Australian Defence Force

[SKB]

[Lord Jim]

Not difficult - Sampson was originally designed as a fixed array - the rotating dual array version was chosen as it's considered more resilient, in that, if one panel is lost, the other side can still cover, whereas if you lose a fixed panel, you have lost 25% of your coverage. It's also lighter, so can be placed higher

That makes a certain amount of sense, but for a warship to lose an entire Phased Array Panel would probably mean the ship is a mission kill anyway wouldn't it? Aren't modern Phased Arrays made up of individual cells so to total remove that ability of an individual array to work you have to destroy it entirely. As for Sampson, I fond it hard to think of a senario where a hit on the radar would only damage a single side and not the whole. I strongly believe that a joint programme to develop a radar that would replace both Sampson and SPY would bring many benefits to both countries, providing a genuine alternative to the American radar for future warships whilst still being compatible with both European and American missile systems.

[Caribbean]

That makes a certain amount of sense, but for a warship to lose an entire Phased Array Panel would probably mean the ship is a mission kill anyway wouldn't it? Aren't modern Phased Arrays made up of individual cells so to total remove that ability of an individual array to work you have to destroy it entirely. As for Sampson, I fond it hard to think of a senario where a hit on the radar would only damage a single side and not the whole.

I'm not sure if the decision was based solely on battle damage. I suspect that there was a (realistic) acceptance of the fact that simple operational failure could also intervene (often at an inconvenient moment). Good old Murphy's Law in action!

I'm also sure that significant and detailed work would have been undertaken to model realistic scenarios involving the impact of explosive ordnance on different array geometries. I am thinking in terms of delayed detonation, separation between the arrays and the spread cone of fragments from the detonation point. Basically, it may not be the surface that takes the direct impact that suffers the most damage, but the one next in the path.

Considering the age of Sampson and the advances in naval ammunition, it may well be that those calculations are no longer valid, of course, and that a different solution may be needed in the future

[R686]

Stumbled on this YouTube video about RAN submarines and the demise of the Attack class

[Dahedd]

Stumbled on this YouTube video about RAN submarines and the demise of the Attack class

Just watched that lastnight. He's videos tend to be pretty good (He's a good one arguing the pros & cons of an F35B prurchase)

Guy in the comments claiming the RAN are getting HMS Agincourt ? Not sure about that

[R686]

Stumbled on this YouTube video about RAN submarines and the demise of the Attack class

Just watched that lastnight. He's videos tend to be pretty good (He's a good one arguing the pros & cons of an F35B prurchase)

Guy in the comments claiming the RAN are getting HMS Agincourt ? Not sure about that

Ha, I hadn’t read the comments section on this one.

Sometimes the comments section is just as entertaining as the video

I know there are a lot of armchair generals out there but some are just not ground in reality


But I do wonder with only 7 boats in the water, what are the chances of a long term presence staging out of FBW a bit like the OPV’s once all the nuclear infrastructure is in place to handle boats long term

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.jan ... Fp1cVMwPQ2

[Lord Jim]

Is the timeframe for the replacement of the Collins class still the same with these new SSNs?

[Mercator]

Is the timeframe for the replacement of the Collins class still the same with these new SSNs?

No one knows. They intend to draw up plans over the next 18 months.

[Mercator]

[Timmymagic]

But I do wonder with only 7 boats in the water, what are the chances of a long term presence staging out of FBW a bit like the OPV’s once all the nuclear infrastructure is in place to handle boats long term

Very little realistically. The UK SSN force will actually drop to 6 boats temporarily in due course, before rising to 7. But then Astute will need an MLU...given the adage of 3 boats for 1 at sea that means the UK will have 2 SSN's out on ops. We're not going to be able to station one out in the Indo Pacific or even visit regularly unless its planned a very long time in advance. I know a lot of people want the RN to get back to 8 SSN, but realistically to cover all of the tasks and aim for a presence elsewhere we need around 12 to be convincing..

[Lord Jim]

No one knows. They intend to draw up plans over the next 18 months.

Cheers for that.

[Mercator]

The first of six Evolved Cape Class patrol boats was launched at the Austal Ships shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia on 22 September.
Gallery: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20212917

[Dahedd]

The first of six Evolved Cape Class patrol boats was launched at the Austal Ships shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia on 22 September.
Gallery: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20212917

That's a sexy looking tub

[Lord Jim]

I do like the design of the Australian OPVs. They have come up with a design that has evolved overtime from the Freemantle call to todays vessels with a distinct family resemblance.

[R686]

The first of six Evolved Cape Class patrol boats was launched at the Austal Ships shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia on 22 September.
Gallery: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20212917

I wonder if they will put a gun on them or not?

The Armidales had the 25mm fitted the Arafura-class are set for a 40mm but the border ABF Capes just had the 50cal guns

[Lord Jim]

Why not a harpoon gun to catch boats that shouldn't be where they are found.
To be clear I support the giving of asylum to all those who need it as long as the UK is the first safe country they travel to. If the have transited other safe countries to reach the UK they are migrants of one form or another, and should apply via the relevant British Consuls not try to enter the country illegally.

[swoop]

The first of six Evolved Cape Class patrol boats was launched at the Austal Ships shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia on 22 September.
Gallery: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20212917

That looks like active stabilisers as well as a bow thruster. An interesting design philosophy going on there.
The Freemantle class were a good design but these will be very interesting to see how they mature.

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"? Get ya hand off it - if that's your idea of communism, it puts the rest of your post in perspective

Having been in a fully communist country (USSR) the similarities with this government are remarkable.
She might claim to be wearing a "socialist" hat but the lunacy goes far deeper. Then we have our "nuttier than squirrel shit" green party lot. The "tail that wags the dog" is an appropriate term.

[J. Tattersall]

The first of six Evolved Cape Class patrol boats was launched at the Austal Ships shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia on 22 September.
Gallery: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20212917

I wonder if they will put a gun on them or not?

The Armidales had the 25mm fitted the Arafura-class are set for a 40mm but the border ABF Capes just had the 50cal guns

On her armaments will the debate be to the same standard as on (up)arming the RN's B2 OPVs? Surely the same criteria must apply!

[Lord Jim]

Possibly a BAe Systems 40mm, a couple of .50cals and a number of FN MAGs, don't know the Australian designation for the latter.

[J. Tattersall]

According to https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.p ... boats.html her armament will be 2 x 0.5 cal. No indication of whether these will be stabilised or not, nor whether M3 or chain gun type weapon.

[Repulse]

This suggests a 30mm gun also:

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/marit ... iled-in-wa

[Tempest414]

that will depend on its tasking now will it not

[J. Tattersall]

This suggests a 30mm gun also:

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/marit ... iled-in-wa

Interesting to see if it receives the same criticism in this forum as the B2 Rivers for only having a 30mm as its main armament.

[Repulse]

J. Tattersall - True, but AFAIK these will only be operating in Australian waters whereas the B2 Rivers are being sent to the other side of the world.

[J. Tattersall]

J. Tattersall - True, but AFAIK these will only be operating in Australian waters whereas the B2 Rivers are being sent to the other side of the world.

Out of interest what are they likely to use a 30mm against in Australia's territorial seas, or even EEZ?