RN Paying off ships

[MikeJames]

The Royal Navy is apparently about to announce the decision to pay off a number of ships, including two Type 23 frigates and their main amphibious ships

HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster are to be paid off in the first half of this year to free manpower for the Type 26 frigates.

Westminster, an ASW-role Type 23, went through a 100 million pound refit in 2022 to extend her life and update her weapons and electronics, but is now to be paid off.

Argyll, a general purpose Type 23, had undergone the life extension process which would have seen a planned decommissioning in the late 2020s, but is to be scrapped early, again to free up manpower.

The amphibious ships Albion and Bulwark are to be placed into 'reserve', basically laid up likely never to go to sea again (think the fleet tied up at the dolphins in Athol Bay in Sydney Harbour in the 1970s for the RAN equivalent), with it likely to take months if not well over a year to make them fit to go to sea again.

The decision comes down to two issues.

The RN does not have enough people to man their ships (shades of the RAN) and the Treasury refuses to fund the RN to the extent that its commitments require.

The two Type 23s to go are 10% of the RN surface combat force, and Iron Duke and Lancaster, the remaining general purpose Type 23s, are likely to follow Argyll within the next 12-128 months, meaning the RN will lose 4 frigates before the first Type 26 commissions.

The Type 23 force is elderly, with the ships intended for an original 18-year life span, worked hard in the North Atlantic and replaced quickly. They have all been extended in service for up to twice their original design life, while repeated delays to order the Type 26 has meant they are working far harder, and far longer than ever anticipated.

Basically, one of the keystone naval contingents in NATO is shrinking fast, and at this rate, with the exception of the SSNs, SSBNs and carriers, will be surpassed by the RAN in surface combatants. We currently have 11 surface combatants, the RN has 19, but will drop to 15 by the end of 2024.

With the paying off of Albion and Bulwark, we will already have a larger amphibious capability.

Mike

[RussF172]

"Britannia" No longer rules the waves!!!!

[MikeJames]

There's been a massive outcry in the UK since the Times broke the story, mostly because paying off Albion and Bulwark would relegate the Royal Marines to basically boarding detachments on RN frigates and very lightly equipped infantry, and undermine their role in supporting out of area contingencies and support to the Nordic countries under NATO.

Lots of people not happy about that.

Now the Navy's new position is that one will be in reserve and one in operation, going forward.

Mind you that probably means they'll try to pay them off in a couple of years and see if they can get away with it then.

Mike

[rritchie71]

I don't know that the RAN will have more surface combatants than the RN over the next few years, the RAN has ship and crew problems as well.
Anzac is not the only frigate that has had a hard life.

Robert

[MikeJames]

The RN is on track to end up with a surface fleet comprised of:

5 x Type 45 Daring class destroyers
8 x Type 26 City class frigates
5 x Type 31 Inspiration class frigates.

That's 18 frigates sometime in the mid-2030s, with all the Type 23s paid off.

The RAN will, at the equivalent period, have

3 x Hobart class frigates
5 x Anzac class frigates
3 x Hunter class frigates

That's if the current program holds, but that's unlikely.

Based on rumours coming out of Canberra, by that time Australia may well have a surface fleet made up of:

6 x Hobart class
2 x Anzac class
3 x Hunter class
5 x missile corvettes

If that happens, we would have 16 frigates, only two short of the RNs force structure.

incidentally, by that time the RN will have 5 x Astute submarines, while Australia will have 3 x Collins class (possibly) and probably 2 Virginias.

The times they are a changing.

Mike