Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0

[Stampede]

Not really. Until selections have been announced and contracts signed things are still very much up in the air. Take the first three vessels to be built in Australia for instance. If these vessels are to be built in a yard in WA, it is distinctly possible that the yard might not be ready to do so given what has been reported as going on with the landing craft builds. If this ends up pushing back the start of Australian builds by ~two years AND the Australian builds are to be of the same spec as the overseas builds (also meaning sourcing and importing components from overseas) then it is possible some of the components might not be available if there is a two year delay in the start of Australian construction.

Build numbers and time frame are an unknown at this stage……No one knows. Too many variables at play.

2032 is the magic year
This year we are scheduled to commission the first of the Hunter Class.
So what does our fleet look like in 2032
One Hunter
Three Hobarts
Three Anzacs (assuming a 28 year life like HMAS Anzac )
Total. Seven ships.

Plus. X number of tier two frigates

Regards of where they are built, what does X look like.

Is this government or the next truly committed to building up the fleet, because without some bloody magic, this is looking like a very old and depleted maritime option.

The magic if we are serious is increased tier 2 numbers built over seas very very quickly.

Come the early / mid 30s
The Hunters will most likely be late, plus in limited numbers.
ANZACs will be old, small, knackered and increasingly irrelevant.
Hobarts fine

Tier two on time oz build highly unlikely.
Just too ambitious in conjunction with other projects

So a fleet of ten ships today
Down to nine next year then down to eight around 28/29

2032 we may have one SSN with training wheels.

Survey,MCM,supply sea lift all have unfulfilled needs in this time frame as well.

Navy needs to be an ambassador for itself!
I don’t think government truly realises how bad it looks both now and in the future

Trust some Magic in the detail for the SEA3000 winner later this year.


Sadly S

 

[SammyC]

DARPA Releases First Official Video of NOMARS USX-1 Defiant USV - Naval News

This is getting close to what we should be considering for our future drone sea platform. A fully autonomous, vessel with no human systems at all. And a flat tray for a range of payloads. Its 60 metres long and weighs 250 tonnes without a payload, so patrol boat sized.

To the best of my knowledge, this is its first public sail.

This aligns with what the Americans would call the MOSV. It would hold a decent sized ISR package in its current configuration. A slightly larger capacity version could hold a couple of adaptable launchers, holding say 8 strike length cells. A frigate could sail with half a dozen of these or more.

I have a feeling this technology will leapfrog the LOCSV approach we have been mucking around with.

 

[spoz]

It’s a technology demonstrator; but with that size and hull shape I hope they are not actually planning to send it to the Aleutians - they might never see it again. OK in Puget Sound or wherever the vision is from.

Presume the year at sea implies electric drive with solar, wind and/or possibly wave power generation. If so, the generation density available would seem likely to limit speed (you wouldn’t want to run out of power and lie ahull with that) which probably explains the need for the extremely fine shape. Bit of a chicken and an egg problem.