Between the two isn’t it? With its own lovely railway station.

Stationing their lordships at HMS Properjob in the West Country would certainly seem amusing. But of course a number of them have already retired (on full pay of course to ‘reflect their invaluable experience to be drawn on blah blah blah’) to Dartmouth so that they can keep an eye on the young ‘uns and complain about standards slipping.

Al

AFAIK NO. SeaRAM is currently deployed only on LCS-2 Independence.

It was trialled on a T42 but then 911 happened and anything which might be used to defend the US was rapidly taken back.

There is a resistance to arming logistic vessels. (This is certainly the case in UK and may be partly down to Rn v RFA snobbery.)

I think that there is a general concern that weapon systems require integration and thus sensors and personnel which logistic vessels do not have. Partly for effective use of the weapon and partly to avoid blue on blue situations.

Additionally as Grim says, you put weapons on a non-combatant and it may end up taking risks which it has no business taking. Either through crew overconfidence or being tasked inappropriately.

Al

The Typhoon IS what the RAF need.

It is not the best plane in the world but it will be able to do what it is asked to and need for the foreseeable future. its only real competators are the Rafale and F-18E as both the F-16 and F-15 are really at the end of their potential growth. Both of the former are excellent platforms whilst the JSF is an unknown quantity until it actually enters service.

+1

Al

When the C1/C2/C3 concepts were first described publicly, the RN said that C3 was envisaged as a minor combatant, summed up by Richard Beedall as –

Thanks for reposting that. Tis the first time that I’ve read it properly.

Lynx OR MCM OR Special Forces

I, in common with many of those posting designs here seemingly, have been assuming helo AND mission deck for MCM

Al

Would be nice to see her turned into a museum, would there be room enough at Portsmouth with most of the surface fleet being relocated there or would it have to be moved to Devonport?

Would the current flotilla really fill up Pompey dockyards?

Al

What do we know about the seakeeping qualities of the French C70s?

Completely ignoring mine own warnings about assuming that re-engineering a warship is as easy as swapping bits around in a paint programme

C70s have already been fitted with*
Diesels – Cassard sub-type
TAS – George Leygues
Big covered area suitable for deploying MCM – see above
Medium calibre gun up front (albeit 100mm is a bit girly for RN tastes)
Automatic, turretted small calibres amidships – Saudi sub-type
Big deck house on hangar roof (I’m thinking space for CAMM silo here) –
George Leygues
SSM launchers
Hangar and pad for 2 light helos – George Leygues
Nice tall reinforced mast for ripe for Artisan
EO system – Cassard sub-type
Used as the basis for a Stealthy successor (La Fayette)

Al

* and therefore structural calcs and drawings have already been done ……..

The USN is designed by nature to fight a global war on multiple fronts. Also, the US has vast interests around the world and the Navy provides the brute power to maintain control. Sure a navy half the size would be great for a purely defensive role of the US Mainland. Yet, after WWII that was proven unwise. Also, the sheer size and power of the US Military provides strong deterrence to would be adversaries………….

What the USN does is provide deterrents to countries that would impose there will on weaker nations…………..

That the USN provides a powerful coercive force strategically and tactically I would agree.

That we are all grateful that US in WII intervention means that we aren’t all speaking Russian* I would agree.

That we are all grateful that continued US engagement during the Cold War means that we aren’t all speaking Russian and that State Capitalism in the USSR was bankrupted I would agree.

That the US provided aid in the Falklands conflict and directly prevented even greater loss of UK life I would agree.

That all US foreign policy interventions have been benign and/or on the side of the small guy or the victim I cannot agree.

Al

* most historians and military historians agree that the USSR would have beaten Nazi Germany eventually