Poiuytrewq wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 22:42
sol wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 18:13
Thank you. Your views are clear.
So how do you see it working?
• The T32 and MRSS remain unfunded. The steel needs to be cut if the first T32 in 2026 or the drumbeat is lost at Rosyth.
• RN has no crew for the current active LPD.
• RN has no spare crew for the 5x T32.
• The RFA have only got the crew for 4x MRSS at most.
• The RFA have no crew for the 3x FSS
• Without the T32 class RN has insufficient escorts to cover current commitments with zero chance of forming two independent CSGs even for a short period.
Current planning is a mess. Better options exist.
Honestly I don't know. Lot of these things depend on politicians as after all, they are the one who are deciding budget. UK armed force as whole have a lot of requirements but there is just not enough money for everything and either some requirements would need to be rethink/scale down or just go completely, or more money should be provided.
Manpower is another problem, which could not be just solved trough reduction of the ship crews. For example you can reduce ship crew from 150 to 50, which will help for a time, but if there are further reduction in manpower, problems in both recruiting new and keeping old hands, that problem is not solved but just moved away for couple of years. But it will help for a while.
Getting large LHD will have both issue, manpower too but primarily money. If RN has to choose between more escorts and one or two small carriers it would probably go with escorts ships as it would get more for the same value. After all one carrier should always be available for air tasks, at least air cover and support, if such is required.
I personally would like to see RN operate LHD again. All those previously operated by RN, old HMS Albion (R07) and HMS Bulwark (R08) and HMS Ocean were very useful for the RN. LSG with one LHD and one LPD would be great, but I just don't see how RN could afford this without significant increase in budget. It is oblivious that even getting those essential things like new destroyers and more frigates will be struggle so how could someone justify adding super large LHD on top of that.
But if there is a chance to get LHD, it is more probably that it would be something like Mistral class. It would be cheaper, it would require less men both sailors (160 - 180 on Mistral class) and aircrews. I don't see why it would need to operate F-35B too, yes it would be great but is it really necessary considering price needs to payed for that? Getting something like Mistral would already be a great thing for RN IMO, but I don't that even that is very likely to happen.