donald_of_tokyo wrote:Sorry Ron5-san, I disagree. Yes, you can build 8 T26 in 8 years. And then, the shipyard will be closed, because T45 replacement is yet to come. Technology lost, infrastructure lost, man-power lost.
Then, when a time come for T45 replacement, may be UK will be forced to order it to France, or pay a lot (start from educating the man-power, standing-up the infrastructure, building-up a modern technology) and only then built the escort. But, it will never be a high grade one, because it is a "baby" ship building industry. Malaysian shipyard trying to learn how to build modern warship with Gowind2500 ship will be in much better situation than those of UK shipyards if closed for 10 years (because of lack of investments).
Jake1992 wrote:here’s a few reasons the drum beat is there but none of them are to get the best value for money.
1 - to keep in line with in year spending
2 - to fill the time before the T4X
3 - to do the above with out increasing personal costs over all.
2 could be done and deliver better value by getting 9-10 T26s for a similar cost as the 8 by using the learning curve but this will break both 1 and 3 so HMG have said no.
I know a little bit (actually I know a lot) about multi year budgeting of large projects through research, development and production. Production efficiency increases have to be figured out and built into the funding profile. Everyone and every process through out has to be challenged hard to increase productivity. To do otherwise is to die as a company.
The result is a budget funding line (that becomes the actual spending line over time) that is a curve. Every year, every quarter, requires a different amount of funding.
And before you smart folks bring it up, this does not mean a constantly fluctuating work force. They have skills which can't be discarded and instantly regained any more than ship building skills can be.
This isn't trivial to work out and it isn't trivial to manage. But in western economies, every manufacturing company does it. The companies that are better at it, usually have better financial results.
Does it mean the whole class would be delivered in a shorter period? Not unless they want it.
Does this mean that the shipyard would operate with an average of fewer skilled workers? Yes.
Now you guys are telling me, the all mighty British Treasury with its pick of the finest brains from Oxford & Cambridge are not capable of managing a shipbuilding budget that varies from year to year over the life of the program?? With ships being delivered at a faster rate as the shipyard becomes more experienced building that class?
Give me a frikkin break.