The Royal Navy Discussions and Updates

[StobieWan]

The existing fleet is already badly stretched - they've coped for a few years now but it's not sustainable and decisions will have to be made to either add resources or reduce taskings at some point.

You won't get any answer on the status of the Trident fleet. If anyone knew, they'd know not to comment.

 

[RobWilliams]

Trident boats have two crews per boat, one is always deployed, one is usually at Devonport in refit, another is probably undergoing some kind of maintenance and the last is probably just aside ticking over.

It's been done before where a V-boat on patrol gets damaged and it's suspected that 'spare' boat has taken over the tasking at short notice.

Suspected, nothing concrete, IIRC. As is the way with most info about Trident, but right now there is one in the Atlantic and one at Plymouth. Vengeance is at Plymouth if I remember rightly when I last visited, she just got swapped out for Vanguard at the time.

8 is bandied around because the Govt recently said the first order will be for 8 boats. That'll end mid/late 2020s, so making any sort of guess about what *will* happen is a massive supposition. I hope they make them as cheap as they claim.

 

[Riga]

The existing fleet is already badly stretched - they've coped for a few years now but it's not sustainable and decisions will have to be made to either add resources or reduce taskings at some point.

You won't get any answer on the status of the Trident fleet. If anyone knew, they'd know not to comment.

I have no wish to talk about the Trident fleet.
My point is that it takes time to train a matelot and you need a stream of people coming through.

With continual manning problems, sailors are returning to port and then jacking it in - they have had enough.

Then there are the specialists. Britain is about to embark on a programme of nuclear power station construction and operation. What would you rather do? Constant at sea or getting ready for sea, or work in the shore based nuclear industry?

This is going to hit the Royal Navy hard.

 

[the concerned]

I just read from janes international that the UK government is thinking of retiring the harpoon anti ship missiles from 2018 without a replacement. does anyone on here know a little more info into this surely this idea is mental.

 

[RobWilliams]

I've read the article, that's an option they're looking at just like they're looking at extending the OSD out to 2020+.

UK casts doubt on Harpoon future beyond 2018 - IHS Jane's 360

They're old technology, certainly the ones we have are. We won't know if there is/isn't a replacement until the Government either releases there is or gives us the BS about 'a combination of systems' dealing with it.

Again, chalk it down to SDSR 2015 probably.

 

[Systems Adict]

I've read the article, that's an option they're looking at just like they're looking at extending the OSD out to 2020+.

UK casts doubt on Harpoon future beyond 2018 - IHS Jane's 360

They're old technology, certainly the ones we have are. We won't know if there is/isn't a replacement until the Government either releases there is or gives us the BS about 'a combination of systems' dealing with it.

Again, chalk it down to SDSR 2015 probably.

IF they're casting doubt beyond 2018, WHY are they spending the time, the money & the effort of retrofitting it to T45 ??

Type 45 and Harpoon - Think Defence


Answers on a postcard to....

 

[RobWilliams]

Forgot about that, you've got a point there

I can't remember where I saw it, but it's a graphic for the spending plan for the next decade or so (the spending plan with £8bn headroom at the end) & it had spending on Harpoon put aside out to a 2020+ OSD.

 

[StobieWan]

Think they'll get upgraded blocks of Harpoon then?


Can existing missiles be refurbed or is it "fire 'em off and buy some more"


I'd still sooner have NSM but as you say, they've just fitted Type 45 out with the spare kit from the 22's.

 

[Engines101]

I've been asked to post this material here by Stobiewan, but as a newcomer please forgive me if this post isn't up to the standard required.

In other forums, there has been discussion about the practicality of basing F-35B aircraft on the Australian 'Canberra' class, especially the possibility of using spaces such as the well deck for aircraft support stores.

What I mentioned there was the fact that the RN has, for some years, been using a system called 'Modular Support' to allow ships to rapidly reconfigured to allow different types of aircraft to be embarked.

It was developed in the 1990s, and comprises simple box type containers, around six by six feet and two and a half feet deep, with a roller blind front. Various types of shelves and boxes fil the interiors. The containers can be used for publications, toolboxes, special support equipment and smaller spares items.

The ships are fitted with a system of clips on the bulkheads, and when the flight or squadron embarks, the containers are simply clipped in, opened, and are then ready for use. The same containers can be used while the aircraft are flying from shore bases if required.

It seems to be that for ships such as the 'Canberra' class which are planned to embark various types of aircraft, a system like this might be a useful way to make best use of space and ease aircraft changeovers.

Anyway, I hope this stuff is of some interest to someone,

Best regards

Engines101

 

[swerve]

I thought that the Spanish had adopted something along those lines for converting Juan Carlos 1 into an auxiliary carrier, but IIRC the containers are bigger..

