Exactly. Things may go better, thing may go worse.SD67 wrote: ↑04 Dec 2022, 23:49Much can happen between now and 2035. Much depends on the elephant in The room, which is Successor. Reasonable assumptions about current programs will lead to some financial space in 2032-34. Design doesn’t cost much if you’re importing the missile. I think 83 will start on time and if there’s a delay then maybe a 9th 26 or 3 OPVs come into the picture.
Hopefully by then the whole Indyref thing has died down
Therefore, "plan-B" is needed. Betting everything on "hopeful future" is a bad thing. Being pessimistic and throwing away everything is also bad.
I think T83 is still there, just seeing delay. So, what to do in "possible 5-6 years of gap" is my concern. On the other hand, I see no big needs in T32, it will remain "nice to have" and therefore shall come in only when everything goes better.
Gap-filler-candidate-1: On this regard, designing a new OPV hull, and building a few as "MHC-LSV" is my proposal. If "gap filler" be needed, these OPV can fill about a half of the gap (equivalent to 3 years), as River B2 OPV replacements (which was a 3-year gap-filler themselves).
Gap-filler-candidate-2: As another gap-filler, an AAW enhanced T26 might be an option. If RN decide to go with US-based AAW kits, adopt (son-of) AEGIS following US Constellation class frigates, and fill the 24 Mk.41 VLS cells with 24 SM-6 while keeping 48 CAMM/CAMM-ER/CAMM-MR as is. If with Aster world, replace the 24-cell Mk.41 VLS with 24-cell Sylver 70, and fill it with 24 Aster-30, while keeping 48 CAMM/CAMM-ER/CAMM-MR as is. Of course, we need SAMPSON Mk.2 at the mast, but surely it will be lowered (because of top weight).
2 such hulls may replace 2 T45, 4 T83 will replace the remaining 4 T45, and eventually the last 2 T83 will replace the first 2 T26 in future. RN AAW capability will be slightly reduced temporary, but no big change overall.
Yes, gap-filler-1 is "what the River B2s must have been in 2013" = RN must have prepared a better OPV design best fit for RN purpose (like 3 100m-class OPV(H), to be combined with 4 River B1s)
And, yes, gap-filler-2 is exactly what the French navy is doing with FREMM-DA.