That's an incredibly over-simplistic way to put it, I feel. Remember that Appledore was sustained for a time in the modern sense on the British orders for Echos 1 and 2, and HMS Scott. The yard becomes known for that, and also finds success equipping a whole other nation's navy, then suddenly that major customer just abandons them due to "budget concerns". Any yard would suffer. The Clyde would have too in the same way if they hadn't had TOBA.SW1 wrote:So you’ve made my point and your own point for yourself. They haven’t won any work in years if there so efficient and capable then they would of contracts over the last 3 or 4 years but they haven’t.
(Forward notice from here on the post isn't really in response to your words directly so much as a general summary of thoughts on the whole thing.)
The issue is the MoD and Gov's refusal to actually use the assets they have available to them with proper planning. How can any shipyard function with such constant lack of planning and unwillingness to commit to anything? See - Portsmouth, and the Clyde costing more than it should on Rivers because lack of planning left the Clyde without a giant gap. The Glasgow yards were saying for years that Type 26 was ready to go any time they wanted, and Type 45 was meant to last a lot longer too.
This whole thing is an MoD/Gov side created fault. The yards are floundering, competing, and devouring one another in attempts to get whatever few things go out, and it's hurting everyone in the end. Yards close up or get sudden changes to inconsistent plans, the Royal Navy gets rushed and incomplete ship designs due to the inflated costs, the MoD has less or its budget, and people lose jobs.
I don't really care who wins a contract, tbh. I'm not a BAE-apologist for their own role in creating issues (and they do have some) but I'm not someone who demonises them either. What matters to me more is the sustainment of industry in general. Via location, via skillsets, and via jobs.I think the excitement here is people want to give work to someone other than BAE. That’s a different argument and comes back to the point there’s only enough work for one supplier, we’ve made our bed.
If people want to see investment in future ship systems in that part of the world then the money and backing should go to the Thales facility in Plymouth not appledore.
Plymouth I think definitely has a good future as somewhere that all ships go for their upgrades, but I admit I am less read up on what Plymouth's real capabilities as a yard are.