Novascotiaboy
Active Member
Nothing official in any media just most of the actual ships have been to Halifax over the years showing off their attributes. The latest visitor was a French FREMM here during Cutlass Fury in September.
Of all the designs the Burkes are too expensive operationally and up front. FREMM ticks many of the boxes but the systems and weapons are all French / Italian so to design to accommodate American systems which we use would be very costly. The British ship designs suffer the same problem. The German F125 class lacks SAM capability beyond RAM which limits their ability as a warfighter IMHO yet the concept has possibilities. German F124 class uses most of the systems and weapons the RCN has or desires but is optimized for anti air. The Spanish offer of the F100 type or a Hobart offshoot tick all of the boxes but yet again these ships are primarily AAW and command vessels. This leaves the Danish offering.
If the Admirals look deep within themselves they would realize the benefits that Absalon offers across all of the deployments that are likely. Adding power via additional diesel or turbine engines is able to be done along with sound attenuation of equipment.
On another RCN note I drove by the Irving assembly hall today and the first Dewolf is truly taking shape as I could see a very substantial vessel inside. Won't be too long before they roll her out and get her floating. The sooner the better.
With OMT identified as working very closely with Irving the money has to be on a couple of modified Danish vessel designs. If I am wrong, and I have been many many times before, I would say the next likely option will be FREMM. Two reasons. FRENCH and Not British.
I still hope for a 5/10 split. So much possibility. Time will tell.
Of all the designs the Burkes are too expensive operationally and up front. FREMM ticks many of the boxes but the systems and weapons are all French / Italian so to design to accommodate American systems which we use would be very costly. The British ship designs suffer the same problem. The German F125 class lacks SAM capability beyond RAM which limits their ability as a warfighter IMHO yet the concept has possibilities. German F124 class uses most of the systems and weapons the RCN has or desires but is optimized for anti air. The Spanish offer of the F100 type or a Hobart offshoot tick all of the boxes but yet again these ships are primarily AAW and command vessels. This leaves the Danish offering.
If the Admirals look deep within themselves they would realize the benefits that Absalon offers across all of the deployments that are likely. Adding power via additional diesel or turbine engines is able to be done along with sound attenuation of equipment.
On another RCN note I drove by the Irving assembly hall today and the first Dewolf is truly taking shape as I could see a very substantial vessel inside. Won't be too long before they roll her out and get her floating. The sooner the better.
With OMT identified as working very closely with Irving the money has to be on a couple of modified Danish vessel designs. If I am wrong, and I have been many many times before, I would say the next likely option will be FREMM. Two reasons. FRENCH and Not British.
I still hope for a 5/10 split. So much possibility. Time will tell.