General Naval Topics

[Pelican]

Royal Navy ships ‘fleet of porcupines’ says Defence Committee


It is clear that the budget priorities of successive governments have delivered a fleet of porcupines (well-defended herbivores), say the Defence Committee.

The report finds that the next decade is one of significant risk for the Royal Navy’s fleet, and one in which the UK and the Navy will face an increasingly complex international security environment. The Committee finds that Royal Navy remains one of the most capable forces in the world however, successive governments “failure to fund the ha’porth of tar the Royal Navy needs has literally spoiled the ships”.

The fleet will continue to suffer from well-documented problems with several key assets for at least the next few years:

Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/royal-n ... 74ChBJXMPg

Also - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/royal-n ... Crhtxgpt-g

[Pelican]

How can fewer frigates make a more effective Royal Navy fleet?


The RN currently has 18 frigates and destroyers in commission and this number will fall to 17 in 2022. Here we examine the justification for this reduction and the wider issues around fleet size discussed in the December 2021 House of Commons Defence Select Committee report titled “We are going to need a bigger navy”.


Less ships = more ships
In one of his last acts as First Sea Lord, Admiral Radakin submitted written evidence to the HCDSC explaining the reasoning behind HMS Monmouth’s decommissioning that will be followed by HMS Montrose next year. Since the 2010 SDSR, governments have settled on rather arbitrary figure of 19 surface escorts as the agreed “absolute minimum” number the navy needs, yet we have now passed below that threshold. Despite retaining that on-paper strength until recently, many of the 19 ships have been unavailable due lack of people and maintenance issues. Our analysis shows between 2015-20 that overall, escorts averaged 20 – 24% of their time at sea.

Continues at [Note the links within.] - https://www.navylookout.com/how-can-few ... avy-fleet/

[Pelican]

MANPOWER

COVID has resulted in a significant boost to RN recruitment and a reduction in outflow of experienced people. Overall the RN grew by 2% between Oct 2020-21.
Regular strength is now 34,140 of which 29,360 are trained.

[Pelican]

UK exploring ‘System on Chip’ for use in missile defence


The Ministry of Defence is looking to explore how the ‘Internet of Things’ and ‘Systems on a chip’ can improve missile defence capabilities via a £77k contract.

According to a contract nice published today, the ai fo the work is as follows.

See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-expl ... 5fe4yo4_SI

[Pelican]

We need a bigger navy’ says Defence Committee chair


Tobias Ellwood, Chair of the Defence Select Committee and MP for Bournemouth East, discussed his desire for a larger navy in Conservative Home.

“Simply put, the Royal Navy needs more ships. In particular, the escort fleet needs to double in size by acquiring more low-end capability to carry out presence operations and other low-end tasks. We also need more attack submarines to reflect the growing importance of the subsurface domain, the last place on the planet where our forces can really hide from an adversary.

These vessels need to be delivered by British shipyards working in collaboration with Government and coordinating with one another. The Government needs to commit to an adequate, long-term pipeline of work that allows industry to invest in the technology and workforce they need. The Aircraft Carrier Alliance shows what can be achieved when Government properly marshals the country’s shipyards and shipbuilding industry in a truly national effort.”

The Defence Committee recently published a report titled ‘We’re going to need a bigger Navy’ following an inquiry.

The report* found that the next decade is one of significant risk for the Royal Navy’s fleet and one in which the UK and the Navy will face an increasingly complex international security environment.

The Committee also found that Royal Navy remains one of the most capable forces in the world and that it will be expected to take on increased responsibilities as it becomes the Government’s “tool of choice” to deliver its strategy of persistent engagement.

However, successive governments’ “failure to fund the ha’porth of tar the Royal Navy needs has literally spoiled the ships”.

* See - https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/c ... mmary.html

Source UKDJ

[jbryce1437]

Could ‘Ellida’ be Britain’s future amphibious assault ship?

The UK is looking at ‘Multi Role Support Ships’ to provide future amphibious assault capabilities, but what might they look like?

The Defence Command Paper, titled ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’, describes the planned acquisition: “Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS), to provide the platforms to deliver Littoral Strike, including Maritime Special Operations, in the early 2030s.”

An inside source that asked not to be identified had last year attended a briefing at the Commando Training Centre, also known as CTCRM, discussing information relating to future UK amphibious and littoral capability I was told “LSS and FSSS likely to be sacrificial lambs at forthcoming review in order to get MRSS in larger numbers”. “Ellida will require some tweaks but would appear to reflect the requirements of littoral strike and needs of Carrier Strike”, the source added.

It appears that the source was largely correct, the plan for a dedicated and standlone ‘Littorial Strike Ship’ (LSS) was abandoned whilst the Fleet Solid Support Ships (FSSS) stayed. The deletion of a larger dedicated LSS (as opposed to current plans to modify the Bay class) in favour of smaller but more numerous MRSS vessels fits with current views, “thinking is larger number of smaller targets”, I was told.
“It’s a solution that fits the new doctrine. LSS was going to be a 40,000t conversion of merchant ship, big poorly protected target.”

Continued here

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[Pelican]

A year in review – the Royal Navy in 2021

2021 can be seen as another broadly positive year for the RN with the Integrated Review the maiden operational deployment of the carrier strike group the dominant stories.

The global scene ~ Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/a-year-in-r ... y-in-2021/

[Brian James]

Batch 2 River Class OPV HMS Tamar pictured at Pearl Harbor in November 2021.

[Brian James]

Coventry Ordnance Works in 1918.

[Pelican]

Sunken warship in River Thames with explosives on board could cause ‘mass damage and loss of life’


SS Richard Montgomery to be dismantled by Royal Navy after warnings that further deterioration could cause devices to detonate.

"Royal Navy EOD experts will be called in to remove masts from merchant ship SS Richard Montgomery that sank during August 1944 in the Thames Estuary near Sheerness.
The wreck contains 1,400 tons of explosives which if detonated would cause 5m tidal wave, mass damage & loss of life."

See - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/1 ... Ayr_hD-IuE