I think the RN intends them to be a bit more fighty than the glorified OPV that some on here seem to suggest they'll be. The comments would also indicate they the RN will use them as such, too Not withstanding KiwiMuzz 's valid cynicism, assuming the funds are there and do not result in higher prio...

Remember that initial costs (and therefore build costs) have been “capped”, so such changes would have to occur “post build”. :thumbup: Oh, absolutely. What I believe will actually happen is that funds to up-gun T31 will be deferred to up-gun T32, jam tomorrow. Then funds to up-gun T32 will be defe...

SKB wrote:"Exquisite Class" (C)2021 SKB

Exquisite, Excelsior, Enterprise, Executor, Endeavour, Electra.

From Jensy's photo above, it looks as if 16 Mk41 and 24 CAMM (in the new 6-tube launchers) would be possible, while retaining the boat bays. That would be a pretty flexible layout. Just keep the 32x Mk41 as per the picture. Use eight for quad-CAMM, leaving twenty-four for land attack and still room...

dmereifield wrote:Forgive my ignorance, but how could the solution be to buy more F35B?

I think the inference is that F35 has such significant capabilities in terms of radar, electronic warfare, and data-linking/networking that they could feasibly remove the need for a separate ASaC platform.

We should not have had to start from Scratch ! We should still have had Sea Harrier FA2 (FAA) in service and operating from QEC until sufficient F35B could be embarked . Keeping the FA2 for longer still as a fallback until F35B numbers had sufficiently increased. Another example of strategic inepti...

If we need to use both carriers because the fan is truly coated, then we will undoubtedly trawl both the reserve and the aircraft of the OCU etc. This was done in the Falklands war to form an ad-hoc operational Sea Harrier squadron to increase numbers and cover loses. To look at the operational tem...

Scimitar54 wrote:138 ?

Well, they're getting "up to" 138

Timmymagic wrote:Won't be long for no.7 to arrive...ZP807 is flying.

Since this aircraft will be 7 of 9, I can think of some really cool nose art

From the videos the 30mm look missing from the Queen Elizabeth? I guess they font need them for the pacific. To my knowledge, they have never been fitted to Queen Elizabeth, unsure about Prince of Wales. If fitted with the LMM launcher they would be a very useful addition, with four providing plent...

The future of ASW is UUV's. Without a means to carry and deploy them, the Type 26's would be fucked, wouldn't they? You are absolutely correct. I have just re-read the Navy Lookout article on the T26 mission bay from 2019 and, embarrassingly for my previous comments, the ASW configuration is signif...

The large mission bay was driven by the need to fit four 12 metre boats to meet the needs of embarked Joint Forces and Royal Marines forming a preliminary landing force were 'firmly captured' in the T26 KURS high level requirement for SF Operations, as was the large flight deck to take the CH-47 Ch...

To me, the weakness of the T26 design is the “multi-mission bay”. This area is set aside for equipment designed to perform tasks T26 should not be doing. If there were twenty of them (as there should be), fair enough, but with eight (therefore four active) where will they be available for these othe...

serge750 wrote:Wow Great diagram ! is that a S 3 viking on deck aswell by the bow cat ??

That's the "never was" Hawker Siddeley P139 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_P.139B

Speculating, and possibly overdoing the AUKUS connection, but could the recent agreement thrown an additional factor into the mix. The Australians have the same "Harpoon" issue as the RN, and are going for LRASM in the longer term, and potentially using the SM-6 as interim missile to fill...

Lord Jim wrote:Adding Starstreak/LMM launch tubes to 30mm mounts should be an easy win for the RN and RFA, adding to the air defence and close anti surface capabilities of numerous ships.

Not to mention the 40mm and/or 57mm mounts on the Type 31s...

R686 wrote:
While this is off topic, i actually agree with Swoop and her green socialist ideals She is the modern equivalent of Aunty Helen

All I can say is God help the NZDF

That's all fair comment, and I agree they are out of touch on defence, but "communist" is beyond the pale.

She's a looney communist who panders to her green-party minority partners & their "nuttier than squirrel shit" ideas. Logic is not one of her abilities. "Communist"? :lol: :lol: :lol: Get ya hand off it - if that's your idea of communism, it puts the rest of your post in per...

Kiwi PM Jacinda Whats-her-face has already banned the new Aussie subs from New Zealands tectonically unstable, volcanic waters - even before they've been designed.... Maybe she's pissed about not being invited into AnzUKUS :mrgreen: It's Ardern. Jacinda Ardern. Just so you don't need to resort to s...

I hope you're not suggesting the UK government would try and 'double dip' an announcement! Perish the thought! :lol: The number of times we were told "HMS D***** is one of six new destroyers ordered by the Royal Navy" the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking they have thirty by ...

Do the T-45s actually need the SM1850. I am sure I read somewhere that Sampson has the ability to match the capabilities of that radar as well as its other roles. My understanding is that SM1850 is used to take the long-range search load away from Sampson, allowing Sampson to focus it's processing ...

Scimitar54 wrote:KiwiMuzz wrote:-

Too loud for stealthy ops...?

Better not use Helicopters either then!

Fair point!

… https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1015447/DESA_Sales_Brochure_2021.pdf Why on earth would they want to get rid of the RM Hovercraft?! I would have thought the ability to insert 16 RMs at speed would be perfectly aligned to the future C...

No bands, no fanfare, no deck-lining. Another day, another RN carrier heading out to sea. Almost boring Truly magnificent looking ships. If only there was five of them

Well, as far as combat ships go, I think "Te Kaha" and "Te Mana" get message across nicely :-)[/quote] They weren't part of "Project Protector" though and the only reason "Project Protector" came into being was because they (NZG) quickly realised 2 frigates we...