I heard something the other day, from an unameable source, that the RN were in the process of drawing down the Goalkeeper system in favour of Phalanx anyway. The thinking being that, pretty soon, we will have Aster and SeaWolf for any big supersonic bruisers that come our way and that Phalanx is quite sufficient for the Harpoon/AM39 threat for the immediate future.

Not surprising, considering Goalkeeper is probably more expensive. Maybe also with SeaRAM in the back of various minds?

Anyway, 2 Phalanx combined with VL Mica wouldn’t be a bad refit for a Type 23. Considering the 114mm Mk 8 mod 1 and the 2 MSI Defence Systems DS30 mk2 automatic 30mm guns already fitted.