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Go back to the Falklands era. County class of 1960's era with innefective Sea Slug missiles and electronics that couldnt defeat exocet eg HMS Glamorgan.
The Type 21 class, one sea cat launcher,a 4.5 gun and 4 exocets, a good GP frigate for a byegone era but alas totally inadequate to defend aginst sustained air attack using 20 year old aircraft and dumb bombs.
Leander class and type 12, similar weapons fit to the Type 21 only older, also heavily punished by air attacks.
Type 42 was a cut down platform resulting from budget cuts in the 1970's, lacked close in defence, its Sea Dart was designed to shot down medium to high flying aircraft and soviet anti ship missiles, we built 14, lost 2, still have 8. The fact that these ships are still here in 2007 upto 2010 tells you much about the long standing undefunding over the last 20 years. Again, even old technology fighters with dumb bombs scored multiple hits (even in the combo of HMS Coventry and HMS Broadsword).
The type 22, good ASW designs but built without a 4.5 gun (the first 9), oversized for its weapons fit, able to shoot down targets a point ranges of three miles. The last 4 are well equipped electronically.
The later Type 23 offers good GP capabilities but lacks offensive punch,has short range Sea Wolf etc.
I dont know how the leanders, Amazons, County's would have fared in the north atlantic facing soviet cruise missiles and subs, we would have sunk a few but I suspect we would have soaked up so much punishment that the fleet would cease to operate in less than a month.
There is little point in a limited budget extending the lives of old vessels with limited weapons fit, hence if the remaining Type 22's go then so be it. If we swap 6 Tpe 45's for 8 Type 42's then with the leap in capability and cost differences to build then so be it. Like it or not the RN and the UK could not afford to build over 50 modern surface escorts, particularly if the bulk will not fire a shot in anger over the next 2 decades. We are modernising our armed forces, in 20 years the UK will spend vast sums on UCAV's for a start.
The next government will keep to similar spending levels as the previous ones. The Tories might save a few old infantry regiments but all parties will be keen to keep the industrial base afloat hence there will always be new vessels for the navy.
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although the destroyers and other ships are old now they were very completive compared to other ships of their era. yes the sea cat was crap even thenbut asw was always good the 22 very able then but are unsuited to littorals . the type 23 are good except for the short range sea wolf [is it remotely plausible to refit the 23 with ASTER] the Rn always seems to being going from one extreme to another the the battleship navy of ww1 the escort navy of ww2 the ASW navy of the cold war. and now the traditionally warfare
