Originally Posted by
WE Branch Fanatic
I just hope that this is not seen as an excuse by the politicians cut support budgets for the Type 23 and her systems. Remember our ships and sailors do go in harm's way - and nobody can predict the future.
Already it appears that the shortage of manpower (caused by the SDSR 10 cuts and not rectified by SDSR 15 - we all hoped for a significant manpower uplift) is leading to ships having the proven Sea Wolf system replaced by Sea Ceptor (not yet tested). After all, MOD has never had problems with integrating things before...
Also the ships are working very hard - hence being worn out. Likewise people...
Being worn out is the problem. The T23 was originally intended as an anti-sub platform, for which it would quietly tootle about the North Atlantic Ogin at only a few knots, trying to hear Ruskie subs, with the occasional high speed dash to re-position. So they were built out of thin steel to save weight.
However, what they've mostly done is dash hither and thither, putting a lot of miles on the clocks. Not good for the hulls or main machinery.
T45 is much sturdier (commercial build standard - 0.5inch plating) - it'll take a lot longer for those to rust through. So are the new carriers, and presumably the T26, and I think everything built since Ocean.
Sea Wolf might be proven, but that just means that its rapidly approaching obsolesence is proven. Replacement is necessary.
Who knows whether the T26's will be useful. We do need big ships for quite a lot of the jobs the RN does. However one can't help but think that if any significant maritime warfare breaks out in, say, the Persian Gulf, a whole load of small, fast patrol boats with lots of fuel and a decent sting would be more useful. Just like any other naval war in confined waters has ever been.