I seem to recall a mention of there being power points & the like for containerised storerooms, etc. to plug into, but I can't swear to it.

 

[CB90]

Think they'll get upgraded blocks of Harpoon then?


Can existing missiles be refurbed or is it "fire 'em off and buy some more"


I'd still sooner have NSM but as you say, they've just fitted Type 45 out with the spare kit from the 22's.

They can be retrofitted. Assuming financial constraints are still rather tight, I'd speculate "no" regarding an upgrade, depending on what the RN long term plan is for ASCMs.

 

[Systems Adict]

I've been asked to post this material here by Stobiewan, but as a newcomer please forgive me if this post isn't up to the standard required.

In other forums, there has been discussion about the practicality of basing F-35B aircraft on the Australian 'Canberra' class, especially the possibility of using spaces such as the well deck for aircraft support stores.

What I mentioned there was the fact that the RN has, for some years, been using a system called 'Modular Support' to allow ships to rapidly reconfigured to allow different types of aircraft to be embarked.

It was developed in the 1990s, and comprises simple box type containers, around six by six feet and two and a half feet deep, with a roller blind front. Various types of shelves and boxes fil the interiors. The containers can be used for publications, toolboxes, special support equipment and smaller spares items.

The ships are fitted with a system of clips on the bulkheads, and when the flight or squadron embarks, the containers are simply clipped in, opened, and are then ready for use. The same containers can be used while the aircraft are flying from shore bases if required.

It seems to be that for ships such as the 'Canberra' class which are planned to embark various types of aircraft, a system like this might be a useful way to make best use of space and ease aircraft changeovers.

Anyway, I hope this stuff is of some interest to someone,

Best regards

Engines101

The RN have been using these ' Bulk Module Stowages' since the mid 1990's (first fitted to T23's), as it's a practical way of switching out equipment specific stores (e.g. for different helicopter types). The Modules are all the same size, take up the same footprint & attach to the bulkhead & deck the same way, it's just the contents are specific to type.

Previously, stowage's were cupboards & racks that were built for specific stores & these were manufactured into the structure of the ship during build, meaning a lengthy visit to the repair yard for a mini-refit, if something changed.

Now stores can be packed & forwarded to the next port of call, then exchanged with those that the ship left port with, in a maximum of 24hrs.

I haven't seen anything specific on the t'interweb, but the image gives an approximation of what I'm getting at..

htthttp://pictures.ese.co.uk/images/Product/largeSquare/1599.jpgp://

SA

 

[StobieWan]

Cheers for the posts on the fittings/fixtures - I do find this stuff fascinating.

 

[H-D]

I had an awful nightmare last night! I woke up in a real lather. I dreamt that the government had scrapped our aircraft carriers, sold off all the Harriers, gutted the Type 22s, then allowed some madman loose with an angle grinder to cut the Nimrods to shreds!

And the nightmare got worse! I dreamt that Putin went nuts and sent 20,000 troops into the Ukraine and we couldn't do anything about it because Russia was laughing at us so the UK sent 10 tanks and three offshore patrol vessels in as a show of force...

Thank goodness it wasn't real...

 

[Systems Adict]

Really ??


Can you supply the details of what you've been drinking / smoking, so that I can avoid it.


Apart from that sarcasm is often called the lowest form of wit, & it is often the case that it's NOT funny...

:splat

 

[StobieWan]

I had an awful nightmare last night! I woke up in a real lather. I dreamt that the government had scrapped our aircraft carriers, sold off all the Harriers, gutted the Type 22s, then allowed some madman loose with an angle grinder to cut the Nimrods to shreds!

And the nightmare got worse! I dreamt that Putin went nuts and sent 20,000 troops into the Ukraine and we couldn't do anything about it because Russia was laughing at us so the UK sent 10 tanks and three offshore patrol vessels in as a show of force...

Thank goodness it wasn't real...

Wrong forum - I'm guessing you were logged into Keypubs or whatever and meant to post in there? Pull up the quality of your postings or you'll be on short finals as the saying goes...

 

[ngatimozart]

Wrong forum - I'm guessing you were logged into Keypubs or whatever and meant to post in there? Pull up the quality of your postings or you'll be on short finals as the saying goes...

Short finals to a pierhead jump.

 

[Riga]

Royal Navy news: HMS Middleton-lease-of-life]New lease of life for HMS Middleton

Completely passed me by: Catepillar now supplying engines to the RN;

What does that do to the supply chain? Training requirement?

Could Rolls Royce not have provided scale-able engines at a reasonable cost?

 

[StobieWan]

I'm guessing they're diesels so RR are more in the GT market?

 

[Riga]

I'm guessing they're diesels so RR are more in the GT market?

As my post is not posted... your comment must make a lot of sense to a lot of people. However, thanks for the answer!