Repulse wrote:Agreed, the cost of “short” batch runs using new designs rather than evolving an existing one.
I know there is an argument to have new designs to keep our design teams busy / trained, but my view is over the next 25 years we should focus on evolving the T26 and River designs and reducing the unit cost through efficiency of scale.
This is where I think that HMG and BAE are missing a trick with the T26 design, this design it’s self has shown to be world class and able to win competitions. They should be looking at designing a family of 3 vessels based on the design that would filling the roles from light frigate to AAW destroyer.
We’d start with the T26 as is, shown to be a world class ASW vessel with a flexible pay load of up to 48 mk41s and 12-15 ExLS ( in the RN case )
I’d then go for a light frigate set up, this would be a shorter striped down version a T27 let’s say.
Everything up to the rear of the superstructure would remain the same, after that the flight deck would be shorted to a merlin capable and the mission bay would be removed, I set the hanger out to handle a merlins plus a few IOS containers. It’d have cheaper noisier engines but allow for other opitions.
At around 130m by 21m and 5,000t
At top speed of 25-26 knots
Endurance of 30 odd days
This would compete against the likes of the FTI and I think would appeal to navies that want a capable platform but can’t afford something like the T26, say Brazil, chilli, RNZN, Singapore, South Africa. It should aim for a price tag of £500m odd
The finale design would be a T48 this would be the AAW replacement for the T45s, it’d take the T26 design and and a 15m plug mid ship to allow for greater VLS numbers and the larger multiple radars.
Once again this would and cheaper noise engines and all the ASW quietening taken out.
We’d be looking at something like this
165m by 21m
9,000-10,000t
Top speed of around 30knots
Endurance of 45 odd days
96 mk41s for AAW BMD AShW land strike basic ASW defence
Should be aiming for a unit price of around £800m
This would in effect be a British AB and could appeal to the like of RAN RCN as add ons or instead of some of there T26s
This family of vessels based on one parent design that offers a lot of commonality amoungst then could be a gamer changer but it’d require forward planing and investment by both the MOD and BAE.
I would upload a image of the 3 to give a better idea but the thread won’t allow me.