I have been wondering about this myself. If the RAN gets Mogami as the GPF, it will have an MCM capability. Does the Hunter then still need the space hungry mission bay? If it were removed, space and weight would be saved. Then could Hunter carry 32 more VLS (64 total)? This would be a better match with the CEFAR radar and AEGIS. Having spent all that money on a silenced hull, I would still favor retaining the Type 2087 sonar. A second SH60 might also be more useful than the mission bay.
It might depend on just how flexible the mission bay is, and/or what options are available to put into the mission space. For instance, can the mission bay be able to support a second naval helicopter, or perhaps a UAS/UAV which can drop a sonobuoy array? Or as an alternate is there a mission bay which can support/operate/launch a UUV or perhaps even a couple of them to add the parent vessel in clearing/sanitizing an area of hostile subs? Yes, from an air defence and/or land attack perspective, more VLS cells would be nice to have and possibly even quite important depending on the circumstances and scenario. However one does need to remember that these mission bays have the potential to provide the
Hunter-class frigates with additional capabilities or even perhaps expand and augment existing core capabilities. In the specific potential examples I raised about, it might very well be possible for the ASW focus and capabilities of a
Hunter-class to go beyond what they already are.
As a side note, from what I recall about surface vessels conducting modern ASW ops, things are now done with multiple assets working together as a group or team to 'hunt' for hostile subs, with multiple sensing platforms involved to collectively either drive off a hostile sub contact, or develop a shooting solution. Having a mission bay which might be able to expand the number of sensing platforms involved in such a hunt could become very valuable, particularly if there are just a limited number of platforms the RAN can have operational in a given area.
