donald_of_tokyo wrote: ↑19 Nov 2022, 03:50
wargame_insomniac wrote: ↑18 Nov 2022, 18:32Greetings Donald-san. I thought I had used the term General-Purpose rather than Multi-Purpose, but if I had said the latter, then I meant it as opposed to a specialist AAW escort like T45 or a specialised ASW escort like T26.
Thanks. Sorry I was not clear. I meant, GP frigate in RN standard is "sloop", not a multli-purpose frigate. T81 tribal class was a sloop, later designated as GP frigate. The next GP frigate for RN was T21, as we all know. How to evaluate T81 and T21 depends on who does it, but I think T31 is exactly in the same group, "Long rage heavy corvette".
Actually, T31 has equipment-sets almost the same to that of Al Khareef class corvette.
I feel any RN escort needs to, as a minimum, be able to defend itself from a wide variety of enemy foes, even if it is not a specislit at that task.
Understandable argument, but I think it is rather vague. What will be included in "a wide variety of enemy foes"? For me,
<AAW>
- hypersonic ASM : maybe not
- sub-sonic ASM in large saturation attack: maybe not
- sub-sonic ASM a few at once: yes
- slow ASM drones in swarm : depends.
T31 complies perfectly. It has 12 (or more) CAMM, 57 mm gun, 2x 40 mm gun. Perfect.
<Anti Surface>
- carry hypersonic ASM : not needed
- carry long-range sub-sonic ASM : maybe yes
- carry smallish sub-sonic ASM : maybe yes
- carry only guns : for sure
T31 has SeaVenom and 57 mm gun. Good.
<ASW>
- hunting SSN/SSK: completely out of scope
- can cover a small area around herself in ASW against SSN/SSK: maybe yes
- can avoid torpedo attack: maybe yes
- carry a high-end ASW helicopter : maybe not
- carry a helicopter or UAV to provide sonobuoy cover: hopefully
T31 has Merlin capable hanger (only as an option), can carry Wildcat, will be able to carry ASW-capable (although limited) UAV (but, not now). It has torpedo defense system (good), and no hull sonar.
Anyway, T31 with a hull sonar cannot be used to hunt SSK/SSN. It is always inferior to SSK/SSN. Adding a hull sonar will slightly improve its survival probability. Of course, adding a torpedo defense system has a big effect, and thus adopted.
T31 meets the "minimums level", I think.