Thats how the problems with K & M started in the first place!! :lam
These ships are effectively being purchased as fleet flagships and expeditionary force command ships all in one. The UK equivilants would be Albion and Bulwark, the US Equivilent would be Blue Ridge and Mount Whitney.
Manoora is gone, Kanimbla probably should be gone as well. Also, a Bay class, which has very little-to no C&C equipment aboard is no replacement for the FULL C&C facilities aboard K & M. A Bay class would however be an ideal replacement for HMAS Tobruk.
I don't think Chillie or Brazil have the money, but even if they did, there are more important issues at stake, and a lease would potentially give the RN her back in 5-10 years when they have a bit more money.
I hope not, the F-100 is an old (1990's) design, they'd (and probably us to) would probably be better off using the hull and Engines of the Daring class if they were to use an existing hull design as a basis for the T26.
Plus T26 *should* already be a fair way through the design process, they've been working on it long enough.
Any lease or purchase of old ships would be just until the Lhd arrives, in 2012 or 2013, that´s because it doesn´t really matter is old, is not for longer than 2012 or 2013. Being also similar type, Newport, maybe just swap the CC and medical equipment to the Lst. It might sound risky, imagine again they break what a nightmare would be. But probably Spanish Lst have gone much less use than Australian in the last 10 years, cause they´ve been using more the Galicia and Castilla.
These Lst might sound extreme and risky, but as you say there are other ships not as old but also in their last cycle of life, being unused, that you could get almost free by purchase or leasing.
It depends on what part of the existing gap want you to fill. At least was the humanitarian aid and locally militar deployments. HIgh intensity Command and control and significant medical caps is other thing.
The problem wiht lease is what do you do if you unluckily in that little time of lease you enter in combat operations and the ship is hit, then lease it with insurance eheh
Well, from the Rn thread i understood the T26, or types of , like the offered to Brazil, were using F100 design similar to Awd.
That design, including Aegis, cost Adf +200 mill euro., and it is not just it will be used for the Awd but for future Anzacs in 5-10 years ahead (maybe).
The F100 design being 90´s or not it makes its job, and is very flexible, in the size of ship you want, in the different warfares, able to feed high consume sensors or not, or being Command and control or not, etc, that´s the important to make the job or as many jobs you want it to make.
Now, if Rn or British companies make a deal from T26 or derived, they will have to pay some rights to Adf, that has spent the money before. And that is "favour" that could be responded with a cheap leasing for the Bay.
Edit: it seems risky, but if you are already know a lot from your Lst, and have experience maintening and extended their life limit and have made or have, from canibalizing yours or not, spares. If the Spanish Lst are in certain good contidion and many less kms/hrs of use, probably it would be the faster way of filling some of the gaps, you know the gears and don´t have to learn a Bay etc.
But, even if just is 1-2 year gap of capability (until 1st Lhd), i would wonder if it is worth to spend money either in fixing, purchasing or leasing any ship expressly for that gap.
