I expect South Korea to throw everything they can into this competition, they are still a relative newcomer to exporting warships and naval exports don't get much bigger than this. There are a few countries who will sit up and take notice on who comes out on top.Sending such a high level ambassador to Australia indicates that South Korea is serious about winning the Tier 2 GP Frigate contract.
South Korea sending high-powered Ambassador to Australia - APDR
That would be quite the sight. Makes me think of the radar mast which the South Koreans have put on their newer Dokdo-class LPH.Interesting.
I wonder if the LHDs will be next?
Graft the entire mast from ANZAC?
Just need to give them some decent defensive firepower. And the extra height wouldn't hurt either.Interesting.
I wonder if the LHDs will be next?
Graft the entire mast from ANZAC?
Radars are becoming much more than just a radar to find heading and direction of objects. They are communication arrays and the biggest and most powerful EW asset in the space. They are essential for combat management and situational awareness, beyond just pinging bogies, they are very much becoming essential parts of the combat system and cannot be removed from it.I wonder if the LHDs will be next?
Yes, and if Japan does end up contributing to AUKUS, then it would make the Mogami an even better option - there will be a lot of politics involved in the frigate selection process.I expect South Korea to throw everything they can into this competition, they are still a relative newcomer to exporting warships and naval exports don't get much bigger than this. There are a few countries who will sit up and take notice on who comes out on top.
Yes, and if Japan does end up contributing to AUKUS, then it would make the Mogami an even better option - there will be a lot of politics involved in the frigate selection process.
Why, give them to the Army!And to address the elephant in the room, how are we going to crew all these magical ships and boats (subs)? We are effectively tripling or more the number of hulls in the water. Most people can't see past the destroyers and frigates and forget the support craft. They will need to have a degree of self defense so that will require extra crew. Plus a degree of electronic defence systems. That will require a lot of crewing.
We will effectively be bigger that the Royal Navy.
This would be a possibility:Just need to give them some decent defensive firepower. And the extra height wouldn't hurt either.
At this stage we don't want to reduce the numbers. It's taken a lifetime for a sensible decision on fleet size to be made by a Government of any persuasion. The Coalition started to wake up and Labor finally got out of bed! Don't talk them out of it.The Japanese will have a minimum of 3 new FFM in service before 1 overseas built Frigate is in Australia.
Going with the Mogami makes no sense unless an Indonesian order is built inbetween japans 12 and Australia’s 3.
The A210, Alpha 5000 and FFX Batch IV, the other successors to the chosen designs will not exist prior to the first Australian build.
I hope logic prevails and they go with the new Japanese frigate, find some more money or cut the order from 11 down to 9.
Mogami
11x16cells = 176 (core crew 990)
FFM
11x32cells = 352 (core crew 990)
9x32cells = 288 (core crew 810)
7x32cells = 224 (core crew 630)
Even with the minimum number of frigates recommended(7) results in an increase of total cells and a reduction of 360 core crew compared with 11 Mogami class.
Can't hurt. Look what they do to aeroplanes. Proves trucks can fly! (Tongue firmly in cheek)! Sorry guys. It just slipped out.Why, give them to the Army!
What could be easier for an Army to do than drive 4-6kt ships around? to quote a recent conversation - they are just bigger LCM-8s!
*slinks away, shaking head*
Just make sure they have something BIG to shoot at the bad guys with.I'd think the landing craft are going to be largely for Army forward logistics in littoral and archipelagic areas. Hence them being quite large and more capable of operating independently over longer distances and in tougher weather.
I second your statement @iambuzzard - couldn't agree more!At this stage we don't want to reduce the numbers. It's taken a lifetime for a sensible decision on fleet size to be made by a Government of any persuasion. The Coalition started to wake up and Labor finally got out of bed! Don't talk them out of it.
Given you'd then have to crew it, buy 20 F-35B's, find pilots for them, buy the missiles, build the infrastructure to put something so big, I think I personally would prefer the $5-10bn AUD be used on another 4-6 Hunters tbh.I suspect this may be a case of media sensationalism and not all that reliable but "Britain's cash-strapped Navy 'may be forced to sell off its £3.5 billion aircraft carrier the HMS Prince of Wales' amid funding issues"
Would add an interesting dynamic to the fleet review changes if the RAN were to buy it. Since its 2nd hand, half-price? .
The real question is can you get an M777 set up on a mexeflote and then fire it without sinking.Just make sure they have something BIG to shoot at the bad guys with.