Ron5 wrote:donald_of_tokyo wrote:Lord Jim wrote:I didn 't realise you could use the Aster 30 with the Mk41 system.
They do.
LM official brochure.
Future missile integration could include Long Range Anti-ship Missile (LRASM), Common Anti Air Modular Missile (CAMM), ASTER, Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) and Barak
But this does NOT mean you can do it for free. Any integration testing, designing, manufacturing, wiring and CMS integration, someone MUST pay. May not be cheap. ...
Integration would also require the French owners of Aster to be amenable to its integration in the Mk41 VLS. This is not a given.
Money can solve it. It is also "good" for ASTER30 to be being capable of Mk.41 VLS, because US-based SAM is showing "not good" score against incoming missiles historically (although it does NOT mean ASTER30 can do better).
Ron5 wrote: Thank you for posting this Donald-san. Depressing reading. They are so effed up.
Actually, not that much for me.
"T31-hull1 in service on 2027" is easily predictable from the start of T31 program (remember I always doubted the in service dates of T31).
Babcock has ZERO experience on escort building, ZERO. They need time to learn it, do it, and make it work. Must not hurry, and margin must be there. I am more "relaxed" to hear the 2027 number, actually.
Actually, I am more uncomfortable with the "all 5 hulls in hands of RN by 2028" claim. I think RN MUST abandon that target. As T26s are coming along with T31, there is not much need to hurry here = RN cannot man them, anyway.
# Of course, RN can disband T23 earlier, but this means "modify using significant cost, use it shortly, and then garbage" bad practice of RN.
Also, making the T31 build-line alive longer will be a good way to enable future export. Just imagine your are a sales man and forced to get a customer within 6 months, because the factory will close this July. If you have a freedom for another 6 month (say, next January), your sales activity is much more relaxed. Many other customers with different "due date" comes into the table.
I am even happy to sale some of the RN's T31 for export. France didi it, sold their FREMM Normandy to Egypt, right before handing over. Italy is planning to sale hull-9 and hull-10 of their FREMM to Egypt now (right before the handing over).
With "not enough" RN frigate crew, gapping 1 year of T31 in favor of rapid delivery for export, is surely a good option to consider.
Later in 2030s, as more T26 comes in (with ~150 crew) releasing T23 (with ~190 crew), RN will be able to man all of them. Of course, here I assume T23 LIFEX are all ended, and T45 engine modification and by ~2025 = all SIX T45 are active.