The Royal Navy Discussions and Updates

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
As much as I would like to have the Astute class here, they would be the least likely kit on the disposal block, even if Corbin forms the next government. As for the CV, why bother? It will be a rust bucket before we ever get around to buying new jets.:D
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
I prefer this version of the data, but only because it comes directly from UK PLC, not some jurno hack !

Three shipbuilding teams shortlisted to build new warships in UK

The 'inclusion' of Atlas is strange IMHO.

In layman's terms it sounds like what sheep farmers do when they have a lamb that has died & a mother whose produced x3 lambs. They strip the hide off the dead lamb & make one of the x3 lambs from the other sheep wear it for a week / 10 days, till the mother of the dead lamb bonds & accepts it for her own.

Bizarre & extreme analogy, but it sounds like UK PLC have dangled that £5m design contract in the hope to get others to participate, with Atlas /TKMS being the lamb wearing the dead skin.

Everyone in Whitehall is gonna have to be on their 'A' game when these contracts come in, as I don't see the ships being built for the contract at cost per ship prices. The ships will be 'spec'd' to match the contract, but any changes that are asked for will have to be paid for. Something UK PLC doesn't like, when they change their minds 3 years into a contract & the supplier demands more money to meet the change.

Cats & traps anyone ??

SA
:D

It's going to be interesting ( in the sense of the old Chinese curse)

I'm much more in favour of just building some more Type 26 as Type 31e looks like a very complicated way of increasing hull numbers. And yes, it's likely that what's ordered won't be what's wanted and there'll be some tinkering and spec changes which will get expensive.
 

t68

Well-Known Member
It has emerged that the UK plans to sail HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Pacific in 2021 amid concerns regarding freedom of navigation in the region.
British supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to deploy to the Pacific

Looks like 2021 the .1st cruise of QE will be to annoy China with a mixed UK/USMC F35 task group, wonder if a 5 Eyes task group will keep her company, what year is talisman saber in the 20’s? Would be nice to see her there
 

MARKMILES77

Active Member
UKDEFENCEJOURNAL.COM

The UK is set to acquire two Littoral Strike Ships with the ability to launch troops and their equipment via helicopters and boats.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed that the UK will purchase the vessels. Referring to the new new Littoral Strike Ships, Williamson said:

“These globally deployable, multi-role vessels will be able to conduct a wide range of operations, from crisis support to war-fighting.

They would support out future Commando force. They will be forward deployed at exceptionally high readiness and able to respond at a moments notice, bringing the fight from sea to land.

Our vision is for these ships to form part of two littoral strike groups, complete with escorts, support vessels and helicopters.

One would be based East of Suez in the Indo-Pacific, one based West in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic. And, if we ever need them to, our two aircraft carriers, our amphibious assault ships Albion and Bulwark, and our three Bay Class landing ships can come together in one amphibious force.”
Vessels like this are often called Expeditionary Transfer Dock’s (at least, by the US) and are typically a large auxiliary support ship to facilitate the ‘seabasing’ of an amphibious landing force by acting as a floating base or transfer station that can be prepositioned off the target area.

Troops, equipment, and cargo would be transferred to the vessel by large-draft ships, from where it can be moved ashore by shallower-draft vessels, landing craft like the landing craft or even helicopters.
Unexpected announcement.
New build or converted commercial vessels?
If they are similar to the US version they are going to be enormous vessels.

 

StevoJH

The Bunker Group
Alternatively, it could just be a pair of LHD's replacing HMS Ocean and RFA Argus which personally I think would probably make more sense.
 

spoz

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
Given the problematic forthcoming Adm Normal trial, I guess junior has a bus on order to throw Vance under.:D The hiding of requested court documents by using code words for Norman’s name so they wouldn’t show up in document searches will be attached to him.

Replacing Gen. Vance? Not yet, says the Privy Council Office
Have you posted this in the right place? While I could see it being of some interest in the RCN thread but not the RN one!
 

hauritz

Well-Known Member
British supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to deploy to the Pacific

Looks like 2021 the .1st cruise of QE will be to annoy China with a mixed UK/USMC F35 task group, wonder if a 5 Eyes task group will keep her company, what year is talisman saber in the 20’s? Would be nice to see her there
Actually I think the Chinese would love to get a close look at QE. I expect they would relish the chance to see first hand an operational ski jump carrier at close quarters.
 

DaveS124

Active Member
Good to see, in reassuring way, that the Guardian is already foaming at the mouth about the planned QUEEN ELIZABETH deployment.

Here's just two small bits for folks to enjoy.

"The Queen Elizabeth cannot sail until 2021. It has no business whatsoever in the South China Sea, where such a vast and unwieldy ship would be a sitting target. The Chinese could sink it in an hour. As for new military bases in the Caribbean and east of Suez, they would cost billions and be an invitation to terrorists. The Chinese must be laughing themselves sick.

He should have the guts to cancel the useless Trident missiles and their vulnerable submarines, mothball the carriers and cancel the frigates. They are pure showing off, as pointless as the American jet fighters, almost all of which remain undelivered. Such weapons have no more to do with protecting modern Britain than do muskets, bows and arrows and changing the guard."

Not so sure that the Chinese are laughing themselves sick as, well, doing the opposite.

By the way, this not new news, it's merely official confirmation of the deployment first announced by Boris Johnson in Sydney in July 2017.

For those who think the deployment is built on nothing, please note that ALBION did a SCS FONOP last year, and three or four RN ships spent much of 2018 in the neighbourhood, mostly using Japan as home-away-from. A T23 was in Darwin last week, just the latest doing the rounds.

It must be rewarding for Guardian reports and columnists to always be 100% right about everything, especially in their sneering, sanctimonious, self-righteous way. Also must be rewarding for them to be able to whistle-up complex geostrat solutions to the evolving issues of the SCS in the blink of an eye.

For those who enjoy some barmy lefty ranting, here's the whole piece - British ‘lethality’? Gavin Williamson’s brain has gone absent without leave | Simon Jenkins
 
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John Fedup

The Bunker Group
What a nightmare a Labor government will be for UK defence should they win the next election with their pathetic leader.

@John Fedup John you is straying into politics again with that comment about the pommy Labour party leader. Be wary old boy or Mods will get cranky.
 
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seaspear

Well-Known Member
You have quoted extensively from Simon Jenkins ,so I have looked him up to find he is controversial and eccentric in 2010 in the Guardian he called for the abolishing of the defence budget " all 45 billion of it" but in 2016 he said that Britain should stay in Nato ,previously had supported the operations to retake the Falklands islands from Argentina but later stated the Islanders should have no say in their independence and Britain should negotiate with Argentina .
He was knighted for services to journalism by a previous Labor government so perhaps his views on the government reflect in his article if not on the opposition leader
 

hauritz

Well-Known Member

the concerned

Active Member
I thought when the CV deploys to the far East it is part of a multinational group.

@the concerned You appear to be making to many one and one and bit line posts. Try to add more substance to them.
 
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DaveS124

Active Member
Actually I think the Chinese would love to get a close look at ......an operational ski jump carrier at close quarters.
Well, I'd be mighty surprised if they haven't noticed the "operational" curved thing up forward on LIAONING. Not to to mention the currently unnamed second PLAN STOBAR carrier.

Does anyone else find this a bit of an overreach for the UK.
Does this also apply to France, which is, as I write this, on the cusp of deploying a task group to the Pacific? A task group centred on the carrier CHARLES DE GAULLE.
 
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