All Govt. (not just MoD) procurement contracts include a clause permitting Termination for Customer Convenience. If, as here, some form of non-cost-plus pricing has been agreed, then the audited actual costs incurred up to Notice of Termination are recovered, plus non-risk profit, plus orderly run-down over, maybe 90 days, plus supplier/material irrevocable commitment. The Prime Contractor will additionally attempt to claim loss-of-profit, which is commonly disposed of by giving him some other job. If the contract has been badly written, all of that could exceed the agreed price-to-deliver, if, as with Nimrod MRA.4, Astute, A400M, actual costs have gone through the roof. But Buyer still avoids ongoing cost of ownership, such as creating 2 ship sets of matelots.

Do not grasp at straws. Chop is an option, more likely with a Tory Admin., who has no egg-on-face from inherited squander. Changed geo-politics since this Project was initiated include US/Russian reduction of nuclear inventories, cost/time drift on F-35, closer UK:France maritime collaboration…even dodgier Iran, N.Korea. It’s a close call. If you care to think yourself into the comparable CVA-01/02/03 issue {AFVG+Buccaneer 2+WE177A(N), yet-to-be-bought AEW; shipyard jobs-sensitive; global policeman role East-of-Suez}, deja vu might cross your mind.

Who’s grasping at straws here? all contracts have been placed for 2 ships and work has started on the first including the necessary infrastructure changes for the project. The entire military ship building capacity of the UK has been consoldiated around this contract, the government insisted upon the merger between BAE surface fleet and Vospers before the contract was signed, if you think the companies’ in question would of gone through all that without a watertight contract guaranteeing the work or payment of hefty penalty clauses then there’s no hope for you.

As for replacement work should the contract be signed there’s nothing on the table that could currently replace CVF in the yards workbooks, T26 is still being designed and the price of T45s are too high to be used to keep people in jobs until the design that design work is complete.

Already posted under the news thread and Typhoon threads.

Doesn’t seem to be any indication if this is part of the RAF allocation being flogged or part of a new order:(

This is all very good news, just keep fingers crossed that these programmes survive the post election SDR.

Reliance on US probably false

Provisional Data for frigate type 26:
– 141m long

– Displacement: 6850 tons

– It is also anticipated that the Type 26 will have an ether all electric or hybrid electric propulsion system providing a range of 7000nm at 18 knots. The ships compliment is expected to be in the range of 150 plus an embarked force of over 30.

– Main gun option: refurbished 114mm weapon (in case of heavy budgets cuts/limits :D;)) or 127mm (US or more likely the new italian 5″ mount) or 155mm (BAE systems mount)

– Equipped with a towed low frequency sonar array and two launchers (2×16 ?) for the Future Local Area Air Defence (Maritime) system firing the Common Anti Air Modular Missile (PAAMS ?, aster 15 ?), maybe 32 VLS ?

– Other options include a vertical launch system for Tomahawk, SCALP or a modified GMLRS

– CIWS: Use of Phalanx by 2020 is not a great option….maybe the RAM ?

– Aviation facilities include a “Chinook” flight deck and hangar for a Merlin and UAV, the UAV possibly housed in a supplementary ‘dog kennel’ hangar.

– Beneath the flight deck will be a large mission bay and stern dock to hold 4 9m RHIB’s, a torpedo system and a wide variety of mission modules.

– It is being termed the ‘Combat Ship’ and likely to be the larger of the Future Surface Combatant, so the C1/C2 concept seems to be still alive.

– Unit cost: Unknow, demand to martian 😀 but probably around the cost of 4-5 F-35B :D:rolleyes::dev2:

– Quantity 😀 between 2 and 12 😀

I can’t help but notice the news about the Type 26 on your blog is a link to the terrible Register article written by that infamous dullard Lewis Page, way to go.

The next government needs to commit to this and start looking for customers for export now.
We should be talking to
Chile
New Zealand (2 isnt out of the question) lots of chinese subs out there.
Australia – unlikely I know
Saudi Arabia possibly?
Canada – would they be interested in a modern multi purpose frigate?

Canada would probably need hulls strengthened for ice cube bashing.

Word is some of the cash is going to finish work on the 155mm gun also

That would be a sensible idea.

Jonesy is right though it does seem like rather a lot of money when theory a lot of the work should be done. Still I’m no naval architect so I could just be talking out of back side:o

On my way to work this morning, (running very late) Friday March 26th, at about 9:50-55am, I seen an RAF Nimrod flying very low, I’m guesing about 500-600ft along the River Tyne here in Newcastle Upon Tyne Northeast of the UK heading towards North Shields, Tynemouth which of course if you know the area, heads out to the North sea.

I was quite surprised to see it to be honest, especially since Newcastle is quite a big built up area and with all the busy bridges on the Tyne & all, would never of thought one would fly over this part, especially how low it was, very quiet though, I could hardly hear it.

Anyone might have an idea what it was doing over this part of the UK? Apart from heading out towards the North sea?…

Regards

The MR2s become non-operational today I believe, maybe it’s for a flypast or something?