Lord Jim wrote:Taking a step back, before we start ordering new ships to replace the Bays and Albions we need a very clear and well defines vision of what the future role of the Royal Marines is to be, how are they to be equipped and how will they operate. This will define what type of platforms the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary will need to meet these criteria.
The Royal Navy will need far more specialise platforms, albeit smaller, faster and better protected than the Albions to support The Royal Marines. They will need to be able to operate up to four CB-90 type craft either form a dock or from davits. I would say that traditional landing craft like the LCVP would not feature as their limited range, slow speed and the fact that the ships would not have the capacity to carry both these and the Combat Boats in number sufficient for effective operations.
Totally agreed on the first point.
Curious absence of any mention of LCU in the second...
No problem with with your larger class of smaller vessels to replace the LPD's, but they need LCU sized docks (plural). If you're looking at a class of four then we'd want at [least] two Caiman90 capable docks on each.
If we want a bunch of commandos tearing round in speed boats we don't need a brigade for three (and a half?) principle combat formations, and we don't need a RM training pipeline. No, we're looking at a naval infantry specialist course as a tack-on to catterick, able to support one or two 'commando' battalions.
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More generally -
I still see people veering silently away from combined-arms mobile formations, with occasional comments about stopping dreaming about SDR97 and putting brigades across beaches.
No one here is suggesting that, but no-one has convinced me that retaining a capability at battlegroup level isn't both achievable and necessary.
We can still have Commandos racing around in speedboats, plenty of room for that with three (and a half) principal commando units...