Fitted with some form of anti-sniping device presumably?

It would help reassure any of our other allies currently in conflict with the french I suppose

AL

😀 LOL

Thank you.

There is, of course, a perfect name which fits the ale criterion going begging –
http://www.nottinghambrewery.com/Dreadnought.html

But I think there is at least one brewery whose product names are unsuitable – http://www.titanicbrewery.co.uk/beers.html

I have been very suprised that Dreadnought has not been chosen as a name for D-Class destroyers.

Al, the more Astutes the better, we should have 12, but we never will now 🙁

I’d suggest that Barrow expands capability so that we can produce 12 and begin on the SSBN replacements. It has got to be one of the only British dockyards with more work than it can handle.

And with the highest unemployment figures in England…would be money very well spent. Now where are those SSGT plans…..

Similar load to a Merlin? And for just the cost of $68 million each. Personally i’d rather not see my tax money wasted on that for it to fill a job that a normal helicopter is perfectly suited for and will do just as well.

Yes very similar load to the Merlin. Both have a seated cap of 24, V22 can sling 15,000lb and Merlin 12,000lb. The ferry range of over 2 1/2 thousand miles is what makes it stand out along with a cruise speed 74 kts higher than the Merlins max. So a normal heli will not do what an Osprey will do at all.

That said I agree that given the price tag British built Merlins will do nicely thank you, just making the obs that while the merlin comes up time and again in AEW threads with regard to CVf it hasn’t even had a mention here.

PS With a rough working out of total cost to UK exchequer (4.65 Bil uk Pounds) divided by 78 aircraft delivered, that works out at 59.6 Milion pounds per merlin, which at current exchange rate is something like $95 Million. But i’m just being padantic….:D

We can’t assume that Japan, S. Korea & China will always have the same significance as sources of manufacturing imports – and other countries have nothing to gain by shipping via the arctic. India, for example – Suez will always be shorter. Raw materials & agricultural products are unlikely to come via the arctic, except from Russia. And there we run into the big objection to an increased RN presence in the arctic: it’s pretty well covered by Canada, the USA, Denmark, Norway & most of all Russia. I can’t imagine RN anti-piracy patrols being needed, & what else would we do? War with Russia automatically closes the routes completely. We don’t have any EEZ to protect.

As for Antarctica – well, a couple of ice-strengthened vessels could be handy for EEZ protection, but as far as I can see, that’s it. Piracy is even more improbable, & the focus of any warfare would be much further north, in ice free waters.

Didn’t mention piracy in the arctic? Sorry just figured alliance obligations and debt of gratitude might equate to more than a good luck message to Ottawa.

I can go with that idea, i’m a fan of stanflex, but an RN version (whatever that turns out to be ) is the right approach. And making it air portable has to be the way to ensure global coverage of hulls without the need to sail home to pick up the kit you need suddenly.

As for the far north.

It will be far quicker than suez (or other routes) from the far east (its why, in the 19th century the RN looked for it for so long) Japan is almost a straight line route to NW Europe. Its why many airlines take the polar route to North America and the far east. Civilian vessels will need some ice protection but the cost of fuel saved will more than pay for it.

As for standing patrols, i’m not neccesarily advocating that, BUT some consideration in procurement for the RN should take into account that involvement in arctic/antarctic is probably unavoidable.

Regards stability, it will be more stable than sailing past somalia, but has the potential to become a cold war style stand off. The possibility of RN (and other NW European navies) presence would go a long way to prevent that. Canada came to our aid in our 20th crisis and wars…would be a shame if we could not return the favour one day and expect them to look after our shipping into the bargin.

Anyway distraction from the thread. Apologies for bringing it up.

Agreed, at present our trade flows though suez and our oil comes from the middle east. I’m not talking about 2009. By the time we have put the “next fleet” fully into service much of our trade from the far east will take the shorter and less volatile route that is opening up in the Arctic. The Suez route will probably become very quiet by the middle of the century. As for the Oil…it ain’t going to last that long. Banking on the middle east being our strategic focus because of a single limited resource is not going to make long term sense. The next flow of oil that needs “protection” is likely to come from the far north or south and I assume BP and Shell will stake a claim…

I can accept some of the arguements about a thetis sized vessel being too small! But in crew size and adaptable space, size of helicopter facilities etc I think its just the sort of thing thats needed. A Flexi type system with modularised weapons and mission systems would appear to be the best way to get lots of hulls in service that are ‘costed’ to the mission. Why send a CAMMS armed vessel to do drug patrols? Why send a full suite of ASW kit to chase pirates? But have all the hulls available to accept these roles, perhaps in C17 sized modules….