sale, you'd wouldn't touch it.

interesting had heard her material state isn't good

Well, spend a couple of hundred..million( ) on doing her up and for a country like Brazil that's very cheap regional power projection for another decade or two, it's all relative in a South American context and not as if their rivals like Argentina could bring anything like Ocean to the table.

And I bet Brazil would fit all sorts of additional self defence and offensive capabilities to her over time.

Don't see what Brazil would get by buying Ocean? After all, Brazil's naval aviation is mostly CATOBAR, A-4 and Traders IIRC.

[Cooper]

Don't see what Brazil would get by buying Ocean? After all, Brazil's naval aviation is mostly CATOBAR, A-4 and Traders IIRC.

Brazil is getting out of the Carrier game, they're retiring that piece of French junk they bought and not replacing it.

[abc123]

Don't see what Brazil would get by buying Ocean? After all, Brazil's naval aviation is mostly CATOBAR, A-4 and Traders IIRC.

Brazil is getting out of the Carrier game, they're retiring that piece of French junk they bought and not replacing it.

Junk or not, they will have to spend a lot of money on Ocean ( if they buy her, but I doubt ) too to get not so good solution.

[Cooper]

Well of course it won't be as good as a carrier but it will be better than nothing at all, and in a South American context it would be the most powerful ship in the region, and there aren't any other similar sized ships with Oceans capabilities coming up for sale.

[SKB]

Channel 4 Television (UK) are to broadcast a new three-part tv documentary series called "Warship" featuring HMS Ocean on a seven month long deployment. The first weekly episode will be shown on Monday 10th April from 8pm.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/warship

[SKB]

Channel 4 Television (UK) are to broadcast a new three-part tv documentary series called "Warship" featuring HMS Ocean on a seven month long deployment. The first weekly episode will be shown on Monday 10th April from 8pm.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/warship

Tonight! (Reminder)

[Cooper]

Wonder how much of it will focus on the seemingly never ending series of faults and breakdowns that seem to plague RN ships whilst on deployment.

Just about every documentary on the RN I have ever watched seems to focus on such stuff...

[bobp]

Well it looks like some of the rumors may be true after all......
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... razil.html