More cuts to the RN

Post Reply
glenhowells
Club Member
Club Member
Posts: 248
Joined: 06 Nov 2012 23:09
Fleet Base: Perth
My Ship Yard: HMAS Derwent
HMAS Swan (building)
HMAS Tarakan (building)
HMS Hermes (Hull being built)

More cuts to the RN

Post by glenhowells »

Have just seen that the RN is to phase out Harpoon missile in 2018 with no replacement for ten years at least. Sea skua helo launch missiles are going to. the sea venom to be carried by the wildcats won't be available until 2020. That leaves the 4.5 gun for surface engagements. Rear admiral Parry said this is a significant capability gap from an irresponsible government and our ships are for the shop window and not war fighting. The other thing is Portsmouth may not be able to support the new carriers as they may lack essential infrastructure as the lack of funds becomes a never ending problem.

Cheers Glen
User avatar
MichaelB
Life Member
Life Member
Posts: 1167
Joined: 20 Jan 2010 12:17
Fleet Base: Sydney
My Ship Yard: HMS Cleopatra F28, HMS TARTAR F28

Re: More cuts to the RN

Post by MichaelB »

They have found a way to replace the harpoons.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/17 ... l_problem/
glenhowells
Club Member
Club Member
Posts: 248
Joined: 06 Nov 2012 23:09
Fleet Base: Perth
My Ship Yard: HMAS Derwent
HMAS Swan (building)
HMAS Tarakan (building)
HMS Hermes (Hull being built)

Re: More cuts to the RN

Post by glenhowells »

That's funny Michael the scary thing is the way the RN is heading the swordfish may become the way of the future Ha Ha.

Cheers Glen
User avatar
RussF172
Life Member
Life Member
Posts: 1049
Joined: 08 Feb 2010 08:53
Fleet Base: Hunter Central
My Ship Yard: USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG-81)
HMAS HOBART (DDGH-39)
HMAS CANBERRA (LHD-02)
HMAS ADELAIDE (FFG-01 - 1990)
HMAS HUNTER (FFG-???)
HMAS ARUNTA (FFH-151)
HMAS BRISBANE (DDG-41) Perth Class Post Mod.
WRS RUSHCUTTER (A-51) Weapon Recovery/Training/Drone launch ship
Location: Uralla, NSW
Contact:

Re: More cuts to the RN

Post by RussF172 »

They may have to be "Indian Givers" and ask for their Harriers back from the US.
User avatar
MikeJames
Club Member
Club Member
Posts: 4935
Joined: 20 Jan 2010 09:43
Fleet Base: Sydney
My Ship Yard: RAN DDL HMAS Kokoda
Australian Coast Guard cutter Nemesis
RAN FCPB HMAS Wollongong
German SAR Launch DGzRS Berln
SS Geest Atlas (Building)
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Re: More cuts to the RN

Post by MikeJames »

You have to have ships to fire them and the way the RN is going, they won't.

The current force of RN surface fleet of frigates and destroyers is 19 vessels.

6 x Type 45 Daring Class (most of which need major engine repairs due to various factors)
13 x Type 23 Duke Class
The RN has no frigates and destroyers under construction.

The RAN's current surface force of frigates is

3 x Adelaide Class FFG
8 x Anzac Class FFH
The RAN has 3 x AWD building.

The current Royal Navy, inheritor of the proud traditions of Nelson, Cunningham, Jervis, Hood, Woodward and so many more, has been reduced to a surface fleet of less than twice that of the Royal Australian Navy.

In the future the RN is committed to some 6 (possibly 8) x Type 26 (maybe) and an unspecified number of something that at this stage is a paper design, the Type 31. These will replace the 13 Type 23s. The RN will end up with a force of 12 Darings and Type 26 and an unspecified number of cheaper frigates, their aspiration is eight but more likely 6.

The RAN is committed to the three AWD, to be followed by 9 Anzac replacements, resulting in a force of 12 frigates and destroyers.

The reason for this massive decline from what the RN was only four or five years ago can be sheeted home to three direct causes and one indirect cause.

The three are the Queen Elizabeth class carriers, the new nuclear attack subs and the proposed new ballistic missile subs. The first two have consumed vast amounts of resources, run masssively over-budget and starved the surface fleet of funds, while everyone expects the new SSBN to do exactly the same thing.

The indirect is that thanks to the cold war ending, politicians stripped the military of funds even while they committed them to conflicts in Bosnia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya, draining new equipment funding to pay for operations, while blithely believing that because the Berlin Wall fell that the Russians would never ever be a threat to European peace.

Oops.

God save the Royal Navy, very little else can.
User avatar
MichaelB
Life Member
Life Member
Posts: 1167
Joined: 20 Jan 2010 12:17
Fleet Base: Sydney
My Ship Yard: HMS Cleopatra F28, HMS TARTAR F28

Re: More cuts to the RN

Post by MichaelB »

A prophetic look at the RN by a British website back in 2011.
Attachments
RN Vision of the Future.pdf
(207.28 KiB) Downloaded 355 times
Post Reply